Sunday Is Last Chance To See 1745 Historic Site In Livingston Before It Closes For Years

LIVINGSTON, NJ — The Old Force Homestead on South Livingston Avenue is one of the best preserved early farmhouses in the area, according to the state of New Jersey. It was built around 1745 and is sometimes open to the public, including this Sunday. But after that, it will close for several years thanks to a long-term restoration and renovation plan, detailed below.

The home was owned in the 1790s by the family of Thomas Force, a Corporal in Captain Squire’s 2nd Essex Regiment in the American Revolution, and family members built on it over the decades.

See past reporting on the planning here.

The house will be open this Sunday, March 12, 2023, from 2-4 p.m.

The Livingston Historical Society has released details of the opening Sunday and of the upcoming renovations to the house.

See their release below.

Release From Livingston Historical Society:

Sunday, March 12, 2023 from 2 pm – 4 pm is the last opportunity to visit the Old Force Homestead Museum at 366 S. Livingston Ave before it is closed for major renovations. The Township of Livingston and Livingston Historical Society will be preparing for the upcoming major renovations to restore the historic Theophilus Ward/Thomas Force House and the Condit Family Cook House to their early 19th century appearance based upon findings in the Preservation Plan prepared by Barton Ross & Partners, LLC Architects.

In 2021, the Township of Livingston was awarded a Capital Level II matching grant in the amount of $403, 052 from the NJ Historic Trust’s Preserve New Jersey Historic Preservation Fund. These funds will go towards the Preservation and Restoration of the Old Force Homestead about to begin in 2023 and expected to continue for the next few years.

About Old Force Homestead

The Old Force Homestead consists of the Theophilus Ward/Thomas Force House and the Condit Family Cook House. The Ward/Force House is one of the few early farmhouses in Livingston that has retained much of its original character, craftsmanship, and details. The earliest section is a wood frame, one-and-one-half story, three bay structure which sits upon a half-excavated stone foundation and was constructed as a saltbox.

The date of this construction is contested, and has been believed to be built around 1745 when the property was owned by Theophilus Ward. It is known that Ward erected a 1-1/2 story single-room dwelling with a steep gable and a loft on the property, similar to many of the early colonial homes typical throughout the period. However, recent dendrochronology evidence has dated the structural wood beams to 1778/9. It is possible that the current structure could have replaced an earlier dwelling, or the current beams could have replaced older ones.

Around 1779, Thomas Force had returned from service in the American Revolution as a Corporal in Captain Squire’s 2nd Essex Regiment. In 1796, Samuel Force gave 60 acres of the original Ward farmland to his son, Thomas. His name appears on tax rolls associated with “Newark Township,” to which this area belonged, beginning in 1779. In the early-19th century, Thomas constructed a large addition on the east side of the existing dwelling. The addition was designed in a Federal style, popular in the years after the American Revolution. It is a three-bay, 2-1/2 story gambled-roof structure, measuring 25'6" x 28'6". The farmhouse and the surrounding park evoke a clear picture of 18th- and 19th-century rural Essex County.

Upon his death in 1827, Thomas bequeathed his lands to his son William B. Force, who occupied the house with his family and cared for his mother.

The house remained largely unchanged until the 20th century. Between 1917-1925, a 40-stall barn was constructed on the property. In 1927, a one-story garage was constructed on the west side of the original structure by Hermine and George Tuttle, a Newark newspaper editor. In 1939, the home was documented by the Historic American Building Survey (HABS), and photographs from this survey show a bracketed porch and roof wrapping around the south-east corner of the house. The porch was removed sometime between 1940 and 1960. After 1950, a masonry front entrance stair was added. There was also significant modification to the kitchen in the original dwelling, where a fireplace was built, partitions were added, and cabinets were removed.

In 1962, the house was purchased by the Township of Livingston. The interior of the Force Homestead was repaired and minor alterations were made that were deemed to restore the property to a historically appropriate appearance.

