For Immediate Release
Contact: Richard Sgritta, Executive Director, 201-445-8311, x22, rsgritta@thehermitage.org
Special Exhibit: Valentines and Victorians at The Hermitage
Month of February 2013
Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ. In 1847, Esther Howland of Worchester, Massachusetts, designed the first
handmade American Valentine. Coincidently, the first U.S. postage stamp was issued in 1847—
perfect timing to mail those Valentine’s Day cards! Also in 1847, here in Bergen County, Elijah
Rosencrantz hired the architect William Ranlett to renovate his 1760s farmhouse as a prestigious
family home: the romantic Gothic Revival-style Hermitage in Ho-Ho-Kus.
Today a National Historic Landmark and house museum showcasing the Victorian era of the
mid-to-late nineteenth century, The Hermitage celebrates Valentine’s Day throughout February
2013 with special decorations and displays that include a love letter from the Hermitage Archives
and original Valentine cards received by members of the Rosencrantz family, who lived in the
home in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Rose-motif wallpaper and red roses in vases give
a romantic feeling to the front parlor, a room where the Rosencrantzes often entertained. Rooms
are also enhanced with period costumes and selected artifacts. A table in the back parlor displays
red paper, lace doilies, and other material for creating handmade Valentines.
The Hermitage Museum is open for guided tours Wednesdays through Sundays. Tours begin at
1:15, 2:15, and 3:15 pm. Please call ahead ensure that a volunteer docent is available to conduct
tours and to check for closings in case of inclement weather.
The Hermitage, a National Historic Landmark, is one of the nation’s outstanding examples of
domestic Gothic Revival architecture. The historic house incorporates a stone structure that was
visited during the Revolutionary War by George Washington and was the site where Aaron Burr
met and married Theodosia Prevost. The house’s architectural appearance dates to the 1847
remodeling and enlargement by the architect William H. Ranlett. Today, the furnishings reflect
the Victorian lifestyle of the Rosencrantz family, who lived in The Hermitage from 1807 to 1970.
The Friends of the Hermitage, Inc., a nonprofit membership organization, manages The
Hermitage, a New Jersey State Park. The Historical Commission of the Department of State
provides some funding to the Friends through its operating grants program. The Commission
recently completed a major rehabilitation project to install state of the art climate control and
repair the historic exterior details of The Hermitage. The Friends offer tours of the historic house,
exhibitions based on the collections, and diverse educational programming. For information
about The Hermitage contact Friends of the Hermitage by mail at 335 North Franklin Turnpike,
Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ 07423; by phone at (201) 445-8311 or at our website, www.thehermitage.org.
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Photographs are available on request by calling or emailing Assistant Director Susan Deeks at
(201) 445-8311, ext. 36, or sdeeks@thehermitage.org.