Foster-Armstrong House in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
Old Mine Road Historical Buildings
The Foster-Armstrong House is located at the northern end of Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area at 320 River Road in Montague, New Jersey. While going by the name River Road, this is actually part of the original Old Mine Road where so many of the historical buildings within the park are situated.
The Foster-Armstrong House is a nice example of Dutch domestic architecture. The original building, the two-and-a-half story section on the left side of the current house, was built by Julius Foster around 1790. Foster was a prominent businessman who came to the area from New York. In addition to running a farm, Foster operated a ferry, general store and post office, blacksmith shop, and a grist and saw mill. He also had a license to operate a Public House from 1798 to 1814, and he turned a section of his house into an inn and tavern.
James Armstrong married Julius’s daughter, Mary, around 1812, and he and Julius built the stone kitchen addition onto the left side of the house (it’s hard to tell it is stone due to everything being painted white). James and Mary lived in the house with her parents, and their descendants continued to live in it until the United States government purchased the property in the early 1970s in preparation for a lake that would soon flood the area when the Tocks Island Dam was completed. The project was cancelled in 1975, and the government ended up with hundreds of abandoned buildings on its hands, including the Foster-Armstrong House, all of which became part of Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.
The Foster-Armstrong House was renovated in 1983 by the National Park Service. Ten years later the Montague Association for the Restoration of Community History (MARCH) signed a lease to use and maintain the house as a museum. The house is typically open to the public from 1 PM to 4 PM on Sundays in July and August and on select weekends during the Thanksgiving and Christmas season. See the MARCH website for a current schedule and more information.
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Last updated on February 6, 2024
