NJ, USA

Bergen County Courthouse (Historic Site)

Government Building

Hackensack has served as the county seat of Bergen County since the colonial period, and the courthouse has been the center of governmental authority throughout. During the Revolution, the courthouse and its surroundings were the administrative hub of the patriot government in Bergen County. The Committee of Safety met here, militia officers received their commissions, and Loyalist suspects were examined and tried. The courthouse represented the legitimacy of the patriot cause — an assertion that the revolutionary government, not the British Crown, held lawful authority in Bergen County.

The current courthouse complex is a modern facility, but it occupies the same general area where colonial-era governance was conducted. The continuity of governmental function on this site connects present-day Hackensack to its Revolutionary origins.

What Happened Here

The Bergen County Courthouse was the seat of patriot governance during the Revolution. The Committee of Safety, county judges like John Fell, and militia officers conducted the business of war and civil administration here. When British forces occupied Hackensack, control of the courthouse shifted, and its records were scattered or destroyed. The courthouse's history mirrors the contested nature of authority in Bergen County throughout the war.