Civil War-related North Jersey home listed for $1.479 million
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A 19th-century North Jersey home that once belonged to the commander of the National Guard’s 1st New Jersey Brigade is coming to the market.
The symmetrical clapboard house at 147 Ralston Avenue in South Orange was once the home of career soldier Henry W. Freeman. Born in New York City, Freeman cemented his place as leader of the New Jersey National Guard during a military career that spanned nearly 50 years and included participation in both the Civil War and the Spanish-American War.
Freeman’s turn-of-the-century home now has eight bedrooms and four bathrooms. Completely renovated in 2006, 147 Ralston Ave. features a huge porch with graceful arches under a cantilevered second-story bay window and a centered cross-gable on a hip roof. The home, which further stands out from the average with a bright interior with stained-glass windows and detailed woodwork, was listed this June by Vanessa Pollock of Keller Williams Realty for $1,479,000.
Hardwood floors in the living room, crown molding in the great room and beamed ceilings in the formal dining room give the home a historic touch. Yet, Pollock says, modern amenities like central air conditioning and modern plumbing and electrical systems are also included.
The main floor features a modern kitchen centered around a large island, a laundry room just off the driveway, and a hidden powder room. The second floor features a library and master bedroom with en-suite bathroom and two fireplaces, a small office, and a walk-in closet. Three additional bedrooms are on the third floor, and two garages are located behind the house in an oversized outbuilding.
According to records of the Montrose Park Historic District Association, the house was owned by Almira W. Freeman in 1890 and by Henry W. Freeman in 1904, so it was built around 1885.
Freeman was a soldier in the New York and New Jersey National Guard and also a key figure in the Oranges. He was one of the founders and the first treasurer of the South Orange Field Club. The club was one of the most prominent sports organizations in North Jersey in the early 20th century and owned Cameron Field, where Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig helped South Orange win an exhibition game against New Brunswick in October 1929, according to local historical records.
Freeman was also the historian of the Orange Chapter of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution and the land donor for the former Trinity Church at South Orange Avenue and Grove Road. The church eventually merged with the First Church of South Orange to become the First and Trinity Church of South Orange, which stands today at South Orange Avenue and Academy Street.
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In October 1902, Freeman was appointed colonel of the 1st Regiment of the New Jersey National Guard. He gained a reputation as a tough leader, once interrupting the regimental band in the middle of the “Star Spangled Banner” because it was not being played according to regulations. According to various newspaper reports, Freeman said he would not stand by and watch the band abuse the anthem by playing it at the end of a medley.
Freeman’s reputation, however, suffered a minor blow after he opened a brokerage office with Frederick L. Small, who was later convicted and executed for killing his future wife in their lake house in New Hampshire. In August 1908, Freeman and Small were charged with grand larceny for missing investment funds, The Record reported.
“I’ve never done anything to be ashamed of,” Freeman told the New York Times. “If they want me, they can take me home.”
The recalcitrant Freeman was arrested but later released after his client chose not to press charges, newspaper reports said. Freeman had made payments on an original debt of about $2,700 and owed about $675 at the time, he claimed.
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Just one year later, Freeman was appointed general of the 1st New Jersey Brigade. The brigade, based in Newark, consisted of three infantry regiments, the 1st, 4th and 5th, as well as cavalry and field artillery. However, the new brigadier general did not remain in this position for long. In November of that year, he retired to 147 Ralston Avenue, where he died in February 1921 at the age of 77.
Freeman would not be the last military commander to live at 147 Ralston Avenue. In the 1930s, the house was owned by Newark native George Henry Gleeson. His son, George H. Gleeson Jr., was a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and became a tank commander in the U.S. Army’s 4th Armored Division.
Gleeson died in 1995, but the stockbroker was posthumously awarded the U.S. Army’s Silver Star for leading his tank platoon during 10 hours of intense fighting near Lorient, France, during World War II, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported in 1997.
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