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A house on a hill once used by General George Washington as an observation post to monitor British troops during the American Revolutionary War is on the market for sale in time for America’s 250th anniversary.
Located on a quiet cul-de-sac at 4 Centennial Court in Totowa, New Jersey, the property was recently listed for $1.776 million by Joseph Charles Jr. of Prominent Properties Sotheby’s International Realty. This is an intentional play on the founding year of the country to commemorate the 500th anniversary.
The history of the area dates back to 1717. When Dutch farmer Dirk Day purchased 600 acres of land in the Preakness Valley and established a large farm. It is also believed that a few years later he began construction of an impressive Georgian country house at the foot of one of the hill ridges.
His son, Colonel Theunis Dei, completed construction of the mansion in 1770. Originally known as Bloomsburg Manor, it was officially renamed Day Mansion in 1930.
Shortly after construction of the mansion was completed, in July 1780, it served as Washington’s military headquarters. Washington occupied the east wing of the mansion, and the Day family remained in the west room with Washington’s staff, which they used as a base camp while the troops watched over the British from the top of what is now Day Hill.
He also returned to his home in October and November 1780, in the aftermath of Benedict Arnold’s rebellion.
Although the area remained an orchard and livestock farmland after the American Revolution, it was formally subdivided in 1972, beginning the process of forming a planned residential community. Housing construction began in 1973.
Today, all of the streets on the hill are named after the American Revolution, including Centennial Court, Liberty Ridge, Patriots Trail, and Lookout Point Trail.
The third property from the top of Day Hill, the home at 4 Centennial Court, was built in 2004. The home is located on a lot of nearly 1 acre and has 4,603 sqft of living space.
There are four bedrooms and four bathrooms, including a luxurious primary suite with a spacious walk-in closet and flexible bonus room space. There is also a dramatic two-story entrance hall. Several formal and informal living and dining spaces. Gourmet kitchen with Viking appliances and large center island. and a partially finished walk-out basement with 11-foot ceilings.
Other amenities include a three-car garage with EV hook-up, and beautifully landscaped grounds with a tranquil pond and deck.
This property is also minutes from the Totowa Community Pool, Preakness Valley Golf Course, local shopping, major highways, and public transportation.
Maddie McGay is a real estate reporter for NorthJersey.com and The Record, covering everything that’s worth celebrating about living in North Jersey. Find her on Instagram @maddiemcgay or X @maddiemcgayy and sign up for the North Jersey Living newsletter. Have a tip, trend, or great home she should know about? Email MMcGay@gannett.com.
