The landmark Washington Well Farm on Route 518 in Montgomery Township and Andrew Mershon Tavern in Titusville have been included on Preservation New Jersey’s 2025 list of the “Ten Most Endangered Historic Places.”
The Washington Well Farm is listed as No. 9. It is located at 664 Route 518, east of Cherry Hill Road. The two-story farmhouse is hidden behind a fence on a curve on Route 518 and has been vacant for several years.
Gen. George Washington and his troops stopped at the farm’s well on June 25, 1778 on their way to the Battle of Monmouth and drank it dry, and that’s how the farm got its name.
The Andrew Mershon Tavern is listed as No. 10. Known historically as Mershon’s Tavern, this site holds deep roots in colonial and Revolutionary War-era New Jersey.
Preservation New Jersey’s 10 Most Endangered Historic Places program seeks to raise awareness and highlight irreplaceable landmarks that reflect the cultural, architectural and social histories of New Jersey communities, officials said.
The properties included on the annual list are nominated by the public and chosen by a panel of Preservation New Jersey board members. The selection of properties is based on historic significance, urgency of threat and community impact.
Washington Well Farm
The farm, which suffered floodwater damage from Hurricane Ida in 2021, was established in 1750 by Joost Duryee, who was a Dutch-American settler, according to Preservation New Jersey. The farmer and his two wives are buried in the Duryee family cemetery on the farm.
Duryee was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. in 1729 and later settled in Montgomery Township on 264 acres of land. The farm has now dwindled to eight acres, according to www.blawenburgtales.com.
The farmhouse dates to 1753 and features wide plank hardwood floors, hand-hewn beams and seven fireplaces. It has been expanded over the past 272 years. It remained in the Duryee family for 190 years until it was sold in 1943.
The 15-room house was built around the original one-room house with a sleeping loft that is accessed by an enclosed corner staircase, according to a 1972 article in The New York Times.
One wing of the house features an extra-wide front to rear hallway with a fireplace and a Dutch door, which is a door that is split horizontally. The top portion of the door can be opened to allow for light and ventilation.
There is also a 20-foot by 30-foot drawing room that was originally two rooms, featuring early Federal period details. Architecturally, the Federal period dates from around 1780 to 1830. Another wing was added in the 1830s, according to the article.
A small one-story building, which is believed to have been slave quarters, was disassembled earlier this year and is in storage. It is intended to be relocated to the Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum grounds in Montgomery Township.
The previous owner of Washington Well Farm did not maintain the property, which led to significant deterioration over time, according to Preservation New Jersey.
The buildings and grounds, which include a barn, an English-style carriage house, an out-kitchen and the historic well across Route 518 from the farmhouse, have suffered from weather exposure and lack of routine upkeep, Preservation New Jersey stated.
Without prompt preservation measures, the Washington Well Farm risks irreversible loss, along with its rare and valuable connection to colonial, Revolutionary and Black history in New Jersey, the nonprofit group said.
Andrew Mershon Tavern
Numerous documents, including tavern license applications filed by Andrew Mershon from 1746 through 1793, confirm its longstanding role as a licensed tavern. The property was originally built by Cornelius Anderson, father of Mershon’s wife, Fransinah. Andrew and Fransinah began living there in the 1730s, initially renting from Anderson’s estate, according to Preservation New Jersey.
The tavern is noted on a Revolutionary War spy map, housed in the Library of Congress, marked simply as “Mershons,” indicating its function as an inn. The Mershon Family Association and their 1949 publication “Our Pioneers East and West of the Mississippi” also affirm its operation and historic relevance.
The house is in serious disrepair. Siding is missing from the west side, while the east side shows extensive rot in both siding and trim due to prolonged lack of paint and maintenance. One exterior door is unsecured and shows signs of unauthorized entry, with evidence suggesting people have been sleeping inside. A collapsed chimney has likely caused interior damage, though the extent is unknown. Portions of the stone foundation are loose, and parts of the backside of exposed fireplaces have deteriorated.
Mershon’s Tavern is a rare and irreplaceable link to early American history, with direct connections to the Revolutionary War, 18th-century travel, and New Jersey’s colonial heritage. As one of the oldest surviving tavern sites in the region—operational as early as 1746—it served not only as a rest stop for travelers and drovers headed to the Trenton Market but also likely played a role in the movement of people and information during the Revolution, as suggested by its inclusion on a Revolutionary War map.
Preserving this building honors the lives of those who shaped local and national history, including Andrew Mershon, his family, and the generations of residents and innkeepers who followed. Architecturally, it offers a valuable example of early American construction and vernacular design, including original stonework and fireplace structures that are increasingly rare. With the surrounding land already protected and public access routes in place, the tavern has the potential to become a cornerstone of historical interpretation in the region—if action is taken now, Preservation New Jersey stated.
