PARSIPPANY — The Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms broke ground on its new Education Center on Wednesday, December 12.
The Education Center project will preserve and rehabilitate a garage building, one of the nine original Gustav Stickley-era buildings on the 30-acre historic property.
While protecting the garage’s remaining historic fabric, the building’s interior will be rehabilitated for use as a meeting, conference and program space. The new multi-use space will more than double the museum’s current program facilities.
The building’s two upper levels, which were destroyed by fire around 1950, will be rebuilt and used for collections and archive storage and administrative offices.
In addition, the new Education Center will provide a beautiful new entrance to this 30-acre National Historic Landmark, which is open for tours year round and welcomes visitors from around the world. Once the new Center is open for use, the museum’s shop, located currently in the kitchen of Gustav Stickley’s home, the Log House, will move into its former program space, paving the way for restoration of the home’s kitchen.
Before the Groundbreaking, attendees were invited to warm up with coffee and write “Wishes for Craftsman Farms” on the walls of the old building.
Then Board President Barbara Weiskittel welcomed Groundbreaking attendees, which included Township Officials, Museum Trustees, Advisory Council Members, Volunteers, Museum Members, and supporters from around the state.
Vonda Givens, Executive director, spoke about the determination and years of work leading to the groundbreaking and thanked everyone involved. She particularly noted the early support of the Township of Parsippany-Troy Hills, which helped the organization secure additional funding to get the project off the ground. After remarks and photos, attendees were invited to see the holiday decorations in the Log House and enjoy refreshments in the museum shop.
The Education Center is funded by a grant of Open Space funds from the Township of Parsippany-Troy Hills, a grant from the Morris County Historic Preservation Trust and the museum’s Education Center Capital Campaign project.
Fundraising is ongoing and support is welcomed. For more information, call (973) 540-0311 or email info@stickleymuseum.org.
