The Grandmother House

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    Many people have                                                                                                                                            passed, at 31 Horseshoe Rd., the 257 year old                                                                                                                                            Littell-Lord  Farmstead house because it                                                                                                                                                  looks like only a century old derelict house.                                                                                                                                              

 

   Even more people                                                                                                                                             passed by the Lord Victorian House at                                                                                                                                                23 Horseshoe Rd.,  much newer, by about 110                                                                                                                                              years, the house at the NW corner of                                                                                                                                                         Horseshoe Rd. & Mountain Ave. The                                                                                                                                                house was built by Charles Wait Lord                                                                                                                                                  around 1870, with two story addition from                                                                                                                                                later in the century. A single story shed                                                                                                                                                   roof was added around 1930 and a porch,                                                                                                                                                 later enclosed, around 1940. The main                                                                                                                                                      section of the house, as was common, was                                                                                                                                                 built on a stone foun-dation over a shallow                                                                                                                                            crawl space. We call the house the "Grand-                                                                                                                                                mother House” because  Charles Lord’s                                                                                                                                                       mother, Elizabeth Estes,  lived in it for a while,                                                                                                                                            but, according to Mary Lord, it was originally                                                                                                                                           built as a schoolhouse and playhouse for                                                                                                                                                the Lord children, as the original house                                                                                                                                                      became too small to hold the expanded family..

 

     The entire farmstead, approximately 18 acres, was bought by the Township of Berkeley Heights under a Green Acres Grant in 1975, from 19 year old Elizabeth Anne Wemmett, great granddaughter of Charles Lord, who purchased the property after the Civil War. The farmstead is listed on the NJ Green Acres Program Open Space database.

 

    The Historical Society of Berkeley Heights, formed in 1973, reached an agreement in 1977 with the Township whereby the Society would operate the Farmhouse as a house museum and educational center, with the Grandmother House and outbuildings to serve as outdoor exhibits. The, Society would be responsible for interiors, collections, programs and minor repairs.  The Township would be responsible for maintenance, exteriors and structural work. The Society, with support from many other volunteer organizations, devoted countless hours to its responsibilities, particularly with regard to the Farmhouse Museum.  Members started interior work on the Grandmother House but no longer had access after the Township rented the house to tenants.

 

    The farmhouse museum was designed as a "3 period" display, the 18th Century display in the original portion of the house, a Victorian era display in the portion added by Charles Lord after the Civil War, and an Edwardian display in the portion created around 1900. Anachronistic additions, such as roof dormers and exposed plumbing were removed. Display pieces were obtained through donations, and positioned. Funding was obtained through donations, grants, and from the rental of the Grandmother House, which still remains owned by the Township.

   

    One its last acts of the early members was the preparation of a professional "Historic Structures Report and Landscape Assessment”, copies of which were retained in the museum and by the Town Council. Over the years the museum remained open but the report the membership dwindled, and the recommendations were not carried out. In 2013, Dan Palladino, former Mayor of Berkeley Heights, brought new members to the Historical Society, and during the past years it has been trying to address not only the documented issues but those that arose since the Report was written. With the assistance from Eagle Scouts, renovations were made to the Summer Kitchen outbuilding and the "family garden". Forst Construction Company of Berkeley Heights replaced the damaged roof over the "lean-to kitchen" to stop the water leaks from further damaging the floor. That was partially funded by a Union County matching funds grant. A second grant is being used to repair damage to the Northeast corner of the building. Several trees were removed, potential hazards during a severe storm, and a tree grant will be requested to replace and locate them further from the buildings. Additional period artifacts have also been donated to the Museum.

 

  The entire property was placed on the New Jersey Register of Historic Places in 1978 and on the National Register in 1979. It is subject to the review provisions of the New Jersey Protection of Historic Resources Act - NJSA 13:1B-15.  The register listings describe the Grandmother House, with its carpenter’s lace trim, as a rare example of the Carpenter Gothic style. Experts have called it essential to the Farmstead as an historic site.

  

   The Historical Society of Berkeley Heights is a 501c-3 organization, and welcomes tax deductible donations and new members. No special skills are necessary as there are projects for people with a variety of interests. Follow us on Facebook and on the internet from a link on the Berkeley Heights Township web site.