President’s Report to Friends of the Kennedy-Martin-Stelle Farmstead -- 9.24.05
On 9/14/05 the Friends held a “Thank You” breakfast to recognize vital contributions made by Somerset County and the Bernards Township Committee to the Farmstead project. The event, a big success, was attended by over 25 people including Denise Coyle - County Freeholder, Tom D’Amico - County Historic Sites Coordinator, Mayor Kelly and Committeemen Malay, Licata and Chaudry, and several members of the Township staff as well as a number of Friends, and Jake Perry of the Bernardsville News. It was a very enthusiastic and convivial group. We held it in the English Barn with refreshment tables set up by Ann Parsekian with refreshments donated through solicitations by Ann Parsekian and Mary Pavlini and decorated with quilts and live flowers provided by Larry Terricone. Ann also provided two notebook computers with a series of before-and-after pictures of the preservation of the English Barn. Attached are the notes that I used for the presentation portion of the program. If you were not able to join us for the celebration I urge you to read them.
The grounds of the Farmstead were in good shape for the event as a result of a lot of work by a number of people:
Tom Gallagher installed wooden panels to prevent entry to the cement silo to keep kids from climbing the interior ladder to the top. He also installed closures on all 14 of the English Barn doors, including the big sliding doors and the doors to the three stalls on the east end of the barn. -- five by pad locks and nine with hook and eye closures. The ability to lock the barn permitted the removal of the snow fence that has been used for (minimal) security to the building.
Tony of Schtiller and Plevy and two of his workmen repaired the track that supports the sliding door on the north-side of the English Barn.
John Campbell cut down heavy brush from around the English Barn and the Wagon house and removed vines from the whole west wall of the Wagon House that had (once again) grown as high as the roof.
Alex and Sally Bedrosian did a lot of work. They cleared weeds, trimmed vines and bushes and picked up numerous branches from around the Farm House. Alex weeded and swept the driveway in front of the Farm House. John trimmed low hanging branches from the sycamore trees.
Sgt. Monduro of Community Services supervised a crew that removed the snow fence that had encircled the English Barn. The stakes that had supported the snow fence were also removed (a very difficult job). A large tree stump was removed from the field between the Farm House and the English Barn and a big log was removed from the northwest corner of the swimming-pool parking lot, as was a big pile of branches, collected by Alex and Sally, from the front of the Farm House.
Bob Dillon brought his extension ladder and he and John cleaned out the roof gutters of the Farm House, then string-trimmed the weeds around the English Barn and from the cement pad left from the Dairy Barn.
The cribbing that provides emergency support for the Wagon House has sunk one to two inches into the dirt floor. John hammered wedges into the 25 support points to renew the effectiveness of the bracing.
Alex and Sally Bedrosian, who unfortunately will be moving to Philadelphia soon, have donated a 20 foot extension ladder and a number of hand tools for gardening and wood working. Millie Vandyke has donated a wheel barrow. If you have any garden or wood working tools that you can spare please let me know. We need to set up a well stocked work shop to facilitate the many small projects which will crop up over the coming years. Right now we need a garden rake, more leaf rakes, and another wheel barrow.
Michael Calafati, our historic architect consultant, is working with Peter Messina and representatives of the NJ Historic Trust to move ahead with efforts to use the $440,000 State grant for preservation of the English Barn, Wagon House and Farm House. I will let you know as soon as details become available.
I hope to see you at the Lord Stirling Festival on October 2nd. We will have a display table there.
If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please e-mail (junejohn@optonline.net) or phone me (908 647-2241).
John
Campbell
Friends of the KMS Farmstead
Board of Trustees -- President