Maple Sugaring Demonstration This Sunday

The Great Swamp Outdoor Education Center in Chatham Township presents maple tree tapping demonstrations this Sunday, January 16 from 2 to 3PM.  Learn to identify and tap maple trees, make maple syrup over a wood-fired evaporator, and taste the results.  This all-ages event cost $3.00 per person and will also be offered January 22, 23 and 30, as well as February 5, 12, 13, 19 and 20.  On Saturday, February 26, a Maple Sugaring Festival at the Great Swamp will offer games, crafts, wagon rides, guided walks and more tree tapping demonstrations. Admission to next month’s festival is $4.00.

Located off Southern Boulevard in Chatham Township, the Great Swamp Outdoor Education Center is operated by the Morris County Parks Commission.  A mile-long boardwalk trail, natural science programs and guided tours are offered by the Center.

The Great Swamp is a unique natural resource in Chatham, and is just one of many reasons residents enjoy living here.  If you are interested in Chatham homes for sale, contact Turpin’s Chatham office at 186 Main Street in the Borough for more information about the amenities in this popular area.

Turpin represented both the listing and sale of Ballymere Farm located on 32 acres in Chatham Township.  According to the Garden State Multiple Listing Service, the home, listed for $6.6 million in 2006, was the highest residential sales price ever recorded in the Chathams*.  It was both listed and sold out of Turpin’s Bernardsville office.

A landmark estate privately tucked into its vast acreage, the wonderful 1910-built shingle style Colonial serves as the centerpiece of Ballymere Farm. It was completely renovated in 1997 by local architect Peter Dorne and contractor John McFayden, both of Morristown.  The artfully arranged landscape design was envisioned by Michael Knapp of Convent Station.

This home’s traditional center hall layout is detailed with original hardwood floors, nine-foot ceiling heights, classic moldings, raised paneling and wainscoting throughout.  Its spacious floor plan includes seven bedrooms, six full and three half baths.  Light-filled gathering spaces on the main level consist of a formal dining room characterized by extensive millwork, formal living room with fireplace and elegant piano alcove, sunroom with black and white checkered marble floor and den with raised paneling, built-in bookcases and a fireplace.

Ballymere Farm has numerous agrarian offerings.  Far-reaching landscapes contain three ponds and an apple orchard with blueberry, blackberry and raspberry bushes, as well as many mature trees and plantings including a formal boxwood garden.  Several outbuildings dot the estate; among them are horse stables, a heated tack room, a farm equipment storage building, a large hay loft, a chicken coop, two run-in sheds and two three-car garages.  The farmland-assessed property has been used to tend horses, miniature donkeys, llamas, chickens and honey bees. 

A swimming pool complex with two pool houses, a large Pennsylvania bluestone terrace and formal English gardens are further outdoor amenities. The magical children’s playhouse featuring its own secret garden enhances the abundant charms of this property.

In keeping with the upscale nature of this property, Ballymere Farm also features a licensed heli-stop.  By anyone’s standards, this record-breaking Chatham home for sale was a rare achievement in the world of New Jersey real estate.

*Information supplied by GSMLS and may exclude sales data that was not listed through the GSMLS.

Newly built in 2007, this extravagant country mansion is a commanding presence on over seven privately-situated acres.  Authentic architectural details and a classic brick exterior are joined by a slate roof and limestone trim, giving this estate home the look of one of the Bernardsville Mountain’s original estate homes from the early 1900s. Entered beyond a set of brick pillars, this lavish estate brims with character inside and out.

Among the most gracious of Bernardsville homes for sale, an expansive floor plan has five en suite bedrooms, seven full baths and two powder rooms within its 15-room floor plan.  An attached four-car garage is a further convenience.

Interior highlights include five fireplaces (in the dining room, living room, library, family room and first floor master suite), soaring ceiling heights, an impeccably-finished lower level, and intricate millwork throughout.  Numerous state-of-the-art mechanicals such as intercom, stereo, fire alarm and security systems add to the comfort of this exceptional residence. 

Outside, a swimming pool, bluestone patios and a circular front drive add to the resort feeling of this remarkable property.  Of special note is a formal garden which would be right at home in an English manor, complete with manicured hedges, brick walls and winding pathways.

Merry Brook Farm was sold in 2004 having been listed by Turpin Real Estate’s Far Hills office for $6,995,000.

Merry Brook Farm, originally known as Dew Hollow, is located in Bedminster.  It was the childhood home of publisher Charles Scribner, Jr. (1921-1995).  Charles’ grandfather founded the eponymous Charles Scribner’s Sons in 1932, not long after Dew Hollow was completed.

Lawns behind the house swept down to a stream.  As the dew tended to settle on the low-lying land, the family was inspired to give the estate its first name, Dew Hollow.

Designed by A. Musgrave Hyde, the house was built in the late 1920s.  The Scribners’ Bedminster estate was one of Hyde’s finest achievements: a classic brick Georgian mansion with elegantly proportioned rooms and Hyde’s trademark step-ups  and step-downs into rooms.

