Craftsman Farms
Encyclopedia
Craftsman Farms was founded in 1908 by noted turn-of-the-century designer Gustav Stickley
as a farm and school for the Arts and Crafts movement
. It remained in use until 1915 when it was sold to a family and became a private house.
When threatened by development in 1989, the home was purchased by the Township of Parsippany-Troy Hills through eminent domain
. The property is operated as a museum, also known as the Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms, and is operated by the Craftsman Farms Foundation.
. Craftsman Farms is also an Official Project of Save America's Treasures
, a public-private partnership between the White House Millennium Council and the National Trust for Historic Preservation
, dedicated to the preservation of our nation's irreplaceable historic and cultural treasures for future generations.
Around 1905 Stickley moved his headquarters from Syracuse
to New York City
. In 1908 he began acquiring the property on what is now the western edge of Parsippany-Troy Hills, an area formerly part of Morris Plains
, where he envisioned establishing a farm school for boys. The focal point of his "Garden of Eden" was a large log house constructed of round, hewn chestnut logs that were cut from the property's woods and local stone also found on the property.
Stickley originally designed the main house at Craftsman Farms as a "club house", a gathering place for workers, students and guests. In its huge kitchen, meals could be prepared for 100 people. The living and dining rooms, reaching fully 50 feet (15.2 m) and warmed by copper-hooded fireplaces, made ideal meeting rooms. The porch opened to a vista of the farm and brought in light and air. The house is T-shaped, with a one-story kitchen attached to the rear. The large gabled roof has long shed dormers at the front and back, which allow for light and ventilation in the bedrooms.
A separate home for the Stickley family was originally planned to be built further up the hill. When Stickley decided that the school's opening would have to be delayed for several years, he modified the upstairs plans to accommodate his family, consisting of his wife, Eda, five daughters and a son.
Stickley designed Craftsman Farms to be self-sufficient, with gardens for vegetables and flowers, orchards, dairy cows and chickens; the produce grown on the farm was used in the restaurant operated by Stickley as part of his furniture showroom and department store in Manhattan
. Stickley commuted to his New York showroom by train from Morris Plains.
The property contains numerous support buildings including craft workshops, stables, a dairy barn, chicken coop, other farm buildings, and three cottage dwellings.
Stickley and his family lived at Craftsman Farms until 1915, when he filed for bankruptcy after several years of financial difficulties. By then the taste of the American people that 15 years earlier had embraced the clean, strong lines of Craftsman furniture changed once again, this time towards the revival of early American and other styles.
In 1917, Major George and Sylvia Wurlitzer Farny purchased the property in the bankruptcy sale and their descendants lived on or owned the property until 1989. After Stickley left Craftsman Farms, the Farny family maintained the farm in Stickley's tradition, adapting certain interior features for modern family life. When the property was threatened with development for 52 town houses, the Township of Parsippany-Troy Hills, with the encouragement of community groups and others interested in the importance of the site, obtained the property through eminent domain.
The Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms is open for tours from April 1 through November 15 and the first three weekends in December. The grounds are open from dawn till dusk. The address is 2352 Rt. 10-West, # 5, Parsipanny, New Jersey.
Craftsman Farms is currently owned by the Township of Parsippany-Troy Hills. It is a historic site, with a Stickley museum, a small gift shop, and walking trails. Stickley's former home and its furnishings reflects the plain beauty of the "Arts and Crafts" movement.
Address:
The Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms
2352 Rt. 10-West, # 5,
Morris Plains, NJ 07950
http://stickleymuseum.org/directions.php
Museum Hours:
Wednesday-Friday
Shop Open: 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Tours Leave: 12:15 PM, 1:45 PM
Saturday-Sunday
Shop Open: 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Tours Leave: 11:15 AM, 12:15 PM, 1:15 PM, 2:15 PM, 3:15 PM
For more information, visit the museum's website.
Gustav Stickley
Gustav Stickley was a manufacturer of furniture and the leading proselytizer for the American Arts and Crafts movement, an extension of the British Arts and Crafts movement.-Biography:...
as a farm and school for the Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
. It remained in use until 1915 when it was sold to a family and became a private house.
When threatened by development in 1989, the home was purchased by the Township of Parsippany-Troy Hills through eminent domain
Eminent domain
Eminent domain , compulsory purchase , resumption/compulsory acquisition , or expropriation is an action of the state to seize a citizen's private property, expropriate property, or seize a citizen's rights in property with due monetary compensation, but without the owner's consent...
