Bernardsville's Dunster-Squibb Home Granted $182K For Restoration

BERNARDSVILLE, NJ — The Dunster-Squibb House in Bernardsville was awarded $182,672 from Somerset County's 2017 Historic Preservation Grants for restoration work.

A total of $897,000 in grants were awarded to historical sites throughout Somerset County. Freeholder Director Peter Palmer and county Historic Sites Coordinator Thomas D’Amico presented the ceremonial checks at the freeholder board’s Oct. 24 meeting.

The Friends of Historic Bernardsville Inc. applied for the grant funds to help complete work on the exterior of the main house. Work includes removing and replacing rotted shingle siding and the original clapboard siding.

Rotted trim and sill plates will be replaced and remaining windows and doors will be painted. In addition, grading, drainage and remaining foundation issues will be addressed and a new 400-amp electrical service will be installed.

The Dunster-Squibb House property contains a house, a late 19th-century barn, late 19th- or early 20th-century caretaker’s cottage and a smoke house structure.

The earliest part of the house was constructed in the Federal style by John Dunster, a Revolutionary War veteran, in 1805 with additions in 1852.

Significant renovations in the Colonial Revival style were performed circa 1905. The 1905 renovations were constructed by Charles Fellows Squibb and designed by Frank Hutton of Hutton and Buys, New York.

The property is proposed to be part of the proposed Somerset Hills in the Country Place Era, 1870-1940 multiple property National Register Nomination.

(Images via Somerset County New Jersey Government)

Image 1 - Dunster-Squibb House.

Image 2 - Accepting for the Dunster-Squibb House: Bernardsville Mayor Kevin Sooy, Council President Bill Youngblood, and Dan Lincoln of Friends of Historic Bernardsville.

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