The estates’ elegant stable complex, featuring Hyde’s trademark use of graceful arches and an undulating roofline, was fit for the expensive racehorses it once housed. 

Charles Scribner Sr. was known to publish the works of avant garde authors following World War I.  That list included F. Scott Fitzgerald, Thomas Wolfe and Ernest Hemmingway.  These celebrated writers, and many others, were friends of the family and frequent weekend guests at Dew Hollow.

Charles Scribner, Sr. died in 1952 at the age of 62, so his wife, Vera, sold Dew Hollow to Henry Osborne Havemeyer Frelinghuysen and his wife, the former Marian Kingsland.  They re-named the property Merry Brook.  The couple added a swimming pool and  a large guest and play house behind the main residence.  They also retained the well-known landscape architect Umberto Innocenti, of the firm Innocenti and Webel, to alter the garden’s design.

Through the years, Merry Brook Farm endures as one of the area’s most storied estates, with its long and colorful history.  The 2004 sale by Turpin represented one of the most expensive Bedminster homes for sale that year.

A Snapshot of Turpin’s Far Hills Listings

A look at some of our current Far Hills homes real estate listings displays the width and breadth of home styles we represent in this five-square-mile borough.  While it may be small in size, homes in Far Hills present a tremendous range of architecture and price ranges.  Turpin is now offering unique estates such as an enchanting French country-style manor home on Pennbrook Road, and Chase Hollow, a classic country home just four minutes from the Far Hills train station.  Another luxurious residence is set on 15 acres bordering 40 acres of protected parkland and affording spectacular westerly views. 

Two conveniently located in-town homes, one at 17 Demun Place and the other at 10 Spring Street, are walking distance to shops, boutiques, eateries and the New York-bound train in Far Hills.  Also close to the train station is the desirable Polo Club community, where a stylish end unit townhome is located at 28 Hurlingham Club Road.

A splendid circa 1850 Colonial at 250 Lake Road features a swimming pool, outbuildings, and rocking chair front porch.

Turpin’s Far Hills office at 21 U.S. Route 202, across the street from the Far Hills Fairgrounds, is a trusted resource of local real estate information.  Whether you’re interested in buying a home in the area, or are thinking about selling your current home, our professional team of knowledgeable agents can help you attain your housing goals.

Twelfth Night Boar’s Head Festival at Bernardsville UMC on Sunday

Even if your tree is down and all the decorations are put away, there’s still a little bit of Christmas left this holiday season.  A lively tradition to mark the official end of Christmas will be celebrated this Sunday, January 9^th at the Bernardsville United Methodist Church.  This free event is a unique take on the 12 Days of Christmas as it might have been celebrated during the 17^th century’s Elizabethan times.  The United Methodist Church is located at 22 Church Street, and the festivities begin at 4PM.

The 60-member cast and choir is comprised of parishioners, volunteers and staff from the church, many of whom will be dressed in authentic Elizabethan or biblical costumes.  Music, dancing, shepherds, a Magi processional and even plum pudding and wassail are planned to commemorate the Epiphany, which marks the 12^th day of Christmas on the Christian calendar.  All ages are invited to experience this unique celebration.

The “Boar’s Head Feast” traces its roots back to Oxford, England in the 14^th century.  According to legend, a Queen’s College scholar at Oxford University defended himself against a wild boar by choking it with his school books.  To celebrate his victory, the student returned with the boar’s head, which was garnished with an apple in its mouth.

People celebrated with food, drink and a traditional yuletide carol, “In Honour of the King of Bliss,” which became attached to the celebration.  The boar’s head legend has since been adapted by different cultures and churches through the centuries.  Sometimes a hog’s head is used, and foods like plum pudding and mincemeat pie are associated with the occasion.  Burning a Yule log is another symbol of the Christmas season often seen during this celebration.

The Bernardsville United Methodist Church is located off Route 202 near Bernards High School.  Celebrations like the 12^th Night add to the abundant heritage and charm of the area.  From its bustling downtown to its storied estates, there truly are housing options for everyone in Bernardsville, whether you seek a carefree condominium or a lavish luxury dwelling.  Learn more about Bernardsville homes for sale by visiting Turpin’s office at 163 Morristown Road.

Turpin Real Estate’s Bernardsville Office sold Upton Pyne in 1998, the second time the agency had handled this transaction. A major event among Bernardsville homes for sale, the estate at that time had 170 acres.

This historic property had a colorful history.  In a newspaper article appearing in The New York Times on May 5, 1974, Mrs. C. Suydam Cutting, daughter of Upton Pyne’s original owner, Percy Rivington Pyne, told the reporter “I really don’t know how many rooms there are; I never counted them.”  According to the article, Upton Pyne was described as a long-vacant stone mansion that was at one time transformed into a glittering showcase by 30 designers from New York and New Jersey as a benefit for Morristown Memorial Hospital. Almost 50 rooms or areas were refurbished, and 15 servants’ rooms were turned into boutiques by shopkeepers and craftspeople from around New Jersey, playing an important part in the creation of the now locally renown Mansion in May.

