By Peggy Carroll
The Macculloch Hall Historical Museum calls its Oct. 9, 2016, house tour “A Walk Through Time.”
Consider, for example, the museum itself, where the tour starts. It was built when James Madison was president. Then there is a house constructed while Martin Van Buren was in the White House, and another that was the home of a mid-19th century admiral.
There also is the Craftsman house, constructed according to the concepts of the famous Gustav Stickley. And a rectory designed by the celebrated architectural firm of McKim, Mead and White
Altogether, said Patricia Pongracz, the Museum’s executive director, there are seven houses on the tour. They are in the heart of the Morristown Historic District, a neighborhood noted for its fine examples of architecture from the Federalist era to the early 20th century.
Morristown, she noted, dates its founding to 1715 – and people have been building homes according to the style of their day ever since.
“Visitors will be delighted to see how old meets new, viewing historic architecture and design in modernized spaces,” she said.
Most of the featured homes never are open to the public. They have been lovingly kept. “Each is appointed so that they maintain their old-world charm and appeal, while offering the comforts of home for 21st century living,” Pongracz said.
Each building, whether a private residence or historic house museum, retains unique characteristics designed long ago, while incorporating personal touches added by residents over time, she said.
“History is brought to life in elegant, designer spaces,” Pongracz said.
Tour hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
FEATURED HOUSES
On the tour are these houses:
- Macculloch Hall Historical Museum. Built in three stages, the first in 1810, by George and Louisa Macculloch, it is an excellent example of Federal style architecture. It is on the National Register.
- A Greek revival house, designed by Martin E. Thompson in 1837. It also is listed on the National Registry. It has a service wing that was added in later years.
- A Craftsman-style house with California Mission influence. Designed by architect Walter B. Pierson for Gustavus Seide, publisher of the Hoboken Evening News, and his wife, Hester, it follows the precepts of Gustav Stickley, the influential spokesman for the Arts and Crafts movement in America. It was the first house deigned in the Craftsman Workshops for the benefit of the Home Builders Club.
- An 1852 house built by Admiral Perry Rodgers. Its architecture reflects the Romantic reaction against the Greek Revival. It was noted on the National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form as a select structure within the Historic District. The wisteria on porch was brought from China by his famous uncle, Commodore Matthew Perry.
- A Second Empire-style home built in 1865. The grounds originally were laid out by Frederick Law Olmstead. Its wisteria and Ginkgo Bilbao also were a gift from Commodore Matthew Perry.
- A Queen Anne hip-roofed house built about 1895.
- St. Peter’s Episcopal Church Rectory. Built in 1897, it was designed by McKim, Mead and White of New York, the preeminent architects of the Gilded Age. (The construction of the church itself took 24 years to complete because the church specified that no stone would be put in place until it was paid for.) Between the church and the parish house are two cemeteries, the final resting place of many prominent town residents, including George and Louisa Macculloch, and members of the Ford, Miller, Vail, Ogden, Wood, and Foote families.
Pongracz said that the house tour also is an excellent time for visitors to stroll around the District to capture the flavor of the neighborhood and the influences, in architecture and landscaping, that made it a desirable place to live throughout the centuries.
It also provides support for the Museum; this is its only fund-raiser in 2016. Proceeds will help fund the Museum’s exhibits and educational programs and maintenance of the house and grounds.
The tour is sponsored by Millea Bros. Auctions and Appraisals. Featured house tour residences are sponsored by Fania Roofing Company, the Morris County Tourism Bureau, Regent Atlantic, Sterling Horticultural Services, and the Museum’s Development Committee and Board of Trustees.
ABOUT THE HISTORIC DISTRICT
The Morristown Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. Architecturally, the District can be classified into three divisions: Federal, Victorian, and Early 20th century.
The Federalist buildings are no more than half a dozen in number, and include Macculloch Hall.
What was originally the Wood Farmhouse, and now is owned by the Morristown & Morris Township Library, was built in 1786, and is considered an excellent example of brick Federal architecture in the New Jersey area.
Victorian structures are by far the most common within the District. The private structures are nearly all quite substantial homes, indicating the owners’ stature in society. Certain foreign influences are evident in many of these houses owned by well traveled retired career officers of the United States.
Streets (or portions thereof) within the District are:
Colles Avenue • Community Place • DeHart Street • Farragut Place • Macculloch Avenue • Madison Street • Maple Avenue • Miller Road • Oak Street • Park Place • Park Place South • Perry Street • Route 124 • Route 510 • South Street
Tour tickets are $40 in advance or $45 on the day of the event. They are available online and at the museum during public hours, and at these Morristown shops: Lauren b. (55 South St.), Suzi’s Salon (126 South St.), Just Jersey (163 South St.). In Madison, tickets are for sale at the British Home Emporium (91 Main St.). There is no rain date.
