In 1807, the Hermitage was purchased by a young doctor named Elijah Rosencrantz and his wife, Cornelia Suffern. Four generations of the Rosencrantz family lived at the Hermitage.
In the 1820s, inspired by the industrialization of nearby Paterson, Elijah built a cotton mill along the Ho-Ho-Kus Brook. The Rosencrantz family owned and operated the mill for more than sixty years.
In the 1820s, inspired by the industrialization of nearby Paterson, Elijah built a cotton mill along the Ho-Ho-Kus Brook. The Rosencrantz family owned and operated the mill for more than sixty years.
In 1917, Mary Elizabeth and her Aunt Bess opened a tea room in the front parlor of the Hermitage. Together, they ran the business for over a decade, with help from Mary Elizabeth's stepmother, Bessie Grove Tyler. While Mary Elizabeth ran the kitchen and planned the menus, Aunt Bess entertained their visitors with tales of the Hermitage’s historic past.
Mary Elizabeth was the last Rosencrantz to live at the Hermitage. When she died in March 1970, she bequeathed the house on five acres of grounds, along with its contents, to the State of New Jersey.
