A two-day auction with historical provenance tied to both local and American Revolutionary War history will be held on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 22 and 23, when a large part of the contents of the Richard Holcombe homestead is auctioned off on-site in Lambertville, N.J. Alfred's Auctions LLC will be conducting the sale. The property, now owned by the seventh generation of the Holcombe family, was originally purchased in 1705 by John Holcombe, who was considered Lambertville's first resident. He built the stone house in 1724 on a large piece of land along Route 29 and eventually passed it along to his son, Richard. As the population of Lambertville increased and travelers began coming through, Emanuel Coryell purchased property for a tavern and inn as well as a charter to run a ferry service across the Delaware River. Those settlements where the ferry ran between Lambertville and New Hope, Pa., were called Coryell's Ferry. Holcombe's property was part of it.
Then came the Revolutionary War. Richard Holcombe's homestead, situated along the Delaware, served as a crossing point for American troops. The property was used on at least two occasions as General Washington's headquarters, first in 1777, and again in 1778. The diary of James McHenry makes reference to the June 1778 stay, "Head Quarters at one Holcombs in the Jersey." He also mentions that George Washington's expenses were paid to Richard Holcombe in the sum of "£10.17.6" for "38 dinners," "bread butter & other necessaries" and "Trouble &c. made in the House."
An original portrait of Richard Holcombe will be in the auction. Attributed to an itinerant artist, it is believed that the canvas has never been taken out of its original frame to check for a signature. A second Holcombe family portrait is also assumed to have been painted by a traveling artist and features a charming little girl holding a doll. A third painting, also in its original frame with no signature showing, depicts a sleigh scene. The scene was featured in a print advertising calendar, also in the sale.
Featured on day two will be a George Rea 1796 tall case clock. Rea was an early Hunterdon County, N.J., clockmaker, one of four Colonial clockmakers in Flemington, N.J., and an important part of Hunterdon County history. This clock is complete with moon dial, decorated face, and case finials and has been in the family since it was first made. It will hold an estimate of $3,000-$5,000. A variety of mantle and steeple clocks are also included in the sale.
Several antique shotguns will be sold, including two mid-19th century double barrel muzzle-loading ball and cap shotguns, both with intricate engravings. A Bentley & Sons with patch box and original ram rod and a Hollis and Sheath London Fine Twist will be sold. A small variety of antique brass and copper powder horns will also be auctioned off.
Period furniture in the auction dates to the 18th century with an early American two-drawer work table estimated at $700-$900. Also of interest are two Chippendale pieces, a walnut blanket chest, and a walnut tall chest of drawers, with estimates of $600-$900 and $1,000-$2,000, respectively. Federal period furniture includes a mahogany card table and an inlaid chest of drawers.
The Sept 23 session will focus on items from the house, and the Sept. 22 session will consist of the contents of the garage, barn, and other outbuildings. Among these will be an early 20th-century Model T conversion tractor. This tractor was created by a Ford conversion kit that allowed farmers to turn their outdated Model T cars into tractors, but many were eventually sold for scrap metal.
Farming equipment will range from tools to a 1955-56 Farmall tractor with hydraulic lift in excellent working condition. There will be a Jeep Tuxedo Park Mark IV CJ5 from the mid-1960s complete with a snow plow attachment, as well as a 1946 Jeep CJ2A with parts included.
As of now, the future of this historic property is undetermined. Both auctions will start at 10 a.m., with previews beginning at 8 a.m. on both days. Photos and a listing can be found on AuctionZip under Alfred's Auctions (Auctioneer ID #1070).