KINGSLAND MANOR PARK
Nutley, Passaic County, NJ

Directions:

Over George Washington Bridge headed east; NJ turnpike south; exit 16W; turn left at light; go under Route 3 and turn left into the Clifton Commons Shopping Center; go over a small bridge over the Third River; turn right at the stop sign; park over by the wire fence that blocks off the Third River from the parking area.

Here is Kingsland Manor, a house of 17 rooms, 2 kitchens, ballroom, slave prison, slaughter house, smoke house, and underground Indian raid cellar, 125 foot tunnel leading to a stone barn fort, solitary confinement pen with manacle leg irons, neck yokes, and a double ball and chain.

History:

The front of the house faces onto the Third River and the linear park around it known as the Kingsland Manor Park.

1668 -- Major Nathaniel Kingsland of Barbados sends his nephew, Capt. William Sandford to East Jersey to acquire land for British colonization.

Sandford purchases for himself 15,000 acres from the Passaic River east to the Hackensack River and calls it New Barbados.

1670 -- Sandford builds a home near what is now Union Avenue, Lyndhurst.

Sandford and Major Kingsland agree to divide the territory between them, with Kingsland taking the portion north of a line drawn from Snake Hill in the Meadowlands to a "blazed tree" in what is now Belleville.

1673 -- another nephew of Major Kingsland, Isaac Kingsland, living in London finds himself kicked out of his marriage and jobless when his employer-father-in-law objects to the marriage. He writes his uncle, Nathaniel Kingsland, for help. Nathaniel offers Isaac the New Barbados tract if he will develop the land. Isaac arrives and takes over the Sandford home.

Isaac Kingsland served two terms on the King's Council. Later, his brother Gustavus joins Isaac.

1738 -- Isaac's grandson, Joseph Kingsland, born in Kingsland, Bergen County. He grows up across the Passaic River.

1750 -- the main section of Kingsland Manor is built.

1775 -- the coming of the American Revolution leads Joseph, a Tory, to emigrate to Nova Scotia.

End of Revolution -- Joseph Kingsland returns from exile to the United States. He lived in New City and lived at 29 Greenwich Street. He was a carpenter and, in addition, ran a lumber yard.

The Nutley tract falls into the hands of the Walls family, John and James, of Newark, Essex County. There was a small house here.

1753 -- the Nutley property served as collateral for a loan from John Robinson.

1771 -- the Nutley property served as collateral for a loan from William Millener of New York City. Millener got the got the Nutley property and released it to Jane Knox of New York City.

1790 -- Mrs. Knox sells the property to Isaac Kingsland's grandson, Joseph Kingsland. He purchases the Nutley property across the river from his boyhood home. He had been looking to the forests of New Jersey as a source of lumber. His slaves erected what became known as the Third River Saw Mill. The mill cut the lumber into curbing and then shipped it on sloops from the dock at the mouth of the Yantacow or Third River.

1796 -- the Joseph Kingsland family (with at least 5 of their 9 children) moves into an enlarged house. A small summer kitchen, three dormers were added to the house.

1821 -- death of Joseph Kingsland, Sr. Joseph Kingsland, Jr. and Peter Morris (son-in-law) continue to operate the Madison Mills.

Pre-Civil War -- the house served as a station on the underground railroad.

1856 -- Joseph Kingsland, Jr. retires. His sons, Joseph Jr., Joseph III and Richard Kingsland, continue to manufacture paper in the "Passaic Mills."

1860 -- ballroom section of the house added by Joseph Kingsland, Jr. The triangular dormers at the back of the house added.

1878 -- Joseph Kingsland's death.

1902 -- end of the residence here of the Joseph Kingsland's daughter, Martha and Margaret.

1909 -- Kingsland Manor no longer in the hands of the Kingslands.

1918 -- the McGinity family buys the home. Daniel McGinity, a famous fight promoter and entertainment entrepreneur, used Nutley as a training camp for his prize fighters.

Prohibition -- Bernard "Bus" McGinity, son of Daniel, runs a speak-easy in the basement of the Kingsland Manor.

After Prohibition -- "Bus" and his mother Katherine run the homestead as the Colonial Club until their liquor license is revoked.

more modern times -- the McGinity's operate the homestead as the Nutley Private Hospital.

