| As a native Midwesterner, the first thing I | | | | Sergeantsville.Then, on to the stone walls. |
| noticed when moving to the Delaware Valley | | | | It is commonly thought that the raw stone |
| was the enormous number of fieldstone houses. | | | | exteriors were exposed, but in reality, |
| Frankly, I'd never seen such a thing. What | | | | unless the builder was using "dressed stone" |
| people in the East take for granted is a | | | | these walls were considered unsightly rubble, |
| matter of wonder for the rest of us who grew | | | | and only the poorest homeowner would refrain |
| up in much younger cities.This house is | | | | from covering them with plaster. Charles |
| currently offered for sale, and it's a | | | | decided to at least stucco the front wall to |
| delight to visit a residence that has been | | | | make the house look more appropriate to the |
| restored with every attention to detail. But | | | | period. But in order to please the modern |
| the transformation didn't come easy! The | | | | eye, he left the sides of the house |
| depth of knowledge (and pockets) to pull off | | | | exposed.As one might expect from a 200 |
| such a project can be daunting. However, | | | | year-old roof, the rafters needed to be |
| this magnificent stone house in the small | | | | shored up. Indeed, they were actually |
| town of Sergeantsville, NJ proves that such a | | | | splayed from the weight, and Charles decided |
| renovation can have tremendous rewards, and | | | | to remove the roof altogether. Once the old |
| it is waiting for a new owner who will carry | | | | roof was off, the carpenters actually winched |
| on the tradition.The current owner, Charles | | | | the rafters back into place, then added |
| Frischmann, was just the man to take on the | | | | additional rafters that cannot be seen when |
| project. Organist, music professor, | | | | coming up the steps. He also decided to add |
| historian, antique collector, Charles had | | | | a new pent roof to replace the small porch |
| already restored two stone houses and was | | | | that formerly shaded the two front doors; all |
| ready to take on the third. He had learned | | | | that was left of this porch was an |
| much from the previous undertaking, and this | | | | oddly-placed cornice above the doors. Both |
| one didn't even give him pause.The previous | | | | the pent roof and house roof were shingled |
| owner had already begun some of the | | | | with cedar shakes, cut thicker than is |
| restoration. The 10-foot wide stone | | | | usually done with today's materials. A |
| fireplace had been turned into a closet; the | | | | molded cornice has been added to the eaves, |
| panels needed to be removed, and the wood | | | | matching the details of the doorways.As with |
| stove was installed. An expansive kitchen | | | | many houses from the 19th century, this house |
| dining area was added on to the rear of the | | | | has two front doors. There's a very logical |
| house, using antique barnwood beams in the | | | | reason for this. One door leads into the |
| ceiling and exposing the stone on the | | | | "keeping room", where the family keeps house. |
| interior wall. Because the only entrance to | | | | The keeping room contains the large |
| the basement was originally an exterior | | | | fireplace for cooking, and of course a table |
| entrance, it has now become a trap door in | | | | and chairs for the family to relax. This is |
| the kitchen floor.But that was only a first | | | | not the room you want to introduce your |
| step. All the old doorways and window frames | | | | guests into! So a second door would lead |
| needed replacement. "The new windows are all | | | | into the living room, which was probably only |
| hand-built in the 18th-century style, and | | | | used for special occasions.Jersey Winder - or |
| have early glass in them," Charles explained. | | | | pie-shaped - stairs lead up to the two |
| He found period hardware for the doors and | | | | second-story bedrooms. These stairs are |
| windows, and added working shutters that are | | | | stenciled, as are the floors in the master |
| so tight they practically create a vacuum | | | | bedroom and bath. The upstairs hallway still |
| seal when closed. He also fitted removable | | | | shows the exposed stone wall. The upstairs |
| custom storm windows to the inside of the | | | | closet and bathroom doors are finished with |
| frames, to make this period house more | | | | faux graining, and you have to touch them to |
| energy-efficient.Although probably original, | | | | know the difference.Sergeantsville is located |
| the front doors had been cut and fitted with | | | | just down the road from Green Sergeant's |
| windows, which didn't really work for the | | | | Bridge, the last surviving covered bridge in |
| house. To improve this look, Charles | | | | New Jersey. The bridge was built around |
| commissioned new doors and period-style | | | | 1750, and it is thought the town was |
| paneled doorways to take the place of the | | | | established around 1830. Route 523, which |
| weathered jambs.When removing the old door | | | | passes through Sergeantsville, was the |
| frames, they discovered that early on - | | | | original Old York Road which linked Trenton |
| probably in the 1830's - someone had done a | | | | to Flemington, then on to New York. This |
| significant renovation to the house. The | | | | village is located in Delaware Township, |
| floor had been raised about nine inches, | | | | Hunterdon County, not far from New Hope PA |
| apparently to make more headroom in the | | | | and just a few miles east of the |
| cellar. Although the owner has not been able | | | | river.Mercedes Hayes is a Realtor licensed in |
| to trace the house sales back farther than | | | | New Jersey and Pennsylvania. I specialize in |
| 1857, this renovation dates the house closer | | | | Log Homes and Specialty Homes. This house is |
| to the turn of the century, making it one of | | | | offered by Weidel Realtors. |
| the oldest surviving structures in | | | | |