Craftsman Farms Back To Giving Grounds Tours In Parsippany

PARSIPPANY, NJ — One of Parsippany's historic gems has partially reopened for tours. Grounds tours are now available at Craftsman Farms on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Advanced reservations are required. Tickets cost $10 for adults, $7 for students or seniors (65 and older) and $4 for children under 12. Click here to book online.

The tour takes people only to the exterior of buildings, which remain closed to visitors. Tropical Storm Isaias significantly damaged the Log House Annex last August. The space, which was to become the Stickley Museum's shop, was an open-air pavilion in the Stickley era and was later turned into apartments and then a multi-use museum facility.

The Log House and the museum's collections were unharmed.

The Craftsman Farms grounds tour travels along the farm's original entry road through the historic core of the property, including a tour of the landscape and exterior of the log house, cottages and rehabilitated garage — now the education center.

Craftsman Farms is the former estate of noted turn-of-the-century designer Gustav Stickley. Stickley combined the roles of designer and manufacturer, architect, publisher, philosopher and social critic.

Around 1905, Stickley moved his headquarters from Syracuse to New York City. A few years later, he began acquiring 650 acres of what is now the western edge of Parsippany, where he envisioned establishing a farm school for boys. Read more about the history here.

Thanks for reading. Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site. Have a news tip? Email josh.bakan@patch.com. Subscribe to your local Patch newsletter and follow the Parsippany Patch Facebook page.