Buyers in New Jersey’s real estate market often go straight to the Internet to find out about the latest listings, additional home information, or community amenities.  But sometimes learning about the history of a property is simply the result of the long-lost art of conversation.  A perfect example of that is a land sale that took place in the Washington Valley section of Morris Township.  The property, totaling just over four acres, was sold by Turpin’s Mendham office in 1999.

Barbara Barisonek, currently the Chatham Office Manager and Vice President of Business Development, relates a firsthand story from the former property owners about the land’s unusual background.  “The information on the property when we bought it was strictly word-of-mouth, but from ‘old timers’ who had lived in Washington Valley for a long time.  According to the stories, the property with its log cabin was originally a Boy Scout camp.  No one could ever give me a timeframe as to when it stopped being a Boy Scout camp.”  While the location of the Boy Scout camp was never confirmed, it was local lore that added some color to the sale, Barbara notes.

The owners continued their story, adding, “Apparently the property had been unused for several years before we bought it.  When we started building our house, neighbors were annoyed that they had lost their private park with a cabin and pond.”  Barbara reports that the cabin is still on the property, and the new home is like a private oasis with a swimming pool in the backyard amid the peaceful surroundings.

Turpin successfully marketed this parcel of land, prime acreage which included a stocked pond and stream set back from Gaston Road at the end of a long drive on a flag lot.  It is an enviable location minutes from downtown Morristown and near the protected land that comprises Washington Valley.  “It was a wonderful property to market,” Barbara adds.