james fenimore cooper house

Everybody has heard of the Last of the Mohicans. What most people don’t know is that a large part of James Fenimore Cooper’s writings is about the sea and the ships: he spent three years in the Navy in his youth. It appears that in death he is as misunderstood and forgotten as he was in life: often criticized, involved in many lawsuits, disliked by his neighbors and contemporaries. Nowadays the house where he was born, a Victorian jewel complete with old and rare editions of his books, does not even have a web site. Owned by the Historical Society of Burlington County, the house is part of a row of historical houses, including Captain James Lawrence house (the naval hero of the war of 1812) and the Bard-How house, all built mid 1700. The houses are a treasure trove of authentic period furniture, including several samples of the then booming Burlington watch making industry: tall case clocks with beautiful woodwork galore. The James Fenimore Cooper house contains a complete antique set of his books, as well as several translations of his writings in languages as exotic as Hungarian and Serbo-Croatian. Looking at one page with his pearly handwriting is a memorable moment, thinking about all the people in all the countries in the world that were inspired by his writing and formed their ideas of our world based on that… On the upper floor there are furnishings and other items belonging to Joseph Bonaparte, Napoleon’s older brother who fled to Bordentown following the battle of Waterloo. Captain James Lawrence is responsible for the town of Burlington’s Motto, “Don’t give up the ship!” The local people like to tell you that this is also the motto of the U S Navy, but this is not exactly true: the U S Navy has no official motto. If anything, the Latin "Non sibi sed patriae" (Not self but country) is often cited as the Navy's motto. Captain Lawrence was commander of the U.S.S. Chesapeake during the War of 1812. He accepted the challenge of Captain Broke aboard H.M.S. Shannon and after taking a terrible battering, the Chesapeake was boarded and Captain Lawrence, who had been mortally wounded, shouted to his men, “Don’t give up the ship!” He was thirty two when he died. There have been six American vessels commissioned in his honor. He is buried in the Trinity Church Cemetery in Manhattan, with Hamilton & Fulton among his neighbors for eternity.But there is more: you can have a guided tour of all three houses as well as the Historical Society’s halls at a meager cost of $5. Jeff, a knowledgeable guide, passionate about history will make this tour an enjoyable and memorable experience. As an added bonus he would give you all kind of historical details on the town and local historical facts. General U.S. Grant, the future President, had a house in town during the Revolutionary war, where he hosted his family. Two streets with authentic historical houses and period pavement represent a wonderful opportunity for photography. Walk to the waterfront and enjoy the views, then sit in the near by park, listen to the birds and think of the old times and how we became a nation of free people.