America turned 250 years old this past weekend, and a handful of historic homes from the Revolutionary era are on the market for buyers ready to take on the responsibility of preservation. Among them is Lansdown, a fieldstone manor in Franklin Township, New Jersey, built in 1771 for a British colonel who later served George Washington’s Continental Army. The property spans 47 acres and sits roughly halfway between Philadelphia and New York City, listed for $3.6 million.
Col. Charles Stewart built the home through a royal land grant from King George II. He switched sides during the war and became commissary general of issues for Washington’s army. According to the listing history, Washington himself visited the house.
A Colonel’s Connections
Stewart’s decision to join the Continental Army put him in a small circle of officers who worked closely with Washington. The home’s location in the hills of New Jersey placed it between the two main cities of the fledgling nation, which helped turn Lansdown into a stop for political and military figures during the war.
The manor was already standing when the American Revolution began. Its fieldstone construction has held up for more than 250 years, though the current owners have made updates over time. The property includes the original house, outbuildings, and the land that once supported a working farm.
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The asking price reflects both the historical value and the real estate market in Somerset County, where large estates with this kind of pedigree are rare. The sale comes as the nation marks its semiquincentennial, a moment that has drawn renewed attention to properties built in the late 1700s.
For a buyer, taking on a home like Lansdown means inheriting not just a building but a maintenance obligation that can run high. Historic structures often require specialized contractors, approvals for renovations, and insurance policies that account for their age. The owners who have kept the place for these decades are now looking for someone willing to carry that load.
What’s on the Property
The 47 acres include meadows, woods, and a stream. The house itself has multiple fireplaces, wide plank floors, and period details that have survived centuries of use. The kitchen and bathrooms have been modernized, but the overall feel remains faithful to the 18th century.
Lansdown offers a clear paper trail back to a colonel who helped feed Washington’s army. The land grant from King George II is part of the title history.
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The home is not a museum. It has been lived in continuously, and the current owners have used it as a private residence. That means the mechanical systems are functional, the roof is sound, and the structure is not in ruin. But any new owner should expect to invest in ongoing upkeep.
Real estate agents handling the listing describe the property as a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” for someone who values American history. The price of $3.6 million puts it in the range of luxury homes in the region, but the historical cachet is what sets it apart from newer construction in the area.
For comparison, the median home price in Somerset County was around $550,000 as of late 2024, according to public records. Buyers shopping in the seven-figure range for a historic property generally have different priorities than the average homebuyer, focusing on authenticity and provenance rather than square footage or modern layouts.
The property has been on the market for a few months. The house itself, already older than the nation, will keep standing regardless of who holds the deed.
