Montclair, NJ – Located at 764 Bloomfield Avenue, it’s known in Montclair as the Stagecoach House and in its basement, back in 1806, was a tavern rest stop for stagecoach drivers along the “Turnpike.”
This is back when the Newark and Pompton Turnpike, now Bloomfield Avenue, was a stage route, before 1856 when the first trains traveled between Newark and West Bloomfield (shortly before residents adopted the new name of Montclair).
According to local historian Frank Gerard Godlewski, with a stagecoach, you could be at the Hoboken ferries in an hour. Godlewski says there were four arrivals and departures a day from the Stagecoach House at 764 Bloomfield Avenue.
The Stagecoach House has been part of a Walk a Revolutionary Mile route that many Renaissance middle schoolers trekked to learn about history through a local lens. The house, according to Godlewski, is also part of a network of underground railroad tunnels.
Take a virtual tour of this historic home here, located a stone’s throw from the Montclair Art Museum.
The 4-bedroom house is listed at $599,000. From the listing:
Don’t miss an amazing opportunity to own this historic home, located near the Museum and all that Montclair has to offer. The proper central entry foyer leads to the 21′ x 19′ Living Room with a bay window alcove. The 16′ x 13′ Dining room will host gatherings large and small, and has a sitting room overlooking the expansive .42 acres of gardens. The Dutch Door from this room leads to a spacious brick terrace for dining or relaxing. The Kitchen looks into the Dining room and the custom-built, wood-paneled Family Room, with walk-in storage, and a decorative fireplace. The breakfast room with skylights SHOULD become the NEW entrance and mud room. This will make sense when you visit the property. The first floor includes the 4th bedroom/office & a full bath with tub/shower. Back in the foyer, observe the architecturally intact Fan Window and Sidelights gracing the Front Entrance. Marvel at the over 100-year-old Newel Post as you ascend to the second floor. Upstairs you will find three unique bedrooms. The “Primary” Bedroom measures 15′ x 15′ and has wide plank floors, an ornamental fireplace, and a 15′ foot long dressing room/walk-in closet. The “Alpine” Bedroom has a beamed cathedral ceiling and a wall of closets. The “Cabin” Bedroom features wood-paneling and built-ins. The terraced ground floor has front and garden portal access, and large storage & laundry rooms. The Pecky Cypress paneled Recreation Room was an 1806 tavern stop for stagecoaches.
Too bad it was vinylized.