Township-owned Van Dyke-Beekman property sold for $555,000 with many restrictions attached
By: Jake Uitti
MONTGOMERY The winning bid for the historic Van Dyke-Beekman farm and residence was $555,000 in an auction held Wednesday.
In the crowded Montgomery Municipal Courtroom where only standing room was left available, Fred Daniel of Max Spann Real Estate Auctions, clad in a gray suit and suspenders, rattled off encouragement to the assemblage of bidders for the property.
"Don’t lose it," he said. "This is a one-of-a-kind investment. The best you’ll ever make."
The winning bid came from an overjoyed Tewksbury Township woman who said she had been seeking this type of property for years. The woman and her family wished to remain anonymous.
When asked what she will do with the property, located west of Route 206 across from Rutland Road, the woman replied, with her daughter close by her side, "We have horses, and they will stay with us. We will restore it and live there."
Montgomery Township had purchased the land and dilapidated house for $775,000 to preserve it as open space, and wanted to see it restored.
"It was beyond our resources to refurbish the property," Lori Savron, the Montgomery Township planning director, said, "and it was implied in the registering for the auction that the winning bidder will preserve the house and farmland."
According to a statement released by Montgomery Township, the house had fallen into serious disrepair under its last owner and would likely have been torn down by a developer.
"It was well worth it to preserve the 21 acres of farmland and one of the most historic houses in the region," Mayor Louise Wilson said.
Montgomery has a long history of farming, but in the past two decades the township has become much more densely populated. It is for these reasons that the township is attempting to preserve the 4,000-square-foot 18th-century house and 21.2 acres of farmland surrounding it.
The terms of the sale require the purchaser to pay Max Spann Auction Co. a "buyer’s premium" of 10 percent of the purchase price, or $55,000, which will be handed over at settlement and is in addition to the purchase price, a Montgomery Township resolution stated. The terms of the sale also prohibit unsuitable alterations to the house, which must be restored to its circa-1750 Dutch Colonial appearance within three years.
The house was originally built by John "Tory" Van Dyke, a well-known loyalist of the Revolutionary War era, the township statement said. It is also rumored to be haunted by a murdered colonel’s ghost, according to documents provided in the auction packet.
The land is deed-restricted from further development and will remain farmland. The 21.2-acre parcel is the final piece completing the puzzle of 175 acres that will remain as open space in Montgomery.
The township purchased the property when its former owner, Virginia Beekman, died last year. The second-highest bidder was Robert Wilmot, 54, an attorney from Montgomery who said renovations will probably range between $400,000 and $650,000.
The reason for the auction was to maintain the size of the property, and not have it subdivided or altered significantly, township officials said. The value of the property on the open market was not clear due to its rich history, so township officials felt it best to see what it would go for in the excitement-packed forum of an auction.
The Montgomery Township Committee unanimously approved the sale at its Wednesday meeting. The information on the purchaser will become public 45 days after the sale.
"It’s a great day for open spaces and historic preservation," Ms. Savron said.

