History
A rich and colorful history, 300 years in the making
Let us introduce you to the estate…
Eagle Manor is a 12 acre estate located in the middle of the Dix Wildlife Management Area and Cohansey River Management Area. The Eagle Manor mansion house, the centerpiece of the estate, resides on a hill overlooking the Cohansey River with a spacious lawn that can accommodate large pavilions.
Unreal. When I say unreal, it is one of the most beautiful properties I’ve ever seen in my life. – Former Mayor Marion Kennedy Jr.
Peacocks roam the grounds to provide the touch of the exotic, while our guinea hen flock control pests. The Manor house boasts 10 bedrooms with fireplaces and marble bathrooms. It also has a modern kitchen with stainless appliances, a large dining room, and an extensive great room with two fireplaces. Manor house residents can enjoy the view from either the window-lined, cedar paneled three season room or from the 500 sq. ft. wrap around screened porch. There are several buildings on the estate in addition to the 10 room mansion house.
The two story boat house, located on the river, contains a prep kitchen, reception hall, and expansive deck which makes it ideal for entertaining large parties. The boat house has a private boat ramp and dock for boaters, hunters, and fishermen. There’s lots of parking to accommodate large parties or all the boats for a hunting or fishing club.
The view is breathtaking. It’s just a beautiful view of the Cohansey River. – Ernie Zirkle, Ducks Unlimited
For the kids (both young and old) we have a separate game house containing a billiard table, shuffle board, air hockey, video games, and a large screen TV. We also have a several fresh water ponds in back behind the historic dairy barn on the and west side of the estate. It’s great for fishing fun with the kids, a breathtaking sunset stroll or romantic wedding photos.
Kings, farmers, magnates, dilettantes, and smugglers
Eagle Manor’s heritage runs for almost 400 years starting with Lenni-Lenape native Americans. Stone arrow heads and tools can still be found in the lands surrounding the estate. Following Henry Hudson’s survey in 1609, the dutch claimed all of New Jersey, calling it New Netherlands, calling the Delaware River the Zuyd (or South) River and the Delaware Bay Godyns Bay.
The Dutch surrendered New Netherlands to King Charles II of England in 1664 after several naval battles. The Cumberland County lands that encompass the Eagle Manor estate passed hands from Charles II to the Duke of York, then to Lord Berkeley, and eventually to Thomas Sheppard in 1721 who earlier settled in west New Jersey with his brothers. The Sheppards are a prominent family who still own large commercial farms in south Jersey to this day.
It was Moses Sheppard, Thomas’ son, who built the “Old Brick House” in 1736 with his wife Mary importing the porcelain brick which makes up the unique patterns and M-M-S signature on the east facing gable.
Nathan Sheppard sold the estate to John Reeve in 1753 after which is stayed in his possession for 50+ years. Reeve added the large edition to the south side in 1786 and the servants quarters in 1796. We speculate that Reeve is also largely responsible for revitalizing the land surrounding the estate from “marshy wasteland” to rich, fertile soil via the laborious application of marl (seaweed) to de-acidify the soil over time.
The Mulfords, another prominent Cumberland County family, took ownership from Reeve in 1816 and owned the estated until the turn of the 20th century. Strangely, many news articles erroneously credit the Mulfords with founding and building the estate from 1736, further proving that lazy journalism pre-dates the Internet.
The millionaire mining magnate John Price Wetherill takes the credit for bringing the estate to prominence as the Cohansey Country Club at the turn of the 20th century. The estate was mismanaged and neglected toward the end of the 20th century when it was rescued by the Internet millionaire John Streep who restored and modernized the estate to it’s current grandeur, changing it’s name from “Old Brick House” to “Eagle Manor”. To find out more, please visit our history page.
Come visit us at Eagle Manor and be part of its rich history!
Stay the Week or the Month in this beautiful fully restored 10 bedroom pre-colonial mansion that easily sleeps 20.
Base packages include the entire 12 acre estate, fully furnished Manor house, rustic barn reception hall, expansive waterfront, boat house, river deck, and game cottage. All this for the same price as a ballroom for few hours. Please call for wedding and special event pricing.
Birding, Hunting, Fishing, Boating, Water Skiing, Kayaking, Paddle Boarding, Biking, Hiking, Horseback Riding, Campfires and more.
The estate is ideally suited for large groups including Weddings, Clubs, Reunions, Corporate Events, Conferences, and more.