Historic Bergen County House With Famous Owner Will Soon Be For Sale

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — A tavern-turned-home in Bergen County will soon be listed for sale, allowing new owners to sleep in a place where Revolutionary War-era settlers shared drinks.

The Ackerman-Demarest House in Ho-Ho-Kus was built in 1757 and served as a tavern and mill, said listing agent Max Stokes.

At some point, the building was converted to a home, and was refurbished in 2009.

The current owner has lived there with his wife for 11 years, but now it's time for the next chapter.

John Blute, the home's owner, told Patch, "The house has the best of both worlds. You have the charm and history of the American past with seven-zone heat, two-zone air conditioning, a full-house generator, three working fireplaces ... It is just a fun house to live in, with wonderful flow. Holidays, book club, and just plain parties are so much fun here, inside and out."

Blue said the house felt "like your own special compound" and he held many events there. He also has enjoyed the history.

"Continental soldiers were captured here when it was a tavern in the late 1700s," he said. "Arnold Gingrich, the founder of Esquire magazine, lived here. He hired Hemingway to write short stories for the magazine. His first story earned him the famous $500 bonus to purchase his boat!"

He said he's selling simply to downsize for the next phase of life.

"The new owners should know that it’s an incredible, versatile house, both inside and out," he said. "We love it here and have poured our hearts into it. From Friendsgiving with 30-plus friends in the living room to Thanksgiving with 30 family members, to Christmas with a roaring fire ... Sleigh riding down the steep hill from the top of the property to the lower front."

Historic Home

When the house served as a tavern and mill, there were few structures in the area. Thus, the tavern was likely frequented by soldiers during the Revolution, especially since battles and raids took place in the area in spring 1780.

More recently, Esquire founder and editor Arnold Gingrich lived there in the mid-1900s.

The 4,000-square-foot home, located at 605 Saddle River Road, has four bedrooms, three bathrooms, two indoor fireplaces, an outdoor fireplace, and stone walls on the property.

Ho-Ho-Kus offers access to buses and a train station into New York City.

The house will remain as a private exclusive until early September. You can look before it's listed by using this link.

"We look forward to passing the torch to another family," Blute said, "who ideally appreciates the history and the old-world-meets-2026 aesthetic."

Know of a unique house for sale in Bergen County? Let Patch know.