Hometown History Homework #5: King of New Jersey (Bordentown, N.J.)

No, we're not talking about Tony Soprano

Moving west has always worked out for me and my family. When my husband and I first moved to New Jersey we lived on the border of Hoboken and Jersey City, about as far east as you can live in New Jersey without making your home on the river. About a year later we scooted out to Secaucus, which had better access to trains into New York.

Finally we made the big jump into the suburbs, moving west into Essex County. We lived in South Orange for five years, until once again we moved west in search of more space for our growing family. We found our forever home (and hometown) in Mendham NJ, and so ended our nomadic journey from east to west across New Jersey.

Of course, there is a lot further west we could go in New Jersey, and just because I won’t be moving again anytime soon, doesn’t mean we can’t explore the beautiful landscape and history that western New Jersey has to offer. In fact, this week’s story has to do with someone else who moved west in search of a place to call home. And he found it in a bucolic river village named Bordentown. This person also happened to be the ex-King of Spain, older brother of Emperor Napoleon, Joseph Bonaparte (or as my husband jokes, “Joey from New Jersey.”)

How I got here:

One of the coolest things about doing Hometown History Homework is realizing just how many ways there are to get to a story. This week, I was rummaging around the Library of Congress digital archives when I came across an old map of Point Breeze in Bordentown. The caption read: “Map of the residence and grounds of Point Breeze, near Bordentown, of Joseph Napoleon Bornaparte, ex-King of Spain.” Excuse me, but that is something I need to investigate!

The short version of the story:

Any student of history will be familiar with the legacy of Napoleon Bonaparte, French military officer and statesman turned Emperor, who led France to victory during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars (I admit I had to look that part up).

But you’re bound to be less familiar with Napoleon’s oldest brother Joseph. Joseph was no slouch himself: he was trained as a lawyer, served as a member of the Council of 500 and even helped negotiate France’s side of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. After his brother became emperor, Joseph was made King of Naples and Sicily and later King of Spain. But Joseph’s reign lasted only as long as his brother’s, and following Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo, Joseph fled to safety in America.

On July 25th, 1815, Joseph Bonaparte, disguised as a man by the name of “the Count de Survilliers”, arrived on a ship in the Port of New York. Bonaparte had spent most of the trip hiding in his cabin, and was almost apprehended when the British attempted to stop the vessel on the high seas. When he gets to America, Bonaparte is almost immediately outed. According to historian and anthropologist Richard Veit: “An elderly French soldier spots him on the street and calls out ‘Your Majesty, how glad I am to see you!’ and his cover is blown.” 

Joseph Bonaparte intends to travel to Washington D.C. to meet President Madison. But the United States and Britain are in the midst of war and Madison shudders to think what having Bonaparte showing up on his doorstep would do to diplomatic relations. He declines his request to visit the White House but gives Joseph permission to stay in the U.S. as a private citizen.

Once given the green light, Joseph Bonaparte considers where he should live. Strategically he considers building a home somewhere between Philadelphia and New York, where he can receive quick news from Europe. He buys the Landsdowne Estate, a property associated with the Penn family in Philadelphia, and considers buying properties in both Perth Amboy and the Dorencourt Hotel in Morris County. Eventually he buys the former home of American diplomat Stephen Sayre. Located on 200 acres in Burlington Country, where the Delaware River and Crosswicks Creek meet, the estate is called Point Breeze. 

Bonaparte’s plan was to turn Point Breeze into the new center of high society in the United States. To entertain guests, the 38,000 square-foot, three-story home had one of the largest libraries in the country (at the time), with over 8,000 books. It contained an extensive collection of art, including statues by Canova and paintings by David including Napoleon Crossing the Alps. The estate was also well known for its beautiful landscaping and vast orchards of plants imported from France.

Along with this mansion, the estate also included a lake house for Bonapartes daughter, Zénaïde, an ice house, a gardeners house, and a house for the servants. 

As strange as it may seem, the former ex-King of Spain was actually warmly received by residents of Bordentown, N.J. “He was like a one man WPA” says Veit. Bonaparte’s vast estate ended up employing many local craftsmen and laborers, which endeared him to the community. In 1820 a fire broke out at the estate in Bonaparte’s absence, and servants and townspeople rushed to save much of the valuable artwork, silver and antiques that were housed there. In the aftermath Bonaparte wrote an article in the local newspaper thanking his neighbors for saving his possessions. 

After the fire that destroyed his home Bonaparte went on to rebuild his estate even bigger than before. In the ensuing decade in which he lived in New Jersey, he entertained such dignitaries as Henry Clay, the Marquis de Lafayette, Daniel Webster and the future 6th U.S. President, John Quincy Adams.  In 1832, Joseph returned to Europe, living in London until 1838, then returning to Point Breeze. In 1839 he left Point Breeze again and returned to Europe. He suffered a major stroke in 1840 and passed away in Florence, Italy four years later.

So why not adventure west to Bordentown to check out the former home of Joseph Bornaparte? Because, unfortunately, the home was sold and subsequently destroyed by the mid 19th century. What exists at Point Breeze today is a single structure, “The Gardeners Cottage,” as well as ruins from the Lake House and the lodge. Bonaparte’s real legacy in Bordentown consists of winding carriage paths, charming stone bridges, and vestiges of the magnificent gardens that were once planted there. 

Final thoughts:

This story reminds me of something that happened this past spring when my husband and I took a trip to Spain (of all the places!). We were in Catalonia, on a guided tour, when our British tour guide asked where we were from. “New Jersey!” we said. And I immediately knew what our British guide would say next. “Oh, you mean like the Sopranos?” I bet someone from New Jersey reading this right now has had a very similar experience. 

So next time you get the Tony Soprano comment, you can say “Yes, but have you heard about Joey Bonaparte, King of New Jersey?”

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Links:

https://drgreenway.org/news/visit-dr-greenways-discovery-center-at-point-breeze-to-learn-about-27-heritage-crops-grown-on-this-land-by-the-lenape-over-thousands-of-years/

https://delawareriverheritagetrail.org/2021/09/28/point-breeze-historic-district-bordentown-city/

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/former-king-spain-once-dwelled-new-jersey-now-his-estate-will-become-public-park-180977289/

https://bordentownhistory.org/

https://philadelphiaencyclopedia.org/essays/point-breeze-bonaparte/