(This virtual cache location was suggested by Girl Scout Troop 81608 of East Brunswick, of which Jessica is a part of.)
NOTE: To claim this cache, post a picture of the north-facing side of the Seabrook-Wilson House. (That is to say, with the bay behind you.) Bonus points for also posing a picture from the inside of the house; no taking pictures from outside through the windows! The house is open to the public from April through October from 1-4pm on Sundays only. We encourage cachers to tour the exhibits inside of the house during its operational hours.
Listed on the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places, the Seabrook–Wilson House is one of the oldest surviving houses in the Bayshore. The original house was built in 1663 by Thomas Whitlock, who came to North America in 1641 and first lived in Brooklyn. It started out as a 1 1⁄2-story, one-room cabin, and Whitlock lived here with his family. Around 1720 Thomas Seabrook, who was a patriot in the New Jersey militia, took ownership of the house which then remained in the Seabrook family for 250 years. Over the years the Seabrook family added to the original structure. By 1896 (photo below) the house had grown to its present size and appearance.
For most of its history, the farm on Sandy Hook Bay was home to generations of two prominent Port Monmouth families, the Seabrooks and the Wilsons. Ship owners and captains, a Revolutionary War militia officer, local business owners and investors, and a clergyman were part of these notable families, many of whom served in local government positions.
Until the mid 1800s, the Seabrook‐Wilson House stood alone on this stretch of the Bayshore, surrounded by a farm of several hundred acres and salt marsh. With the development of steamboat service and the railroads in the mid‐1800s, the village of Port Monmouth grew up around the steamboat pier and commercial fishing, transforming the area into a bustling port. Tourists flocked to the area for its fresh air, sandy beaches and recreational fishing. By the early 1900s the old Seabrook‐Wilson farmhouse had become an inn for tourists, known first as "Bay Side Manor" and later as "The White House."
After almost fifty years as a boarding house, the Seabrook‐Wilson House stood empty and in severe disrepair by the mid 1960s. In attempting to create interest in the building, part-time caretaker Gertrude Neidlinger fabricated a story that the house was a tavern during the Revolutionary War where British troops were spied on by patriots. There is no evidence that the house was ever a tavern at that time. However, the tale caught on and helped keep local interest in the house, probably aiding in preserving the property. The Spy House Museum, which conducted candlelit ghost tours, was creatively alleged to be "haunted" by Gertrude.
Concerned Middletown residents convinced Township officials to purchase the site in 1967 and save the Bayshore landmark from destruction. The Middletown Township Historical Society and, later, the Spy House Museum Corporation, operated the house as a local history museum for over twenty years. In 1998, Middletown Township transferred the property to the County of Monmouth and it became part of the surrounding Bayshore Waterfront Park, which preserves a thriving coastal landscape of salt marsh, dunes, mile of beach and scenic views across the water. Visitors can once again enjoy the historic site and create new memories of Port Monmouth and the Sandy Hook Bay.
In 1998, Middletown Township transferred the property to the County of Monmouth and it became part of the surrounding Bayshore Waterfront Park, which preserves a thriving coastal landscape of salt marsh, dunes, mile of beach and scenic views across the water. The house was added to the New Jersey Registry of Historic Places on July 1, 1974 (2030) and the National Registry of Historic Places on October 29, 1974 (74001178).
Virtual Rewards 3.0 - 2022-2023
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between March 1, 2022 and March 1, 2023. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 3.0 on the Geocaching Blog.