Schilp & Co. – Commercial and investment real estate for Chester, Mendham, and all Morris County

Another successful transaction put together by Schilp & Co. LLC Realtors of Chester, New Jersey

June 15, 2006

Vice President Joe Vindigni was the listing and selling agent for the owner of the Schooley’s Mountain Road Oak Cottage.

Historic renovation

The Oak Cottage, built in 1880 atop Schooley’s Mountain on Schooley’s Mountain Road, has been sold and is being renovated. Above is the Oak Cottage as it appears today, after being dug out of the bushes and trees that covered the old house for nearly 30 years. On right, the Oak Cottage as it appeared on a postcard of the era.

Historical structure rising from ruins

By KATE BREX
Staff Writer

WASHINGTON TWP - Even Bob Villas would think twice about restoring the dilapidated old house atop Schooley’s Mountain. But Michele and Bob Pulis of Jefferson Township say they believe that with their love of historic homes and a heaping dose of sweat equity, what is now an empty shell will become a pearl of a home. The Oak Cottage, circa 1855, at the peak of Schooley’s Mountain on Schooley’s Mountain Road, had been abandoned for the past 30 years, according to Michele Pulis, who recently purchased the property for restoration through JFCGE Holdings LLC.

“I believe the house has been vacant since 1976,” said Pulis on Monday. “It was owned by James Camaradella, whose family bought the property back in 1917, I believe.” Pulis did not disclose what she paid for the house and the sale was too new to be available through public records. “The property has a little over an acre,” said Pulis “I know real estate transfers are public record but I’ll only say that the price we paid is only a small fraction of what the total restoration is going to cost.” The property is assessed at $78,500 and the home is assessed at $10,000. A real estate website, Zillow.com, which estimates market values for the real estate trade.

Falling Apart

Pulis said the house stood in disrepair and abandoned after Camaradella’s grand father died. “The family dispersed, but I don’t think that he could sell the home because of childhood memories,” she said. Pulis said Camaradella’s sister owns a house on Schooley’s Mountain Road as a summer home. The Pulis family bought the property initially to restore it and sell it, said Pulis, but now the family is considering living in it. “We are thinking of living there,” she said. “We have fallen in love with it.” Pulis, her husband and son in-law and daughter, Jason and Christian DuBow, are determined to restore the structure to its former glory.

The Oak Cottage was a part of a summer get-away for New York City elite during the 1880's and 1890's, said Pulis. It included a compound of cottages and hotels on Schooley’s Mountain. William Marsh originally owned the house. “We’ve been told it was later owned and occupied by people who were probably among the social elite in New York City, as a summer home,” said Pulis. “And prominent people of the Civil War era were likely to have visited the home.” Eileen Stokes, president of the township Historic Preservation Committee, said Oak Cottage was built over another structure on the property and the carriage house could have been an old apple cider distillery. “We think that is the remains of the former distillery,” said Stokes on Tuesday. Stokes said the original owner, William Marsh, also owned Heath House, which was an upscale hotel for the wealthy from 1820 to the Civil War period. “After that, the hotels on the mountain became resorts forthe middle class and remained that way until the early 1900's,” said Stokes.

Oak Cottage was a summer home for the middle class during that period. Stokes said Daniel and Angeline Roberts purchased the property from March in 1880. They sold the house for $1,000 to Elizabeth Miller in 1899. A short series of owners followed with a purchase by Albert Collier in 1900. Albert and Emma Kleinert bought the house from Collierin in 1906 and sold it to the Camaradellas in 1920. Over the years, radiators and various house components were stolen from the house making renovation more difficult, said Stokes. “I believe that the Camaradellas were overwhelmed with the prospect of renovating the house and that is why they didn’t attempt it,” said Stokes. The house is sound, built on a foundation of stone, she said. “The house is not constructed of hand hewn lumber,” said Pulis. “It is very early dimensional lumber.” It has cedar siding and it's porch is roofed with cedarshakes. The roof is partially made of tin and finished with various materials, said Pulis. The house is about 4,500 square-feet with two living rooms, a dining room, a kitchen, an all purpose room, a solarium, six bedrooms, two full baths. On the third floor is a children’s dormitory, according to Pulis. “We’re told one of the living rooms was for the gentlemen and one was for the ladies,” said Pulis. The plaster walls are endowed with picture frames embedded in the plaster. Most of the picture frames, molding, trim and French doors are intact, she said. “The French doors are still complete except for one pane of broken glass,” said Pulis. The house is walnut trimmed with walnut base boards and windows, said Pulis.

The property is replete with pond, brook and carriage house. The pond is Mary’s Lake and the old carriage house was a water-powered mill, circal 1828. “There is nothing to indicate what type of mill it actually was,” said Walter Hollien, a restoration architect. Hollien said the mill could have been a saw mill, grist mill or cider mill. Hollien specializes in restoring old mills. During his career, he has restored the Stover Mill in Tenakill, Pa. the Asbury Mill in Asbury Park and the Obadiah La Tourette mill in Long Valley, among others, he said. He is also the founder of the Millstone Research Center located in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York. “The mill is built over the stream and there are remnants of this past history as a mill in the basement of the building,” said Pulis. “We are honored tobe working with Hollien.” Hollien characterized the project as enormous and the owners as brave. “There is much to be done,” he said. “There is a leak in the roof that has compromised the structure of the house. New plumbing, heating and electric have to be installed. It will be a labor of love.” Hollien said the section of the house where there was a leak in the roof must be rebuilt from the basement up. “These are localized problems,” he said. “The roof has basically survived.” According to Hollien, the house pre-dates the Victorian style and is an example of the Second Empire or General Grant style popular during the 1860s while Grant was president. “This style is characterized by a short Mansard roof,” he said. Bob Pulis has worked in construction for more than 40 years, said Michele Pulis. “I’ve managed residential real estate and construction projects for about 25 years,” she said. “Jason is a journeyman carpenter and Christian is currently working in real estate.” The Pulis family hopes to have the restoration completed in 12-18 months. Christine Balint is the architect of record, according to Hollien. She could not be reached for comment.