Ever wonder where Farny State Park in Rockaway got its name? Or see sign son Route 10 in Parsippany and wonder, why are there signs about Gustav Stickley? Answers to these and many other questions about our community can be found in Heather E. Stivison’s recently published book, “Craftsman Farms.”
The book is part of Arcadia Publishing’s iconic Images of America series, which chronicles the history of small towns and downtowns across the country. Captured in unique pictorial format, this small slice of hometown history details the story of Parsippany’s Craftsman Farms and the often forgotten aspects of American life that surround it.
Craftsman Farms was the country estate of the father of the American Arts and Crafts movement, Gustav Stickley. Though Stickley is credited with creating hundreds of home designs, this property contains the only home he designed and built for his own use. His rustic log house was built upon a rolling hillside surrounded by lawns, stone walls, and working farmland. In September 1917, the property was purchased by Sylvia and George Farny, who loved it dearly and passed it on to their descendants. Portions of the 650 acres were sold, but the core remained intact until the 1980s, when it was threatened by condominium development. Community activists launched a “Save the Farms” campaign, which led to the Township of Parsippany-Troy Hills purchasing Craftsman Farms through eminent domain. Today, it is a busy historic house museum operated by the nonprofit Craftsman Farms Foundation. Craftsman Farms showcases the significant design legacy Gustav Stickley created as well as the architectural and landscape history of this New Jersey National Historic Landmark.
Heather E. Stivison, the former executive director of the Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms, selected many previously unpublished photographs from the museum’s archives and from personal scrapbooks of descendants of Craftsman Farms’ residents. With more than two hundred vintage images, Craftsman Farms celebrates our region, bringing to life the people, places, and events that define our community.
Stivison, who resides in coastal Massachusetts, will be returning to Morris County for two exclusive book signings. Stivison will be answering questions and signing books Saturday, August 1 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Morris Plains Pharmacy, 712 Speedwell Ave # 2, Morris Plains, NJ 07950, and Sunday, August 2 at Ray and Judy’s Book Stop 40 W Main St, Rockaway, NJ 07866.
