Rosenkrans House at Walpack Center in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
What is now known as the Rosenkrans House was built around 1850 by the same man who opened the Walpack Center General Store, Jasper Rundle. It was the very first house on Main Street in Walpack Center. The house takes its current name from the last family to own it before it was sold to the United States government in the early 1970s. The Rosenkrans Family had been in this area since before the American Revolution.
In 1967, the government began forcibly purchasing all land in the area under the doctrine of eminent domain to make way for a lake that was to be created by the Tocks Island Dam. When the dam project was cancelled in 1975, the government found itself in possession of 70,000 acres of land and hundreds of abandoned buildings, including the Rosenkrans House. Everything became part of Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, a park that had been authorized by Congress in 1965 so that the National Park Service could manage all the soon-to-be fun activities on the new lake.
Today the Rosenkrans House is the headquarters of the Walpack Historical Society and houses the Rosenkrans Museum. The building is open on Sundays from May through October, as staffing allows.
With a few exceptions, use of any photograph on the National Park Planner website requires a paid Royalty Free Editorial Use License or Commercial Use License. See the Photo Usage page for details.
Last updated on February 5, 2024
