The Craftsman Farms Foundation Sells 4-Acre Site To The Township Of Parsippany-Troy Hills

Press Release: [.doc] [.pdf]

Sale Provides Financial Flexibility for Foundation to Realize Its Mission and Long-range Strategic Plan 

Ensures A Historic Part of Township of Parsippany-Troy Hills Remains Undeveloped and Available For the Public to Enjoy 

Parsippany, N.J. – May 4, 2007 – The Craftsman Farms Foundation, which operates the nationally landmarked Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms, announced today the sale of 4 acres to the Township of Parsippany-Troy Hills for $ 1.105 million. The property is thus merged with the property already owned by the Township, which includes the main Log House, three cottages and a carriage house. Included with the sale are four historically significant structures built by Gustav Stickley between 1909 and 1912 as part of his original master plan for a school and farm complex.  The Foundation will continue to have full management responsibility and use of all the structures for museum functions.  For the Township it means that a historic part of Parsippany-Troy Hills will remain undeveloped and available to the public for its enjoyment.   

“We are thrilled that the sale of this acreage will make it financially possible for us to realize a part of our mission and long-range strategic plan -- to restore and interpret these buildings as Stickley intended them to be used and seen,” said Davey Willans, president of The Craftsman Farms Foundation.  

“This is a treasure of international significance and we are delighted to be a party to this endeavor,” said Morris County Freeholder director Margaret Nordstrom. Mayor Michael Luther thanked the county for their support and the $828,750 grant toward the purchase. 

The proceeds of the sale enable the Foundation to embark on a major master planning and restoration effort to bring these buildings and their site back to their original appearance.  The new agreement with the Township of Parsippany outlines a true partnership in which the Foundation and town share the duty of preserving the site as an integral part of the Craftsman Farms complex.   

Background on the Four Structures 

The acreage was acquired by the Foundation in 1997.  Previously the property had been privately owned.   

When originally constructed during 1909 to 1912, the four structures -- two barns, milk house and chicken coop -- were to be part of a working farm and school for boys.  Though it proved impossible to create his projected manual trades school for boys, Stickley was able to maintain a small agricultural business on his property that supplied dairy products to his Craftsman Restaurant in New York City.    

It is clear that Stickley’s spirit of craft and experimentation were much in evidence in the agricultural buildings and farming methods he created at Craftsman Farms.  The most impressive of the original structures was the large dairy barn on the far western edge of the site.  Constructed of concrete, stone, and wood, the large barn was a modern structure that maximized efficiency in milk production. As seen in Stickley’s magazine, The Craftsman (1912), the building made milking, treating, bottling and shipping into one seamless operation.  Stickley probably also bought milk from nearby producers to supplement his own production.  Although the building burned after serving in later years as a music store, even the ruins give a strong impression of its innovative character. 

The horse barn, until recently rented as apartments, was no less impressive.  Built on a base of massive fieldstone piers, this building combined horse stables, carriage bays and stable hands into one efficient structure.  Built into the hill like the dairy barn, the horse barn could be accessed conveniently on two levels for haying and storage.  Unlike the dairy barn, the horse barn is in excellent condition and will serve well for any one of several potential museum uses when restored.  Ideas now under discussion include possible exhibition space, a library for scholars, and offices. 

Little is known about the small milk house and the chicken coop, except that they were part of Stickley’s property.  Both, characteristically, were constructed of masonry as well as wood, and have stood up well during almost a century of use.  The milk house continues to serve as a small caretaker residence.  

About The Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms 

The Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms is the former home of Gustav Stickley, the major proponent of the American Arts and Crafts movement.  It was acquired and constructed from 1908 to 1913 and is located in just off New Jersey Route 10 in Parsippany, New Jersey.  In 1990 it was designated a National Historic Landmark by the United States Department of the Interior.  The Craftsman Farms property is owned by the Township of Parsippany-Troy Hills, which has contracted the non-profit The Craftsman Farms Foundation to operate and manage it as a house museum and educational center.   

The mission of The Craftsman Farms Foundation is to foster an understanding of the ideas of Gustav Stickley and the ideals of the American Arts and Crafts movement, both as a historical movement and a contemporary philosophy, through the preservation, interpretation and use of Craftsman Farms.  The goals of the Foundation are as follows: 

• To educate the public about Gustav Stickley, Craftsman Farms and the American Arts and Crafts movement;
• To provide the means to restore and preserve Craftsman Farms and to manage it as a historic site open to the public;
• To collect furniture, furnishings and other materials that further these goals;
• To collaborate with other organizations and agencies, public and private, in providing learning experiences relevant to contemporary life; and
• To be a center for the study of the American Arts and Crafts movement, through research and dissemination and publication of information, with an emphasis on Gustav Stickley and Craftsman Farms.

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For further information contact:

Heather E. Stivison
Executive Director
The Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms
2352 Rt. 10-West, # 5,
Morris Plains, NJ 07950
973-540-0311
hstivison@stickleymuseum.org