Grand Bernardsville Mountain Estate Home

This spectacular new home showcases many custom details rarely seen in newer construction such as intricate millwork, native fieldstone accents, beamed ceilings, and thoughtfully-placed built-ins.  Within its spacious 14-room floor plan are five en suite bedrooms, three fireplaces, a finished walkout lower level and attached, oversized three-car garage.  Its setting on over eight acres on the Bernardsville Mountain offers a balance of wooded and open property with a pond, stream, and pool with pool house. 

Elegantly-designed gathering spaces are open and airy, with a nice flow from one room to the next.  Three distinctive fireplaces grace the gourmet center island kitchen, living room and family room.  Creatively-installed custom wood paneling in the library lends Old World charm and refinement.  Sunlight streams through many of the oversized designer windows throughout, offering serene countryside views from every vantage point. 

A sophisticated exterior is punctuated by open porches, clapboard siding and a wood shingle roof.  Outdoor enjoyment in the pool area is enhanced by the two-room pool house with both air conditioning and heat for entertaining year ‘round.  All in all, this distinctive Bernardsville home for sale is one of the area’s most stylish estate homes in one of New Jersey’s most-coveted locales.

In addition to selling the illustrious Appletrees estate in 2004, Turpin Real Estate handled the sale a second time in 2008, this time without the estate’s guest cottage.

Listing agent, Molly Tonero recalls that “The most memorable part of the second sale of Appletrees was when I was contacted by a New York scout looking for a mansion to be used as a setting for the holiday show on ‘Entertainment Tonight.’ I showed them three, but Appletrees was the best, and for a full week in November they decorated, undecorated and re-decorated; the house quite literally became a television set. With the owners already in California, the house and grounds became my full responsibility and I lived there for a week. It was one of the most unusual times in my career…Olivia Newton John was on the show as was Rachael Ray.”

The former estate of Ramsay and Martha Turnbull, Appletrees remained in family ownership for nearly 100 years.  Ramsay Turnbull was an early resident of Bernardsville who helped establish the Road and Improvement Society of Mine Mount for road improvements on Bernardsville Mountain.  He also was involved in a campaign to establish Bernardsville Borough as a distinct entity from Bernardsville Township, an achievement that occurred after nearly 20 years in 1924.

Ramsay Turnbull died in 1924, and his wife remained at Appletrees until her death in 1957 at the age of 94.  The estate was subsequently occupied by the Turnbull’s daughter, Helen, and her husband, Philip P. Gardiner.  Helen Turnbull Gardiner was born in 1893 at Appletrees, and died there in 1990 at the age of 97.  It was only then that the house was transferred from the family that had built it in 1893.

Like many other historic Bernardsville homes for sale, the former residents of Appletrees have a compelling story to tell.  For more information about Appletrees, see New Jersey Country Houses: The Somerset Hills, Volume 1, by John K. Turpin and W. Barry Thomson.

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.

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.

Turpin Real Estate has been involved with the sale of the splendid Appletrees estate in Bernardsville on two occasions.  In 2004, it was marketed and sold by Turpin for $7.4 million, fetching one of the highest prices of a Bernardsville home for sale that year.

Constructed in 1893 and altered and enlarged seven years later, Appletrees was occupied by the family of Ramsay and Martha Turnbull for close to 100 years.  The original architect is thought to be George B. Post, who designed alterations and additions to the home in 1900 and 1901.  The Turnbulls were early citizens of the Somerset Hills during the late 1800s whose contributions helped shape the community.  Ramsay Turnbull was a key proponent of improving roadways in and around the Bernardsville Mountain.

Beyond its status as the legendary Turnbull estate and the honor of working on an estate with such historic significance, Molly Tonero, who was involved in both transactions, says one of the most notable aspects of the 2004 sale was the surprise greeting she received when first going there with company president Jack Turpin for a price opinion.  “He and I were touring the house and opened a closet off the solarium (which was actually the dog’s kennel) and immediately out walked an Irish Wolfhound that was eye-to-eye in height with Jack and just on his way out…we didn’t know whether to put a saddle or a leash on him.”  It all ended on a high note, however, Molly recalls.  “(It was) a rather inauspicious beginning for a property that I then sold to a relocating buyer from Virginia who started out as a rental client. The property included a very quaint renovated cottage down the hill.”

For more information about Appletrees, see New Jersey Country Houses: The Somerset Hills, Volume 1, by John K. Turpin and W. Barry Thomson.

Among all the Bernardsville homes for sale in 1988, no transaction came close to the $8 million transfer of Upton Pyne.  The land surrounding the original Upton Pyne estate home in Bernardsville was listed and sold by Turpin. Nearly 200 rolling acres encompassed the largest tract of undeveloped land on the Bernardsville Mountain.  Turpin’s multi-million dollar sale of Upton Pyne represented the highest price ever attained for a property in the area at the time. 

Originally built between 1899 and 1900, Upton Pyne was named after the English village that was the ancestral home of Percy Rivington Pyne, a successful financier and philanthropist.  Featuring 20 main rooms and nine servants’ rooms on three levels, the stone manor home at Upton Pyne was built on a bluff high above Ravine Lake.  The estate eventually grew to be over 500 acres. 

Percy Pyne and his wife, Maud Howland Pyne, raised their five children at Upton Pyne.  He passed away in 1929 at the age of 72.  His wife passed away in 1952. 

Expensive to heat and maintain, Upton Pyne stood vacant for many years from the late 1950s until the 1980s.  Mary Pyne Filley Cutting, daughter of the original owners, inherited Upton Pyne after the death of her mother.  Realizing that there was no future for her childhood home, which was attracting many vandals, she made the difficult decision to have the mansion destroyed in 1982.

