Joseph DuBois House
1835

 
Erected by Joseph DuBois in the locality known as Rockland Neighborhood. South wing built in 1835 with material from 18th century house of John Gesner. Larger center section built soon after with Victorian porch and north wing added at a later date. Barn erected 1836. 
Dubois was a Hudson River "boatman" and owner of a sloop sailed out of nearby Snedens Landing.

BCHS Marker

31 Rockleigh Road

The Dubois Family

"...two lots in the Township of Harrington at a place commonly called Rockland".^[1]   

On 7 November the same year, Nicholas Gesner noted in his diary:

  "Joe DuBois the last two weeks has erected a small building...near the head of the old lane."^[2] 

          The 1835 rectangular section is a 1 ½ story gable-roof clapboard structure. The slope of the roof is most likely in the vernacular Dutch style prevalent in this area at the time. The interior floor plan shows evidence of a side-hall construction.  Portions of this structure were built from materials scavenged from the old (c. 1749) homestead of John Henry Gesner located several hundred feet to the rear (west) of the house.  [The site of the John Henry Gesner homestead is shown on Robert Erskine's Revolutionary War Map, Number 10, 1788-80.] ^[3] 

          The south wing, the oldest portion, consisted of one large room on the main floor with garret above. Later alterations include the addition of a dormer and removal of the south interior fireplace and exterior chimney. Bay windows were the original site of a baking, cooking, and heating fireplace.^[3] 

          Circa 1838, as the family grew, a larger center wing of similar construction was added to the north side of the original structure. There is one large room on the main floor with staircase to two finished bedrooms and bath above. A small one-room wing was added to the north side of this section.  Small shed-style run porches with Victorian accents being added in the late 1800's. Wings in compatible style were added in the late 1980's, one being an attached garage to the south with another kitchen wing behind it to the west.^[3] 

         Interior walls in both sections are plastered. Subsequent alterations include a dormer and the roofline of both sections have been extended to include a porch on the east front.  Some of the framing is of the Federal style. Exterior trim work is of the Victorian style.^[3] 

         A "Lady in Black," somewhat severe-looking, has been observed in the house from time to time by reliable accounts, perhaps "Bets".

DuBois Barn

          The small 19th century board and batten barn located to the rear of the house was built in 1836. Nicholas Gesnser on 7 Sept 1836 entered the following in his diary: 

"Joe Dubois raised his barn today and set it across the Road which had been laid out seven or eight years ago for the use of the neighbors to go to their land."^[2] 

The road mentioned was the access road to the old John Gesner Homestead. There are ruins of other outbuilding foundations dug into the hill to the north side of the old lane. The barn is in good condition.^[3]  

          The dwelling is sited on nearly four acres facing in an easterly direction on upper Rockleigh Road on a two-acre parcel with an additional 1 ½ acre to the rear that is the site of the circa 1744 Gesner  dwelling.^[3] 

1822-1882

1882-1911

1915

1970- c.1986

c.1999

1. Reginald McMahon: A History of the Joseph DuBois House, Rockleigh, NJ. 1975.
m/s Bergen County Historical Society, River Edge, NJ.

2. Nicholas Gesner Diary. m/s 1829-1850, Palisades Free Library, Palisades, NY.

3. Bergen County Historic Sites Survey, Borough of Rockleigh. 1981-1982.
Bergen County Office of Cultural and Historic Affairs, Hackensack, NJ