THE WOMAN’S CLUB

(VREELAND HOMESTEAD)

LEAVING the Vreelands, Speers, Van Ripers, together with Joralemons and Kings settled on the “Pasayack” River, we find other Dutch settlers along the Third River long before the days of the Revolution.

Occupying farm land in what is presently the center of town, in the area disputed by people of Newark and Aquackanonck, was the family Van Giesen - (or Van Geesen, Van Giezen, or Vangiesen), whose properties were confiscated after the Revolution due to their Tory allegiance.

The Van Giesen farm was then secured by the well-known Captain Abram Speer, the eldest of five sons of John Speer of Second River (Belleville). Captain Speer, one of the largest landowners of the region sold part of the farm, north of what is now known as Chestnut Street, to John M. Vreeland, Grandson of Jacob, who lived on the Passaic River farm. All of the Vreelands were descended from Michael Jensen-from Braeckhuysen, North Bragant, Holland-1636, who settled near Albany, New York. The family “assumed the name of Vreeland from Vreelandt, the town in Holland.”

Thus from 1783 till the 1900’s land north of Chestnut Street has remained in possession of descendants of John M. Vreeland.

The Homestead, since 1912 the Woman’s Club, has been occupied by many Nutley families in its various stages of restoration. Prominent among these is the family of David Smith, whose parents occupied part of the house from 1877 to 1902.