Parsippany Museum Joins Nationally-Recognized Preservation Network

PARSIPPANY, NJ — The Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms in Parsippany has joined the Historic Artists' Homes and Studios program, a network of museums organized by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

The museum said it is among the newest members of the program, which brings together sites that were once the homes and working studios of significant American artists.

Historic Artists' Homes and Studios is a peer-to-peer coalition of museums. The program focuses on shared experience in historic preservation, visitor programming, and community engagement. With the addition of the Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms and other new members, the network now includes 93 sites in 32 states.

The museum said its inclusion places Craftsman Farms among sites that capture American creative life across two centuries. Executive Director Dr. Jonathan Clancy said membership will help introduce the Morris County campus to more visitors interested in art, design, and the creative process.

“The Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms is honored to be joining a community that celebrates the lives of artists and designers while centering the importance of place," Clancy said. "Being part of the network of Historic Artists’ Homes and Studios will allow us to share the story and experience of this incredible campus that Gustav Stickley envisioned with new audiences for whom the creative process is paramount. We’ve always thought that Craftsman Farms was the purest expression of Stickley’s Craftsman Movement and the ideal place to 'witness creativity.'"

Craftsman Farms was designed and built between 1908 and 1917 by Gustav Stickley, who the museum identifies as the defining figure of the American Arts and Crafts movement and the creator of the Craftsman furniture style. The 30-acre property is a National Historic Landmark.

Its centerpiece is Stickley's Log House, which the museum said was built from American chestnut, local stone, cedar shingles, and clay roof tiles. The museum describes the building as the most complete expression of Stickley's philosophy of building in harmony with the natural environment.

The Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms preserves the site and its collections, including original Craftsman furniture, textiles, ceramics, and metalwork. The new membership connects that work to a national network focused on preservation, programming, and public engagement at artist home and studio sites.