Oak Tree (former Campbell Farmhouse Site), 18^th C.

Cedar Lane & Palisade Avenue

Amidst the hubub Of the present Cedar Lane commercial district stands a reminder or Teaneck's agricultural past. Not a building but a living tree, this landmark marks the site of a pre-1837 farmhouse associated with the family of Samuel Campbell. Though the house was demolished in 1982, the tree has remained since the late 18th century as one of the most venerable objects in the town.

Originally part Of the Dutch Banta tract that stretched from the Hackensack River to the Hudson, the Campbell farm was acquired by the family in 1850, eventually Passing into the hands of William Walter Phelps in the 1870s when he controlled the central agricultural Plots on both sides of the Teaneck Ridge. The site was close to the original Teaneck Station of the West Shore Railroad during the 19th century. Little development occurred in this part of the borough until the 1920s, and the Oak Tree is a potent remnant of a rural landscape that many older residents can still recall. It deserves the same protection as the other artifacts which contributed to the history and character of the town.