Restoration Project
1965-1979
Thanks to the many dedicated members of Whitman history
& preservation committees, we hold onto this piece of our local history.
August 22, 1965 Newspaper Article
the last private owner of the 18th century farmhouse was Mary E. Reilly, who deeded the property to the State of New Jersey for $1.00. The property was in possession of the state for twelve years from 1965 until 1977. It took years of negotiating with the State of New Jersey to grant a lease to the Borough of Laurel Springs with the help of the Committee to Save the Whitman Landmark. In the time that had passed during negotiation efforts, the historic building went from a habitable structure with minimal restoration costs, to a vandalized ruin. No money was spent on repairs.
In 1965
In January 1978
the first building inspection took place under the direction of Richard W. Zimmermann - Project Coordinator, Councilman Charles Pine, & Borough Maintenance Supervisor, Ralph Romaine. To enter the structure, inspectors had to remove the plywood cover of a window with a crowbar and crawl through a window. They were met with an appalling disaster of fallen ceilings, rotten flooring, deteriorated staircase, and vandalism. The plumbing, wiring and heating systems were completely gutted, and the entire structure was filled with trash and beer bottles. The second floor was an even less inspiring sight. The bathtub was filled with frozen rain water, ready to collapse through the already lacerated flooring. The inspectors took note that the house had been built in three sections. The front portion of the home was the original basic farmhouse structure that was built before 1785, the middle portion was built after 1880, and the final addition to the house must have been added early in the 20th century which included a kitchen and sunporch. The disappointing tour left the inspectors with little hope that the reconstruction process would be a light and inexpensive endeavor.
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Farmhouse boarded up in disrepair
Farmhouse during clean-up
was the first meeting of the Whitman-Stafford Restoration Committee & the signing of the CETA grant. A Construction Committee formed to begin the process of restoration. The labor was hired and materials ordered. June 15, 1978 marked the firsts day of construction or as they noted was actually trash removal. Over 200 cubic yards of trash was removed from the building. Section by section, piece by piece, the house was quickly put back together. During the reconstruction, many interesting details about the house were exposed. The farmhouse original siding was its natural color cedar, which was a common building material of the time. It was then painted gray, and then white. Handmade square iron nails were found in the full cut framing that were also still marked with original carpenters marks. The construction team left a portion of this exposed in the kitchen for tourists to experience.
May 1978
1978 - Construction
1978 - Construction
Project Funding
proved to be a trying task for the committee members. Efforts were started to seek state, federal, and corporate funds for restoration. It quickly became evident that they would receive no assistance from the State of New Jersey and as financial efforts were pursued, they would prove to be the only government entity who did not participate in reconstruction. Private donation, fundraising, and a federal employment program called CETA, which was signed into law by then president Richard Nixon, allowed for one-time funding & labor over a period of 9 months. A sum of $9,102 was designated for materials.
All throughout the restoration project, more and more funds were raised with the more attention the farmhouse project received. Over $23,000 was raised in materials, funding, and the labor from over 70 people, corporations, and clubs that donated to the restoration efforts. CETA granted a six-month extension to the original grant with an additional $3,200 in funding.
By May 19, 1979
the house was ready for Dedication Day. The construction was complete, the furnishings were in place & the ribbon was ready to be cut. At around 10:00AM Richard Zimmermann, Jr. & Fred Lynch rolled out the Dedication Day proceedings with the ribbon cutting and then promptly escorted the first tour into the house.
The restoration of the Whitman-Stafford Farmhouse blossomed from the dream of a small group of four people into a regional achievement. Because of their efforts and the donors' generosity, a valuable piece of local history was preserved.
May 19, 1979 - Dedication Day
May 19, 1979 - Dedication Day
Richard Zimmermann, Jr.
Frederick L. Lynch III
In 1889
all three farms in the Laurel Mills area were sold to real estate developers. Shown below is the list of recorded deeds to the Whitman-Stafford Farmhouse.
In grateful admiration of those who dedicated their time & efforts to this restoration
The Citizen's Emergency Committee to
Save the Whitman Landmark
Spring 1965
Walter R. Batezel - Chairman
Frederick L. Lynch III - Vice Chairman
Ray A. Lynch - Secretary
Dorothy Lyon - Treasurer
Gertrude Genk
Mrs. Ralph E. Jones, Jr.
Lola E. Price
Madeleine F. Wilsey
Madeline E. Tweedie
The Whitman Stafford Farm
Association
October 1965
Frederick L. Lynch III - Chairman
Ray A. Lynch - Secretary
Dorothy Lyon - Treasurer
Myrtle A. Fish
Gertrude Genk
Mrs. Ralph E. Jones, Jr.
Lola E. Price
Madeleine F. Wilsey
Madeline E. Tweedie