Israel Crane (1774-1858), a descendant of the founding family of Cranetown (now Montclair), and his wife Fanny Pierson (1773-1828), built the Israel Crane House in 1796 on 159 Glen Ridge Avenue. Israel Crane, a successful merchant who constructed a turnpike that opened New Jersey’s heartland to early trade, built this Federal-style mansion on eighty-six acres of farmland.
Israel and Fanny lived here with their seven children, house servants, and at least two slaves named Dine and Joe. The children’s names were Mary S. (died at age 3 in 1805), Elizabeth (1800), Matthias (1802), Abigail (1804), a second Mary (1807), James (1809), and Phebe Nutman (died at age 2 in 1814). Fanny Crane was a hard-working housewife who cared for the children and tended the garden.
The architecture of the house is unique. The walls are made of wood, with a layer of stone behind them. Most of the rooms have fireplaces. James, one of Israel’s sons, was given the house in 1840 and remodeled it with Greek-Revival details. A large balcony and a laundry room were added. He made the third level into another floor with a molding on top and iron grilles at the windows. In the hallway, a curved staircase with columns was added, and the moldings were changed. The house has two parlors, two staircases, one dining room, two kitchens, and five rooms on the second floor. In 1870, black marble mantels were added to the fireplaces in the three main rooms. James and his wife Phebe raised six children in the home. Phebe lived in the home until about 1902.
After serving briefly as a rental property, it was bought by the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) of Montclair-North Essex to be used as their headquarters.