Five Morris County historic sites added to preservation list

Morristown Daily Record
·2 min read

Five historic sites were added to the list of 30 the Morris County Board of County Commissioners was asked to preserve with $2.65 million in grants from the county’s Preservation Trust Fund.

Most of the funds, or 83%, should go toward construction projects to preserve 15 of the sites on the list, recommended the Morris County Historic Preservation Trust Fund Review Board. The rest should go toward non-construction activity at 15 of the historic sites, the review board said.

“These are only recommendations, and our Board of Commissioners will make a final determination at a meeting in July after we have been able to examine the projects," said Commissioner Director Tayfun Selen.

From 2003 to 2021, 482 grants were awarded, totaling $43.3 million, said Larry Fast, chair of the review board. The funds have paid for 482 projects at 117 historic sites, he said.

The five new sites submitted for consideration by the review board are:

  • The Boonton Civil War Memorial in Boonton

  • Dr. John Taylor House in Boonton

  • Samuel Tuttle House in Hanover Township

  • The Lindenwold Mansion (Peck School Building) in Morristown

  • The Mountain Lakes Train Station in Mountain Lakes

Another project recommended for full funding this year is the restoration of five metal fireplace hoods inside the Log House at the Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms, a National Historic Landmark, which is the former country estate of turn-of-the-century designer Gustav Stickley. The hoods are all imprinted with messages, one reading: “The lyf so short. The craft so long to lerne.” Including the spelling choices, the slogan was first used by Geoffrey Chaucer in the 14th century, and Stickley used it as a motto for a magazine he published called “The Craftsman.”

The county commissioners will consider the list at upcoming meetings. A full list of projects proposed is found on the Morris County website, morriscountynj.gov.

This article originally appeared on Morristown Daily Record: Five Morris County historic sites added to preservation list