Garretson Forge is a pre-revolutionary sandstone house, owned by Bergen County. It is officially listed on the New Jersey State and United States National Register of Historic Places. The site currently functions as a Dutch farm museum and sponsors activities such as historic digs, compilation of local history and folklore, educational programming, colonial agriculture, horticulture and crafts.
The Garretson family first moved to America in 1600. Gerrit Gerritse purchased a tract of land extending from the Passaic River to the Saddle River in 1719, and the house was built by his son, Peter. The main section of the house was built in 1760 out of dressed stone. Clay pipes and other artifacts were uncovered in that section.
Six generations of the family lived on the farm. In 1902, the roof was replaced, a second front door was replaced with a window, and a large porch was added. By the mid-1990s, the farm's herb garden was expanded to include more than 50 varieties of medicinal and culinary herbs and a pantry garden was added to give sustenance to two local food pantries. There have been ongoing efforts to establish butterfly gardens and orchards.
The farm is always accepting volunteers such as tour guides, gardeners and liaisons to the county and state historical society.