. The property is operated as a museum, also known as the Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms, and is operated by the Craftsman Farms Foundation.
History of the House
Craftsman Farms is a log house built in 1911, and the site, which consists of 26 acres (105,218.4 m²) of the original 650 acres (2.6 km²) tract, has been designated a National Historic LandmarkNational Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
. Craftsman Farms is also an Official Project of Save America's Treasures
Save America's Treasures
Save America's Treasures is a United States Federal initiative to preserve and protect American historic buildings, arts, and published works. It is a public-private partnership between the U.S. National Park Service and the National Trust for Historic Preservation...
, a public-private partnership between the White House Millennium Council and the National Trust for Historic Preservation
National Trust for Historic Preservation
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is an American member-supported organization that was founded in 1949 by congressional charter to support preservation of historic buildings and neighborhoods through a range of programs and activities, including the publication of Preservation...
, dedicated to the preservation of our nation's irreplaceable historic and cultural treasures for future generations.
Around 1905 Stickley moved his headquarters from Syracuse
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. In 1908 he began acquiring the property on what is now the western edge of Parsippany-Troy Hills, an area formerly part of Morris Plains
Morris Plains, New Jersey
Morris Plains, billing itself "the Community of Caring," is a Borough in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 5,236....
, where he envisioned establishing a farm school for boys. The focal point of his "Garden of Eden" was a large log house constructed of round, hewn chestnut logs that were cut from the property's woods and local stone also found on the property.
Stickley originally designed the main house at Craftsman Farms as a "club house", a gathering place for workers, students and guests. In its huge kitchen, meals could be prepared for 100 people. The living and dining rooms, reaching fully 50 feet (15.2 m) and warmed by copper-hooded fireplaces, made ideal meeting rooms. The porch opened to a vista of the farm and brought in light and air. The house is T-shaped, with a one-story kitchen attached to the rear. The large gabled roof has long shed dormers at the front and back, which allow for light and ventilation in the bedrooms.
A separate home for the Stickley family was originally planned to be built further up the hill. When Stickley decided that the school's opening would have to be delayed for several years, he modified the upstairs plans to accommodate his family, consisting of his wife, Eda, five daughters and a son.
Stickley designed Craftsman Farms to be self-sufficient, with gardens for vegetables and flowers, orchards, dairy cows and chickens; the produce grown on the farm was used in the restaurant operated by Stickley as part of his furniture showroom and department store in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. Stickley commuted to his New York showroom by train from Morris Plains.
The property contains numerous support buildings including craft workshops, stables, a dairy barn, chicken coop, other farm buildings, and three cottage dwellings.
Stickley and his family lived at Craftsman Farms until 1915, when he filed for bankruptcy after several years of financial difficulties. By then the taste of the American people that 15 years earlier had embraced the clean, strong lines of Craftsman furniture changed once again, this time towards the revival of early American and other styles.
In 1917, Major George and Sylvia Wurlitzer Farny purchased the property in the bankruptcy sale and their descendants lived on or owned the property until 1989. After Stickley left Craftsman Farms, the Farny family maintained the farm in Stickley's tradition, adapting certain interior features for modern family life. When the property was threatened with development for 52 town houses, the Township of Parsippany-Troy Hills, with the encouragement of community groups and others interested in the importance of the site, obtained the property through eminent domain.
Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms
The log house features Craftsman-style furniture and decorative items in the living room, dining room and bedrooms.The Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms is open for tours from April 1 through November 15 and the first three weekends in December. The grounds are open from dawn till dusk. The address is 2352 Rt. 10-West, # 5, Parsipanny, New Jersey.
Craftsman Farms is currently owned by the Township of Parsippany-Troy Hills. It is a historic site, with a Stickley museum, a small gift shop, and walking trails. Stickley's former home and its furnishings reflects the plain beauty of the "Arts and Crafts" movement.
Address:
The Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms
2352 Rt. 10-West, # 5,
Morris Plains, NJ 07950
http://stickleymuseum.org/directions.php
Museum Hours:
Wednesday-Friday
Shop Open: 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Tours Leave: 12:15 PM, 1:45 PM
Saturday-Sunday
Shop Open: 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Tours Leave: 11:15 AM, 12:15 PM, 1:15 PM, 2:15 PM, 3:15 PM
For more information, visit the museum's website.
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Morris County, New Jersey
- List of museums in New Jersey