Wyckoff's Oldest House Opens December 5, the Fullest Saturday on the Township's Holiday Calendar

The stone house just north of the intersection with Wyckoff Avenue has a Dutch door and a gambrel roof. Its walls went up around 1730, almost two hundred years before Wyckoff became a township. William Van Voorhees built it. It served as a village store and tavern during the Revolutionary War. His son Albert added a large wing in 1824, at age 86. The house is open to the public only during house tours. This year, the township's own 2026 calendar puts one of those tours on Saturday, December 5.

That date matters more than usual this season. Wyckoff has just finished its centennial program. In December, the 1730 farmhouse is the one civic holiday event with a published date on the township calendar. Two of the town's busiest seasonal hosts scheduled their own programs for the same Saturday.

The Centennial Ran on Three Dates, and All Three Are Now Past

The centennial year was organized around three signature public events, as Wyckoff News reported in January. The Centennial Gala at The Brick House came first on March 21. Next was the Main Street block party and street fair on June 27, with fireworks at Memorial Field. Last came a historic cemetery tour on October 24. A volunteer Centennial Committee coordinated through Town Hall ran all three. It sought sponsors so the programming would not burden the municipal budget.

The closing event was set for 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 24, at the Wyckoff Reformed Church cemetery, 580 Wyckoff Avenue. According to the church's October 18 worship guide, Mayor Roger Lane was to open with remarks at the War Memorial in front of the sanctuary, with members of the VFW and the church's Boy Scout troop on hand. Visitors would then walk the cemetery with a map. Large posters would explain the church's history, notable grave markers, and links between the congregation and the town.

The township's printed 2026 calendar keeps the anniversary going a little longer. The December page shows archival photographs: Santa riding past the former W.T. Grant department store at Wyckoff and Greenwood avenues, the Wyckoff Girl Scouts, and Boy Scout Troop 89, chartered in 1926. The Zabriskie House Holiday Open House, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., appears in the Saturday column of that same December grid.

A Centennial Coda in a House That Predates the Township

The open house is not billed as a centennial event. Even so, it makes a fitting last stop for the anniversary year. Grace Quackenbush Zabriskie willed the house and its Early American furnishings to the township in 1973, so that all residents could enjoy what the township calls "this fine example of our early Dutch heritage." She was raised by her grandparents, Uriah and Keziah Quackenbush, who bought the property in 1867. During her lifetime she restored it, filled it with period antiques, and laid out three formal gardens.

The house's history follows how land in Wyckoff was used before the suburbs. According to the Zabriskie House history, the land was used over the years for apple orchards and dairy farming, plus grain, corn, potatoes, grapes, and table crops. A volunteer Zabriskie House Board of Trustees oversees the property. The township notes that special events and holiday tours are announced in local newspapers.

What Else Lands on Saturday, December 5

The house is open for five hours. The Wyckoff Family YMCA and Abma's Farm both scheduled seasonal programs inside or around that window.

The YMCA's December 2026 events calendar lists both morning programs. The full YPAC School of Dance Nutcracker follows a week later, on Saturday, December 12, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

At Abma's, December 5 is the last of three wreath workshop dates, after December 1 and 3. Participants work in the farm's greenhouses with pine, cedar, and holly, then add ribbons, pinecones, berries, and ornaments. It is also the last of the farm's three Photos with Santa dates, after November 27 and 28. Children can write letters to Santa at the farm and drop them in a North Pole mailbox. Both require advance booking through the Abma's Farm events page.

The Six Weeks Leading Up to It

The rest of Wyckoff's dated calendar fills in before December 5. Most of it comes from the same two hosts.

1. Saturday, October 31, 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The Wyckoff Chamber of Commerce holds Safe Trick or Treat. The Chamber's annual events page describes it as taking place at Boulder Run Shopping Center.
2. Saturday, November 7, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Abma's Giant Pumpkin Drop closes out the fall season. The pumpkin drops at 2 p.m. The day also has hayrides, a live band, brats, and Bolero Snort Brewery beer for adults. Entry is free, though some activities cost extra.
3. Thursday, November 19, 6 p.m. DIY Holiday Candles at Abma's. Each guest makes two scented candles, with Tomasello sparkling wine and charcuterie.
4. Saturday, November 21, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The YMCA's 16th Annual Big Holiday Shop, a free-admission market with more than 30 vendors at 691 Wyckoff Avenue.
5. Sunday, November 22, 3 to 4 p.m. The YMCA's Holiday Tree Lighting Family Event, with carols, hot cocoa, crafts, a short performance, and Santa. It is free, but preregistration is required.
6. Friday and Saturday, November 27 and 28. Abma's Tree Farm Mini Photo Sessions with Emily Photography among the Christmas tree rows, plus the first two Photos with Santa dates.

The YMCA tree lighting comes a weekend after the Holiday Shop and two weeks before the Zabriskie open house. It is a separate event from the Chamber's tradition. The Chamber describes its annual "Santa Comes to Wyckoff & Town Tree Lighting" as Santa's fire-truck stops around town followed by a gathering at Town Hall with elves, donuts, hot chocolate, and giveaways. As of late October, the Chamber's events list shows a 2026 listing only for Safe Trick or Treat, so the Santa stop schedule and lighting time are still to be announced.

After the Fifth

Abma's keeps its season going past the open house. Christmas Parties run on December 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, and 11. Each one starts with a decorated hayride and includes hot cocoa, gingerbread cookies, and a live sing-along by the fire. Santa and Mrs. Claus then light a 16-foot hay-bale Christmas tree. Each participating family receives a retouched digital photo with Santa by Emily Photography. The event lasts about 45 minutes. An adults-only Gingerbread House Workshop on December 3 is held in the farm's Tomasello Wine Bar. Santa Story Time follows on December 8, 9, 12, and 19, in a tent, so dress warmly. Centerpiece workshops run on December 15, 17, and 19.

At the YMCA, a Make & Take Gingerbread House Creation workshop runs Monday, December 7, from 4 to 6:30 p.m.

Nearly everything ticketed at Abma's says booking is required, and several listings note limited space. A December 5 that takes in the farmhouse, a YMCA morning program, and a wreath at Abma's means booking the wreath workshop ahead and checking the YMCA listing for registration. The Zabriskie House visit needs only the hours, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Many Wyckoff homeowners know their own house's history only in part: an older core, a later addition, a past owner whose name still shows up on the deed. If you would like help understanding how your home's age and character fit into today's Wyckoff market, Catherine Bossolina welcomes you to Request a Private Consultation this season.