1938 -- Ralph Smith buys the house at a Sheriff's sale for roughly $4,000. He adds another dormer and indoor plumbing. The house sold to L. John Nenney, an ITT vice president. He in turn sells the house to the Norman Schapps family of Passaic.

1962 -- A United Nations Garden set up in Kingsland Manor Park with lots of horticultural plants.

1973 -- Schapps family moves out.

post -1973 -- the new owners as permission to subdivide two side yards and build new home on them.

With the Green Acres fund providing half of the funds, the town purchases the Kingsland Manor for $90,000 dollars.

Herb Garden:

In the back yard is an herb garden. Blooms on 6/23/01 included butterfly milkweed, cockscomb, hollyhock, lamb's ear, spiderwort, and tawny day lily. Also here is columbine, honesty, and many more plants.

United Nations Garden:

Some of trees and bushes here include: atlas cedar, cedar of Lebanon, Japanese tree lilac, small-leaved linden, and Vitex agnus-vitea.

PLANT LIST:

Joseph Labiriola and Dr. William F. Standaert

June 23, 2001 Third River Walkway at Clifton Commons Park, Clifton, Passaic Co.
and Kingsland Manor Park, Nutley, Essex Co., N.J. Torrey Botanical Society trip. With Joe Labriola (leader).
Nomenclature follows Gleason & Cronquist (1991). Common names from various sources.
Various manuals used for cultivated plants. Bailey (1949) and A. L. Jacobson (1996) often useful.
var. ... = unspecified variety. (Vars. listed in Gleason & Cronquist do not match Kartesz's interpretation.)
F Flowering specimen(s) found.; [C.] Cultivated.
Fr Fruiting specimen(s) found.; [E.] Escaped from cultivation.
KM = Kingsland Manor. Plantings around homestead. (Highlights only)
UNG = United Nations Garden (Highlights only)

Trees
Acer negundo var. negundo (box elder maple) common
Acer platanoides [C./E.] (Norway maple) common
Acer rubrum (red maple) some
Acer saccharinum (silver maple) some
Ailanthus altissima (tree of heaven) some
Amelanchier laevis [C.] (smooth serviceberry) few
Betula nigra [C.] (river birch) few
Carpinus caroliniana var. virginiana [C.] (ironwood) 1
Carya ovata (shagbark hickory) 1, KM
Catalpa bignonioides [E.] (southern catalpa) 1; F
Catalpa speciosa [E.] (northern catalpa) few
Celtis occidentalis [C.] (hackberry) 1
Fagus grandifolia var. ... American Beech 1
Fraxinus americana (white ash) common; immature fruit
Fraxinus pennsylvanica (green ash) few + some planted in parking areas
Ginkgo biloba [C.] (maidenhair tree) 1, UNG
Ilex opaca [C.] (American holly) few; fruiting
Juglans nigra (black walnut) 2
Liquidambar styraciflua [C.] (sweetgum) few, KM
Liriodendron tulipifera [C.] (tulip tree) 1
Magnolia virginiana [C.] (sweetbay magnolia) 2
Metasequoia glyptostroboides [C.] (dawn redwood) 1, UNG
Morus alba [C./E.] (white mulberry) common fruiting
Picea abies [C.] (Norway spruce) few, KM
Picea pungens [C.] (blue spruce) 1, KM
Pinus nigra [C.] (Austrian pine) few, UNP
Pinus strobus [C.] (white pine) some
Pinus thunbergiana [C.] (Japanese black pine) 3 young trees
Platanus x hybrida [occidentalis x orientalis] [C.] (London Plane) 1, UNP
Platanus occidentalis (sycamore) few
Populus deltoides var. deltoides (cottonwood) some
Prunus avium [C.] (sweet cherry) few; fruiting
Prunus serotina (black cherry) some; immature fruit
Pyrus calleryana [C.] (Callery Pear; Bradford or similar cultivar) few, KM
Quercus alba (white oak) some
Quercus bicolor [C.] (swamp white oak) some immature fruit
Quercus palustris (pin oak) some
Quercus rubra (red oak) some
Robinia pseudoacacia (black locust) some
Salix sp. (willow) 1
Salix alba [C.] (golden weeping willow) 1 sapling, lakeshore at KM
Ulmus americana (American elm) some
Zelkova serrata [C.] (Japanese zelkova) few, UNP

