Littell-Lord Farmstead Museum
Submitted by Ronald Weinger – Historical Society of Berkeley Heights
The Littell-Lord Farmhouse Museum has been closed to the public since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. It will remain closed for an indefinite period, as the town, after decades of neglect, has committed itself to the repair and restoration of the main farmhouse, a building dating back to around 1760.
The Township acquired the property in 1975 with a Green Acres grant requiring that the property always remain public parkland. The Historical Society of Berkeley Heights renovated the interior of the old farmhouse, acquired period appropriate artifacts, and established, with the Town’s blessing, a museum to represent the three centuries of the Farmstead’s existence.
In July, 2021, a “Dig for Dinosaurs” project was initiated, funded by grants and a “Go Fund Me” drive. Specific locations around and inside the farmhouse were excavated to uncover artifacts relevant to the history of the site. Two small pieces of a broken clay pipe were found but, unfortunately, approximately 147 square feet of 19th century flooring in the building was irreparably damaged.
The farmhouse has recently been emptied of the artifact collection. In February, 2022, portions of the ground floor underwent an architectural engineering examination, a necessary first step to uncover the century and a half substructure and identify the requirements to repair damage to assure the farmstead would remain a Berkeley Heights historical attraction into the next century.
The Berkeley Heights Historic Preservation Committee was formed in December, 2019, as a town agency to advise the town about projects of historic interest. Funds donated to the committee for the Farmstead are put into a trust account for the Farmstead restoration.
The Historical Society of Berkeley Heights is an independent 501c-3 corporation founded in 1975 to support the Museum and present its story to the public. Donations to the Committee do not go to the Society, which uses its funds to acquire and preserve the museum artifacts.
Courtesy photo
