Located at 298 Academy Street in Jersey City is an old stone building that early residents dubbed the Apple Tree House, a name that references a storied meeting between George Washington and General Marquis de Lafayette that supposedly took place underneath an apple tree outside the house. Now, the house will be turning into a museum that will tell the history of Jersey City.
The Apple Tree House is currently owned by the city. In 2017 the house underwent renovations and reopened as the home of the cultural affairs and tourism offices. Officials began the process of moving the offices out this month in order to prepare for the new museum.
City Spokeswoman Kimberly Wallace-Scalcione told Patch, “the Apple Tree House will become a Jersey City Historical Museum with active changing exhibitions based on Jersey City’s rich history. We are starting the process to create an individual autonomous board for oversight and a firm budget to curate the space on an ongoing basis.”
According to NJ.com, city officials will be holding a meeting with stakeholders on July 26 to put together a framework for governance and operation of the future museum. The city hopes to have this proposal completed by Labor Day.