Shrubs
Clethra alnifolia [C.] (sweet pepperbush) few
Cornus sericea [C.] (red osier dogwood) some; F Sold by nurseries as Cornus alba 'Sibirica' (Siberian Dogwood).
Euonymus fortunei var. fortunei [C.] (winter creeper) some; near F
Ilex verticillata var. ... [C.] (winterberry holly) 1 clump, UNP; D
Ligustrum ovalifolium [C.] (California privet) few, KM; F
Myrica pensylvanica [C.] (bayberry) few
Rhus aromatica var. aromatica [C.] (fragrant sumac) 1 clump; Fr
Rosa multiflora (multiflora rose) few
Rubus sp. (blackberry) few
Sambucus canadensis var. ... (common elderberry) 2; F
Taxus baccata [C.] (English yew) 1, KM
Viburnum dilatatum [C.] (linden viburnum) few, UNP; immature fruit
Viburnum rhytidophyllum [C.] (leatherleaf viburnum) some
Vitex agnus-castus [C.] (lilac chastetree) 1 clump, UNP
Yucca filamentosa [C.] (Adam's needle) 1, KM; F

Vines
Ampelopsis brevipedunculata [E.] (porcelainberry) 1 patch
Calystegia sepium (hedge bindweed) some; F
Cuscuta sp. (dodder) (no flowers) 1 small patch
Hedera helix [C./E.] (English ivy) some
Humulus japonicus (Japanese hops) some
Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia creeper) few
Sicyos angulatus (burr cucumber) 1 patch
Solanum dulcamara (bittersweet nightshade) some
Toxicodendron radicans var. radicans (poison ivy) common

Herbs
Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard) some; im Fr
Allium vineale Wild Garlic some; near F
Ambrosia artemisiifolia (common ragweed) some
Artemisia vulgaris (common mugwort) some
Asclepias syriaca (common milkweed) 2
Aster cordifolius (heart-leaved aster) few
Aster divaricatus var. divaricatus (white wood aster) some
Chenopodium album (lambs-quarters) some
Chenopodium pumilio (keeled goosefoot) few; near F
Cirsium arvense var. ... (Canada thistle) some, 1 site; F
Cirsium sp. (vulgare?) (bull thistle) 1
Commelina communis (Asiatic Dayflower) some; F
Convallaria majalis [C.] (lily of the valley) 1 small patch
Eupatorium rugosum var. rugosum White Snakeroot some
Galinsoga quadriradiata (common quickweed) few, 1 site; F
Glechoma hederacea (gill-over-the-ground) common
Gypsophila paniculata [C.] (baby's breath gypsophila) some, garden at KM; F
Hemerocallis fulva [E.] (orange daylily) few
Hypericum perforatum (common St. Johnswort) 1; F
Impatiens capensis (orange jewelweed) few
Lepidium virginicum var. virginicum (peppergrass) some; fruiting
Linaria vulgaris (butter and eggs) some
Ludwigia palustris (common water-purslane) 1 patch
Lythrum salicaria (Purple Loosestrife) some; F (few)
Medicago lupulina (black medick) some; F
Melilotus alba White Sweetclover 2; F
Oenothera biennis var. biennis (common evening-primrose) few
Oxalis dillenii Southern Yellow Wood-sorrel few; F,im Fr
Oxalis sp. (yellow wood sorrel) some; F
Phytolacca americana Pokeweed some; near F
Plantago lanceolata English Plantain common; F
Plantago major (common plantain) some
Polygonum arenastrum (dooryard knotweed) some; F,Fr
Polygonum cespitosum var. longisetum (cespitose smartweed) common; F
Polygonum cuspidatum (Japanese knotweed) common
Portulaca oleracea (purslane) some
Rumex crispus (curled dock) 1; im Fr
Rumex obtusifolius (broad-leaved dock) few; im Fr
Sagittaria latifolia var. ... (broad-leaved arrowhead)1
Sedum sarmentosum [C./E.] (stringy stonecrop) few patches, KM; F
Senecio vulgaris (common groundsel) few, lawn; F,Fr
Silene latifolia (white campion) some; F
Solanum nigrum (black nightshade) few; F
Sonchus asper (spiny sow thistle) few; F
Taraxacum officinale (common dandelion) few; F
Thalictrum pubescens (tall meadow-rue) 2; F
Trifolium repens (white clover) common; F
Typha latifolia (broad-leaved cattail) some, 1 site; im Fr
Urtica dioica var. procera (tall nettle) few
Verbascum blattaria (moth mullein) few; F
Verbena hastata (blue vervain) few; F
Viola sp. (sororia?) (common blue violet?) some

