The Houses at New Bridge Landing Open Only for Events. This Fall Has a String of Them.

You can walk the grounds at Historic New Bridge Landing any day from dawn to dusk. The Steuben House, the Demarest House and the Campbell-Christie House are a different story. The Bergen County Historical Society opens them only during its volunteer-run events and lists no regular daily museum hours.

This fall, those events come in a steady series. They're built around one anniversary, and its biggest moment happens in River Edge.

On November 20 and 21, 1776, George Washington's army left Fort Lee and crossed the Hackensack River at New Bridge. The Bergen County Historical Society says Thomas Paine described the crossing in The American Crisis, and the site now goes by "The Bridge that Saved a Nation." The 250th anniversary weekend starts in Fort Lee and ends here, on the 13 acres around 1201 Main Street. Between now and November 22, the borough's calendar fills in around that date.

The Fall at New Bridge, Date by Date

The first item on the list isn't at the historic site. It's a few blocks away, at the library.

The Library Exhibit Comes First

"Revolutionary Lives" runs at River Edge Public Library from October 8 through October 21, put on by RevolutionNJ. The exhibit is about people who were "caught in the middle" during the American Revolution. Patch reported that RevolutionNJ timed it to arrive just before the 250th anniversary of Washington's November 1776 retreat through Bergen County.

That timing makes the exhibit useful background for the reenactment in November. The retreat at New Bridge is usually told from Washington's side. The library show focuses on the households along the route that had no say in which army came down the road. The opening reception is Thursday, October 8, at 4:30 p.m. For questions, RevolutionNJ's contact is [email protected].

October 25: A Birthday Party for the Man the House Is Named For

The Steuben House is named for Major General Baron von Steuben, and BCHS holds its annual Oktoberfest to mark his birthday. This year it falls on Sunday, October 25, after being rescheduled.

The beer list is all from Bergen County: Hackensack Brewery, Gearblock Brewing and Brix City Brewery. BCHS says Gearblock may bring its pretzel truck. For families, there's cornhole, free pumpkin picking and decorating, and food from on-site vendors. Reenactor Ed Koenig plays the Baron and is available for photos. Other reenactors will talk about military life in the period.

Check the start time before you go. The listing's time field says noon to 5 p.m., but the description says 1 to 5 p.m. Either way, it's one of the afternoons when the site is open for an event, a month before the crowds the anniversary is likely to bring.

Why the Anniversary Ends in River Edge

The 250th retreat weekend is a joint effort. The organizers are the Brigade of the American Revolution, the Palisades Interstate Park Commission, Bergen County Parks, Historic New Bridge Landing and the towns along the route. Bergen250 names those towns as Fort Lee, Englewood, Teaneck, New Milford, River Edge and Hackensack.

Saturday, November 21, belongs to Fort Lee. Reenactors arrive and camp there starting Friday, November 20. Saturday includes a memorial march into town, joined this year by representatives of each town on the historic Retreat Route. After that comes a large tactical demonstration of the American rearguard action at Fort Lee. The public is invited to stay into the evening and walk through the camps by firelight. Bergen250 lists the Fort Lee Historic Park program for both days from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and notes that parking meters will be in effect.

On Sunday, November 22, the action moves to River Edge. According to the Brigade's plan and the BCHS listing, the day goes like this:

1. BCHS Past President Jim Smith opens the day with a reading of The American Crisis at the New Bridge.
2. The American rearguard starts at Fort Lee and follows the historic Retreat Route, with escorts and members of the public watching along the way.
3. Washington, played by John Koopman, meets the column at the site of the Englewood Liberty Pole and leads the troops toward the Hackensack River.
4. British forces march from Huyler's Landing to the Liberty Pole and then turn toward New Bridge, close behind the rearguard.
5. BCHS expects the retreating troops to reach New Bridge around 11 a.m.
6. The two columns meet at a fortified Steuben House and fight across the bridge and the grounds, from the east bank of the river to the west.

Fort Lee gets the encampment and the opening battle. The crossing that gave the bridge its name, and the fighting at the Steuben House, happen in River Edge. The Brigade also says programming will run between scheduled tactical demonstrations at both Fort Lee and New Bridge throughout the weekend.

What to Know Before November 22

Tickets. BCHS sells tickets for the New Bridge program at $15.50 for adults and $10.50 for BCHS members and students, plus service fees.

Start time. The BCHS page lists 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Bergen250 lists the same event as 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Confirm with BCHS if you want to catch the opening reading.

Marching. The Brigade's registration closes October 20, but its page describes signup for reenactor participants. It welcomes spectators along the route and doesn't say whether the public can join the marching column. Questions go to the weekend's organizer, James McKane, at [email protected].

The bridge. The 1889 iron truss swing bridge is owned by Bergen County and connects River Edge, New Milford and Teaneck. BCHS invites visitors to walk across it, and that's open to anyone on any day the grounds are open.

The night before. BCHS lists "Dine with Washington" on Saturday, November 21, from 6 to 10 p.m. at 105 Old New Bridge Road in New Milford, on the other side of the river. The page says more details are coming.

If you'd like to help out rather than just attend, BCHS is holding a fall clean-up at its museum site, 1209 Main Street, on Saturday, November 7, from 8 to 11 a.m. It's getting the grounds ready for the Retreat to Victory.

What's Being Built Behind the Houses

The rule that the houses open only for events has a practical cause. BCHS is a member-supported nonprofit founded in 1902, and its events are run by volunteers. The society says it needs to become a professionally staffed organization with a modern museum building.

Construction on that building began on October 1, 2025, with Phase I of a 3,750-square-foot history museum designed by Arcari & Iovino Architects. River Edge Mayor Thomas Papaleo attended the groundbreaking. Plans call for modern galleries, space for educational programs and talks, full ADA accessibility, and climate-controlled storage for a collection that BCHS says has mostly never been on permanent display. Paul and Gayle Gross gave $250,000 toward the building. Paul Gross grew up nearby in Teaneck.

The state is working on the site too. A New Jersey Division of Property Management and Construction scope of work dated January 6, 2026, covers parking, pedestrian access and drainage improvements in preparation for the visitor center. It lists a $500,000 construction estimate and a current working estimate of $751,500. That document said the foundation was underway at the time. I couldn't find any public update since then saying whether the building or the access work is finished.

Once the museum opens, BCHS says it will be a year-round center for the collection. Until then, the event-only rule still applies. This fall, the dates that open the houses are October 25 and November 22.

At Tony J Lee, we pay attention to what's happening in the Bergen County towns we work in, from a new museum on Main Street to a reenactment that brings the Retreat Route from Fort Lee into River Edge. If you want to talk about River Edge or anywhere else along that route, Let's Connect.