Bergen County Historical Society

What Bergen County Historical Society does

The Bergen County Historical Society (BCHS), founded in 1902 and headquartered at Historic New Bridge Landing in River Edge, New Jersey, is a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates as the largest historical society in New Jersey and the largest landowner at the 13-acre HNBL historic landmark site. The organization's primary offering is stewardship, interpretation, and public access to a portfolio of preserved period buildings (Steuben House, Demarest House, Campbell-Christie House, Westervelt Thomas Barn, Outkitchen, and the Bridge at New Bridge) and the largest collection of artifacts and documents reflecting Bergen County history, housed in part at a research library at Bergen Community College's Ciarco Center in Hackensack. BCHS serves students and educators via school programming and a QR Code scavenger hunt, history researchers and genealogists via library access, history enthusiasts via lectures, reenactments, and holiday concerts (43rd year), and corporate/foundation partners via gala sponsorships and CSR-aligned giving.

BCHS operates a multi-channel engagement stack comprising a Wix-hosted website (bergencountyhistory.org, established in 1996 as one of the first NJ history websites), an HNBL Mobile Tour App, a QR Code Scavenger Hunt, email newsletters, and a Facebook presence with 9,250+ followers. The organization is currently building a 3,750 square foot state-of-the-art Visitor Center at HNBL, targeting completion for the nation's Semiquincentennial in 2026, and has secured NJDEP permitting.

Revenue is generated entirely through nonprofit channels: recurring membership fees and donations (with major gifts including a $250,000 gift from the Gross family in 2025), general operating support grants from the NJ Historical Commission, Bergen County Division of Cultural and Historic Affairs, and NJ Division of Travel and Tourism, retail sales of publications and merchandise priced $3.50–$42 via an online shop, and annual gala ticket sales priced at $175 for members and $195 for non-members (with corporate sponsorship tiers up to the Revolutionary level). The organization has no paid staff, no technology products beyond the website and mobile tour app, and no AI/ML capabilities.

Name

Bergen County Historical Society

Legal name

Bergen County Historical Society

Website

https://bergencountyhistory.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1902

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Bergen County Historical Society is a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1902 that preserves and interprets the 13-acre Historic New Bridge Landing site in River Edge, NJ — the largest collection of Bergen County historical artifacts in New Jersey — serving students, researchers, history enthusiasts, and corporate/foundation donors via site visits, programs, publications, and a capital campaign for a 2026 visitor center.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

River Edge

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Membership: The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that relies heavily on donations and membership fees. 100% of donations go to the mission. Major donors contribute thousands of dollars annually to support museum building and operations.
2. Retail Shop Sales: Sale of historical publications, books, maps, paintings, postcards, and merchandise. Prices range from $3.50 for postcards to $42 for books. Shipping and tax included in prices.
3. Gala and Event Revenue: Annual gala events with ticket sales ($175 for members, $195 for non-members) and sponsorship opportunities to raise funds for museum construction and operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

BCHS collects, preserves, and interprets artifacts and documents related to Bergen County and American Revolution history, operating Historic New Bridge Landing, a 13-acre historic site with multiple period buildings. It delivers educational programming (lectures, reenactments, concerts, the Retreat to Victory event, and a QR-code scavenger hunt), maintains research library services, publishes and sells historical books and merchandise, and is building a 3,750 sq ft Visitor Center and Museum targeted for completion in 2026.

Product overview

Bergen County Historical Society is a volunteer, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1902 that operates as a historical society and museum rather than a technology company. The organization offers a unified portfolio of historical preservation and educational services centered around Historic New Bridge Landing, a 13-acre American Revolution landmark site. The core offerings include the historic site with multiple preserved buildings (Steuben House, Demarest House, Campbell-Christie House, Westervelt Thomas Barn), museum collections representing Bergen County's largest historical archive, and a new 3,750 sq ft Visitor Center and Museum building under construction. Supporting services include educational programs and events, historical publications and books for sale, an interactive QR code scavenger hunt, a mobile tour application, library services at Bergen Community College, and a membership program. The Society is planning expanded digital engagement through their museum campaign to coincide with the nation's Semiquincentennial in 2026.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Historic New Bridge Landing (HNBL) Site Visits Free, open-to-the-public 13-acre historic landmark site in River Edge, NJ, featuring preserved buildings (Steuben House, Demarest House, Campbell-Christie House, Westervelt Thomas Barn, Outkitchen) and sites tied to every year of the American Revolution. Visitors access the grounds, free parking, walking trails, and interpretive signage.
• Educational Programs and Events Historical interpretation, lectures, concerts, reenactments, retreats, and special events for the general public, students, and members. Includes the annual Retreat to Victory commemoration and the Semiquincentennial 250th anniversary events.
• BCHS Research Library Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 290,005 website visitors (up to May 2020)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Roger Gross (NIA National Realty)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 7 November 20242024 Gala Honoree - President & founder of NIA National Realty, recognized for supporting the museum building campaign.
• Jim Kirkos (Meadowlands Chamber)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 7 November 20242024 Gala Honoree - President & CEO of Meadowlands Chamber of Commerce, supporting the visitor center initiative.
• Dr. Lisa Tank (Hackensack University Medical Center)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 7 November 20242024 Gala Honoree - Acting President and Chief Hospital Executive at Hackensack University Medical Center & Hackensack Meridian Health.
• Thomas Eastwick (Eastwick College)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 7 November 20242024 Gala Honoree - President of Eastwick College & the Ho-Ho-Kus School, supporting education initiatives.
• Bergen Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Bergen Community College's Ciarco Center to house and operate the BCHS Library for historical research.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Regional players

• Museum of the American Revolution: Philadelphia-based museum dedicated to the American Revolution. Comparable subject matter (Revolutionary-era interpretation) and educational programming for school groups, though it is a paid-staff institution and competes for the same regional visitation and donor base.
• Brooklyn Historical Society (now Center for Brooklyn History): New York City-area historical society operating a research library, museum, and public programs. Comparable nonprofit, membership-driven, education-focused model, though serving a larger urban geography.

Direct peers

• Passaic County Historical Society: Neighbor county historical society in New Jersey focused on collecting, preserving, and interpreting local history. Comparable volunteer-governed, donation-funded operating model.
• Historical Society of Princeton: Regional historical society operating historic house museums, collections, lectures, and school programs in New Jersey. Directly comparable mission, audience, and event-driven GTM motion.
• Fraunces Tavern Museum: Lower Manhattan historic site and museum interpreting the American Revolution and early American history. Comparable building-based historic site operation, educational tours, and event-driven programming.
• Monmouth County Historical Association: New Jersey county historical organization that preserves properties, runs a museum and library, and offers educational programming. Closely mirrors BCHS's county-level, multi-building, volunteer-supported model.
• Somerset County Historical Society: New Jersey county historical society preserving local history through a historic site, library, and programming. Same nonprofit, volunteer-led structure serving a county-level geography.
• Morris County Historical Society: County-level historical society in New Jersey operating historic sites, museum collections, and educational programming. Highly comparable structure to BCHS as a regional 501(c)(3) preserving a county's Revolutionary and colonial heritage.
• New Jersey Historical Society: Statewide New Jersey historical society operating a library, museum, and educational programs. Direct functional overlap with BCHS, though with a statewide rather than county scope.

Broad incumbents

• George Washington's Mount Vernon: Large, well-funded historic site and museum preserving a Founding Father's estate with extensive educational programming. Operates at a different scale but shares the model of an interpretive historic site funded by admissions, memberships, and donations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bergen-county-historical-society

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bergen County Historical Society