While the main house was gone, the land was incredibly valuable.  Many barns, staff cottages and other outbuildings were scattered across the acreage. 

Gerry-Jo Cranmer of the Bernardsville office recalled the beauty of the landscape at Upton Pyne, “One thing I remember so fondly, since I spent lots of time there, were the glorious sunsets viewed from the veranda.  A sweep of lawn and then the magnificent sky.”

For more information about Upton Pyne refer to New Jersey Country Houses: The Somerset Hills, Volume 1.

The Bernardsville Mountain estate of Finn Caspersen, listed for $14,500,000, achieved one of the highest sales prices in the region when it sold in 2003.  Caspersen (1942-2009) was the former CEO of the Beneficial Corporation, a major philanthropist and a New Jersey political donor. This transaction was listed by Turpin’s Far Hills office and sold by Turpin’s Bernardsville office. 

Selling agent, Pat Pertusi, recalls some of the estate home’s spectacular features, “The residence is situated on 30 acres, 23 of which have a conservation easement so it shall always be a special property. When you enter, you are greeted by a wonderful wide front to back foyer.  A very extraordinary feature of the property was its fabulous wine cellar with brick barrel ceiling holding 1,500 bottles of wine at the perfect temperature.  Views of the valley from the living room and dining room would take your breath away.”

Built in 1998, the 25,000+/- square foot main home is set high upon a ridge of the Bernardsville Mountain, offering dramatic views of the Somerset Hills.  Manicured grounds include a large four-bedroom cottage with four-car garage, a heated swimming pool and kennel.  The manor house is constructed of structural steel, masonry block and reinforced concrete, yet the brick exterior and traditional rooflines are reminiscent of a turn-of-the-century Georgian mansion that looks as if it’s always been there. 

Fine details abound inside, where many antique architectural artifacts echo great interiors of the past.  Crystal chandeliers, hardwood and marble floors, limestone and carved marble fireplaces and unusual molding treatments are some of the timeless characteristics.

As a philanthropist, Finn Caspersen was known for his generosity to institutions such as Drew University, Brown University, Harvard, the Peddie School in Hightstown and Morristown Memorial Hospital. 

Caspersen was also the former chairman of the United States Equestrian Team, and helped find a permanent home for the group at Hamilton Farms in Gladstone. He is credited with helping U.S. Olympians break the dominance of European riders.  During Caspersen’s tenure, which began in 1982, the team won 71 medals, including 25 gold medals in the Olympics, World Championships and Pan American Games.

Recently reduced, this enchanting home represents Far Hills real estate at its most charming.  Built in around 1850, architectural elements from the Victorian and Colonial periods combine in an appealing way.  Set on top of a gently rising knoll down the street from Ravine Lake, the captivating .75-acre property presents brick pathways, green lawns, a seating gazebo, tiered landscaping, stone walls and an in-ground pool bordered by an entertainment-sized brick terrace. 

Outbuildings are painted to match the red clapboard exterior of the main house and include a storage shed and garage with loft storage.  A wide, covered front porch is a perfect place to take in the rolling scenery that surrounds this welcoming home.

An eight-room floor plan includes three bedrooms, two full baths and a powder room.  The master bedroom contains a dressing room and full bath.  Gathering areas within the home include a living room with fireplace, formal dining room, den, family room and country kitchen.  Outbuildings provide garage parking for nine cars.

Other features of this home are partial, unfinished basement, private well water and septic, multiple zones of central air conditioning and hot water baseboard oil heat.

This inviting Far Hills home has been reduced to $795,000.  Set on a winding country road, it is conveniently located minutes from Routes 202 and 206, Interstate 287, the Far Hills train station and the shops and restaurants in Far Hills, Peapack-Gladstone or Bernardsville.

The Cottage is a captivating lodge-like residence that was once part of the Appletrees estate on Bernardsville Mountain.  Turpin has represented the sale of this property on three occasions, and it is presently on the market for $1.6 million.  While there are many Bernardsville homes for sale in today’s marketplace, few offer the abundance of local history and high levels of designer style found at The Cottage.

Completely renovated inside and out in the late 1990s, the circa 1900 dwelling incorporates details such as antique flooring, exposed timbers, and covered terraces overlooking the Somerset Hills.  Amid the five acres of property are a stocked pond, an English flower garden tucked into a courtyard, meandering stone walls and green lawns.

The Cottage’s handsome brick, stone and stucco exterior is capped by a wood shingle roof and resembles English Tudor architecture.  Sophisticated interior rooms with beamed ceilings and wood accents are warmly elegant.  An efficient six-room floor plan contains three bedrooms, two full baths and a powder room.

Built in 1893, the majestic mansion on the Appletrees estate that once contained this cottage was occupied by Ramsay and Martha Turnbull for close to 100 years.  Ramsay Turnbull was a civic-minded member of the Mountain Colony of Bernardsville Mountain in the late 1800s until his death in 1924.  A New York stockbroker by trade, he became involved in community issues, focusing his energy on improvements to local roadways when there was a lack of township funding.  In 1908 he was a founder, and also served many years as the chair, of the Road and Improvement Society of Mine Mount.  This organization financed the repair and maintenance of roads on Bernardsville Mountain using donations from local residents.  Turnbull was also a key person in the nearly 20-year campaign to establish Bernardsville Borough as a separate entity from Bernardsville Township, an event which occurred in 1924.

Ramsay Turnbull died that same year, although his wife, Martha, remained at Appletrees until her death in 1957 at the age of 94.  The property then passed on to the Turnbull’s daughter Helen, who was born at the estate in 1893 and died there in 1990 at 97. The 1990s represented the first time in almost 100 years the property passed out of Turnbull family ownership and into the New Jersey real estate market.