The Condit Family Cook House, a small 19th century 1-1/2 story wood frame building with two small rooms, was moved onto the northwest corner of the property in 1964 from what is now the Livingston Mall.

Both buildings were listed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places in 1981.

The Homestead is owned by the Township of Livingston and presently serves as a historical museum showcasing various objects from the 18th century and headquarters for the Livingston Historical Society.

Preservation Plan

In 2020, the Township of Livingston retained Barton Ross & Partners, LLC to prepare the first-ever Preservation Plan (the Plan) for the historic Old Force Homestead, located at 366 South Livingston Avenue, to guide the significant repairs and rehabilitation of the Force Homestead Museum and Condit Family Cookhouse located on the property. This work was funded by the Township of Livingston in conjunction with a grant from the NJ Historic Trust. Fieldwork and background historical research commenced shortly thereafter. The Plan was prepared to assist with the planning of the proposed "rehabilitation" of the Force House following the Secretary of the Interior's Standards.

Barton Ross stated, “Recommendations included herein were prepared based on our understanding of the proposed project, observations made during our limited visual condition assessments performed at the site, and our general knowledge of typical construction practices for similar structures built during the same time period.” The Plan was completed in draft form by April, 2021 and submitted to the Township, Historical Society, and NJ Historic Trust for review at their May Board meetings. Additional edits to the draft were eventually made in preparation for starting a NJ Historic Trust capital grant, and a Final Draft was submitted on April 22, 2022.

The preservation plan guides actual bricks and mortar interventions and therefore is extremely beneficial to architects, engineers and contractors preparing to renovate, restore, or even reconstruct an old building. These plans tend to be prepared to assess and guide the effects of a proposed treatment or construction-related capital project on the existing fabric of a property.

Livingston’s preservation plan includes an evaluation of the existing conditions, architectural history, paint finishes and mortar analysis, dendrochronology (scientifically dating and interpreting past events based on tree rings), an archaeological report, and a building inspection report. This plan will be the basis for a major capital improvement project to be undertaken within the next five years. It will also be used as guide for applying for grants, such as from the NJ Historic Trust, for the Force House and Condit Cook House.

Limited historical background information was gathered with an emphasis placed on assembling any data relevant to the crucial periods in the building’s architectural history. A comprehensive set of field photographs were taken to document the current state of the Force Homestead by Barton Ross & Partners, LLC.

The Preservation Plan has been submitted to the Historical Society, the Township, and the NJ Historic Trust.

Proposed Restorations and Renovations:

The exterior of the Ward/Force House will be restored to 1800s. Deteriorated wood will be removed and replaced. Damaged gutters will be replaced, as will the wood cornice and wood shutters. New wood windows and wood stoop and wood siding to match the historic appearance will be installed throughout the house. The façade will be cleaned, primed and painted. Shutters will be repaired.

A geotechnical engineer will be hired to evaluate the foundation wall conditions, and perform a visual inspection survey to monitor the building movement. The Structural Joint connection will be repaired or reinforced on the third floor. Permanent structural columns will be installed to replace the temporary columns now in place in the cellar. The heating, plumbing and electrical service equipment will be replaced or updated. Asbestos abatement and insulation will be replaced, if necessary. The chimneys will be repaired and repointed and bricks may be replaced where necessary. The foundation masonry will be repointed with appropriate lime-based mortar. The roof will be repaired and restored to it’s 1800’s style with wood shake on spaced purlins. Debris will be cleaned from the basement window wells and new period style windows will be installed.
The stone retaining wall will be repaired and replaced.

Tree growth adjacent to the Ward/Force House and Condit Cook House will be cut back. Other restoration of the Condit Cook House include to prime and repaint the façade, repoint the foundation masonry, adding a new wood entry stair and door to match its historic appearance, replacing the current roof with a wood roof, and removing all metal gutters and leaders.

To be compliant with the Uniform Construction Code and ADA Accessibility Guidelines an accessible route from the parking area to the building including a ramp or lift up to the first floor level will be provided. Also accessible toilet facilities will be created in an area that is currently used for storage.