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By: Serach Nissim
The oldest house known to be standing in North America was sold for a mere fraction of its asking price. As reported by the NY Post, the Nothnagle Log Home in Greenwich, New Jersey was sold in 2023 for $135,000— far below its initial asking price of $2.9 million.
The historic home, located in Gibbstown, dated back to the 1600s—built years before the U.S. even attained independence from Great Britain, once part of the short-lived colony of New Sweden. The former owner, Doris Rink, and her late husband Harry had worked tirelessly to preserve this precious historic relic. When the home was first listed in 2015, the ask was $2.9 million, the recent sale price represents less than 10% of that figure. “As a piece of history, it is worth every penny that we asked for it, but that’s just not reasonable now,” Rink previously told NJ.com.
The 1.3-acre property, however, sustained a steady stream of price drops over the years —from $1.75 million in 2017, to $875,000 in 2020 and then down to $750,000 in 2021, but never achieving a price even close to those numbers. It isn’t just a house; it’s more like a time capsule. Per the Post, the home was built by Finnish settlers in the mid-17th century. The cabin is a remarkable example of “full dovetail” construction— a technique which has kept the 16-by-22-foot log structure standing for several centuries.
“This cabin was built without a single nail,” explains Rink. The original portion of the house features a historic cabin with a low ceiling and a corner fireplace— which is said to contain hardware forged in a Nordic country as far back as the 16th century.
The Rinks bought the property in 1968 from Harry’s relatives. They had recognized its historic value, and transformed it into a museum piece. They had stripped away the modern modifications to show off its original logs and white oak exterior. The property also includes a newer two-story Colonial home, added in the 1730s, bringing the total livable space to 1,800 square feet. Also, the land features a machine shop from the 1930s, a shed, a four-car garage, as well as centuries-old towering 100-foot redwood trees. “It’s sizable,” Rink told NJ.com, signaling that the land could easily accommodate horses or barn animals.
The property became harder and harder for Mrs. Rink, 82, to manage and care for, especially after her husband passed away in 2018. Mrs. Rink hoped a new owner would continue to preserve the property as they had. “I want to get it into the hands of someone who is capable and loving and willing enough to put as much works into it as my husband and I have over the years,” she had said before the sale. “There’s got to be someone out there somewhere to save this for the next generations,” she had added. Despite the property’s historical value, the couple did not succeed in getting a local, national, or international organization to take it over as a museum. “My husband and I endlessly tried everything. We contacted Sweden, Finland, the US, the county, the township, the area colleges,” said Rink.
Alas, the property was sold to a local, who is well familiar with the neighborhood and has lived in the town for decades. The new owner, Stephen Laszczyk, 63, is a local real estate investor, who owns at least nine other properties in the Gibbstown area, records show.
