CRAFTSMAN FARMS FOUNDATION SELLS FOUR ACRES TO N.J. TOWNSHIP

avv/gs set 5-16 #699720

PARSIPPANY, N.J. — The Craftsman Farms Foundation, Inc, which operates the nationally landmarked Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms, has announced the sale of four acres of the original Craftsman Farms to the township of Parsippany-Troy Hills for $1.1 million.

Included with the acreage are four historically significant structures built by Gustav Stickley between 1909–1912 as part of his original master plan for a school and farm complex that he called “Craftsman Farms.”

The foundation, which already manages the part of Craftsman Farms containing five structures that the township purchased in 1989, will continue to have full management responsibility and rights to 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, and the property will be unified with the 26 acres it already owns.

“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.

“Craftsman Farms is one of the most historically significant sites in the Township” according to Mayor Michael M. Luther. “Purchase of the four acre parcel from the foundation…provides the foundation with the financial resources necessary to continue its stewardship and restoration activities at the Farms. The partnership between the township and the foundation has resulted in the restoration of the main log house and we look forward to continuing the partnership to preserve and restore the structures on the site.”

The proceeds from the sale enables 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-Troy Hills outlines a true partnership in which the Foundation and Township share the duty of preserving the site.

In 1917, Gustav Stickley sold Craftsman Farms to the Farny family, under whose stewardship the structures were maintained essentially in their original form.

When originally constructed during 1909 to 1912, the four structures on the four-acre parcel — 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 planned 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.

For more information, www.stickleymuseum.org or 973-540-0311.