Rushes
Juncus sp. (pylaei?) Common Rush few; F
Juncus tenuis var. tenuis Path Rush common; F,im Fr

Sedges
Carex vulpinoidea var. vulpinoidea (fox sedge) 1 patch; F,im Fr

Grasses
Calamagrostis epigejos Steppe Reedgrass few, one site (=C. epigeios var. georgica--Kartesz); im Fr
Dactylis glomerata Orchard Grass few; Fr
Digitaria sanguinalis Hairy Crabgrass some
Elytrigia repens Quackgrass) few; F
Festuca pratense Tall Fescue) few; Fr
Panicum clandestinum Deertongue some
Poa pratensis Kentucky Bluegrass) some + common, lawns; past F
Setaria faberi Nodding Bristlegrass) 1; F

Ferns & fern allies
Asplenium platyneuron Ebony Spleenwort few, wall of spillway at KM
Cystopteris sp.? (fragilis var. mackayi?) Mackay's Fragile Fern? some, wall of spillway at KM
Dennstaedtia punctilobula (hay-scented fern) 1 large patch
Onoclea sensibilis (sensitive fern) few

Third River Walkway and Kingsland Manor Park. 6/23/01

The weather was very changeable: heavy showers, muggy sunshine; and light showers. On a very rainy day the group met in the parking lot of the Clifton Commons shopping center (constructed in 1999). After the rain let up again we toured the natural riparian forest along the east bank Third River where there is an asphalt public walkway. The natural trees along the river were Acer negundo, A. rubrum, A. saccharinum, Fraxinus americana, F. pensylvanica, Morus alba, Platanus occidentalis, Populus deltoides, Quercus bicolor, Q. palustris, Q. rubra and Ulmus americana. The group noted the difference between northern catalpa (Catalpa speciosa), the one we usually find, and the blooming southern catalpa (C. bignonioides) found here. There were also lots of invasive trees including lots of tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima).

The group found a fragrant sumac (Rhus aromatica) with its fruit still hanging on. Planted shrubs included Amelanchier laevis, Clethra alnifolia, Cornus kousa, C. serecia (just past flowering; sold by nurseries as C. alba), Euonymus fortunei, Ilex opaca, I. laevigata, Magnolia virginana (just past flowering), Myrica pensylvanica, and Viburnum rhytidophyllum.

In a stormwater swale/basin along Route 3 was found Cirsium arvense, Juncus effusus, Lysimachia salicaria and Typha latifolia.

After lunch the group visited Kingsland Manor, built before the American Revolution and now serving as an historic homestead. Steve of the Friends of Kingsland Manor gave us a brief tour of the place along with the herb garden. Blooms here included butterfly milkweed, cockscomb, holyhock, lamb's ear, spiderwort, and tawny day lily. Also here is columbine, honesty, and many more plants.

Plants on the masonry wall of the old mill dam and raceways were Sedum acre and Cystopteris tenuis (fragile fern), which we only saw from afar because the water was rushing too fast to get to it). Large trees near the manor house included Carya ovata, Liquidambar styracifula, Liriodendron tulipifera, Pinus strobus, and Platanus occidentalis.

On the walk in Kingsland Manor Park to the United Nations Garden the trees were mostly Ailanthus altissima and Picea abies. The herbaceous plants included Commelina communis, Polygonum cuspidatum and P. virginianum.

The group toured the 1962 United Nations garden establish on a peninsula in the park. Most of the species were exotic trees and shrubs: Cedrus libani, Koelreuteria paniculata, Metasequoia glyptostroboides, Quercus robur, Syringa reticulata, and Vitex agnus-castus. In pond mudflats and on the shoreline were found Impatiens capensis, Lysimachia palustris, Lythrum salicaria, and Sambucus canadensis. On the mature tree-lined path on the east side of the park, an upland area , were Fagus grandifolia and Quercus alba, Q. palustris, Q. rubra, and Q. velutina.

Total attendance was 13. The trip leader was Joseph Labriola. Thanks to Dr. William F. Standaert for assistance with plant identification and for compiling the trip plant list.