County: Warren
Location: Hope Township
Year Listed: 2026
Status: Endangered
Begun in 1475 in Bohemia, the Moravian Protestant denomination established missions in colonial New York to convert Indigenous peoples around 1740. Rumors that they were secretly Jesuits working for the hated French caused New York to banish them, pushing them to settle further west, including into New Jersey. The Cooper House in Hope Township is a rare surviving example of this period and the area’s Moravian-era architecture. It is also an important contributing resource within the Hope Historic District, listed on the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places. Constructed in stages beginning around 1770–1785 during the Moravian settlement period, the rear section of the house is one of only three surviving frame structures built by the Moravians in Hope between 1769 and 1808. The dwelling retains remarkable historic integrity, including heavy timber framing, wide plank flooring, original fireplaces, board-and-batten doors, chimney cupboards, early windows and trim, and evidence of traditional Germanic construction methods such as mud and brick infill between hand-hewn structural framing. Located along “Moravian Row” on Hope-Bridgeville Road, the Cooper House forms part of one of the most significant concentrations of Moravian and Germanic-style architecture in New Jersey and contributes greatly to the historic streetscape and character of the village of Hope, one of only five Moravian communities established in the United States.
The Cooper House now faces serious structural deterioration caused by decades of neglect, and long-term vacancy. The fieldstone foundation exhibits major failures and open gaps, the original chimneys are severely deteriorated, and portions of the Moravian-era rear section suffer from sagging floor framing, insect damage, rotting structural timbers, and unstable masonry. Without immediate stabilization, significant historic fabric could be permanently lost. In 2025, the nonprofit organization Help Our Preservation Effort (H.O.P.E.) purchased the Cooper House and adjacent Crusen House with plans for restoration and adaptive reuse. H.O.P.E. has already secured funding for a preservation plan and archaeological study and is actively pursuing grants and fundraising to stabilize the structure.
Preservation New Jersey is listing the Cooper House on its “10 Most Endangered Historic Places” list because of its exceptional architectural and cultural significance and because it represents one of the last surviving examples of Moravian frame construction in the state.