Mrs. Cutting, age 80 in 1974, lent the mansion to the Woman’s Association of the Morristown Memorial Hospital for the benefit.  She was living in a nearby coachman’s cottage that was remodeled into an eight bedroom formal French manor house. 

Here is a quote about the fundraising event in 1974: “Luncheon, priced at $2.75, will be served in the 30-by-40-foot paneled library at tables arranged around caged tropical birds.  The birds were selected to match the room’s blue, green and white décor.”  Louis D. Gualandi and Percival Leach, who restored New Jersey’s historic Waterloo Village, decorated the library.

Upton Pyne was built for Percy Rivington Pyne in the late 1800s.  Pyne was a prominent New York banker, financier and philanthropist.  He named the estate after a village in Devonshire, England, where his ancestors lived. 

The main mansion at Upton Pyne included a Great Hall, large library, formal dining room, breakfast room and parlors with elaborately carved mantelpieces and moldings.     There were also numerous bedrooms, dressing rooms and bath rooms.  In one bathroom, rock crystal legs supported a marble sink.  There was also an extensive servant’s wing.

Other so-called cottages on the estate, which had its own police and security guards, included those once occupied by the butler, the engineer and the chauffeur.

Welcome to Wickham Woods

A picturesque enclave of intertwining streets forms the community of Wickham Woods in Chatham Township.  With entryways from both Fairmount Avenue and Southern Boulevard, this centrally located neighborhood was established in the late 1950s, although the majority of homes here were constructed in the 1970s.  Original dwellings reflect that time period in American architecture, with many fine examples of well-kept Colonials, ranches, split-levels and Cape Cods.  Numerous homes have been transformed over the years with additions, expansions or full renovations that appeal to today’s homeowners.

Residences with large rear yards are typically situated on properties of approximately ½-acre.  Nearby are the Southern Boulevard Elementary School and the Great Swamp Outdoor Education Center.  In fact, some homes along Hampton Road and Westminster Road border protected parkland of the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge.  Other nearby amenities on Southern Boulevard include the Noe Pond Club for swimming and a sandy beach; Fairmount Country Club with facilities for golf, tennis, dining, and swimming; and the Hickory Square shopping center, located at the corner of Shunpike Road and Southern Boulevard.

As one of Chatham’s most sought-after neighborhoods, Wickham Woods is a gracious presence in the heart of the township.  For more information about Chatham homes for sale in Wickham Woods– or any of the other exceptional neighborhoods in the borough and township– call or visit our Chatham office at 186 Main Street.

Turpin Real Estate managed a wonderful Bedminster home for sale in 2002.  The transaction was both listed and sold by Turpin’s Far Hills office.

This exceptional property is situated on about 27 rolling acres with magnificent long views of the Somerset Hills.  A sweeping drive passes open hay fields and a large gray barn, culminating at a private parking court.  Designed by New York architect Henry Jessup and built in 2000, this exceptional shingle style home is thoughtfully positioned on a gently rising knoll.  The elevated vantage point provides dramatic panoramas from every room.  Stunning architectural details range from high ceilings and quarter-sawn white oak floors to custom moldings, a wraparound staircase and three distinctive fireplaces.  The 16-room floor plan contains four bedrooms suites with uniquely-appointed baths.  Additionally, a private one-bedroom apartment provides comfortable staff or guest accommodations.

Close attention to detail also characterizes the handsome exterior.  Copper gutters and leaders, a hand-split cedar shake roof and traditional shutters adorn the home’s classic façade, while manicured boxwoods and brick pillars define the formal entrance.  Professionally landscaped acreage was designed by well-known local landscape architect Walter S. Carell, Jr.  Mature plantings, established perennial gardens and flowering fruit trees surround the residence and provide bursts of color.  To take advantage of the amazing views, outdoor spaces include covered bluestone porches, open lawns and grassy terraces.

Custom-built Farmhouse Melds Old and New in Mendham Township

As many residents and home seekers in the area know, Mendham homes for sale run the gamut from brand new estates to older residences with an abiding sense of history.  This circa 1870 home falls into the second category, yet still appeals to buyers looking for a completely updated dwelling.

Once a two-story farmhouse—its antique barn still graces the property—this home is now a three level custom home filled with an incredible amount of detail.  Wide plank pine flooring, a side staircase, stone walls and wood burning fireplace are among the vintage design elements.  Spacious and bright formal rooms are situated in the original part of the home.  Renovated in 2006, the chef’s kitchen offers custom wood cabinetry, granite and butcher block counters and stainless steel appliances.

The charm of a bygone era is joined by a two-story addition featuring a more modern and streamlined outlook.  Here, the first floor master suite is a bright and spacious retreat, adjoining an opulent master bath.  Spiral stairs descend to the lower level’s family room featuring exposed stone and brick walls, a wet bar and French doors to the brick patio.

Three bedrooms and a peaceful reading room are found on the second story.  In all, the home has four bedrooms, two full baths and a powder room.

Located on one of Mendham Township’s most coveted streets, this delightful home is an imaginative combination of old and new.  Sited on 1.21 acres, its central location is close to commuting routes, the village of Mendham and downtown Morristown.