Farmstead Arts Center Receives Annual Historical Society Award

The Farmstead Arts Center (formerly Friends of Farmstead) won the 2010 Lorraine Passmore Remembrance and Award at the Historical Society of the Somerset Hills' 2010 Historic Preservation Award Program.

In front of a crowd of around 30-40 people, the Farmstead Arts Center board accepted the award at the historic Brick Academy, located in the center of Basking Ridge.

The board members included John Campbell, Ann Osterdale Rosenblum, Peter Hall, Pete Carhart, Hilary Klimek and Carolyn and Michael Kelly began work on the old farmstead back in 1999.

They found many of the buildings in bad shape in 1999, according to Rosenblum, and "took down a few, but managed to preserve many."

Among those many are the English Barn and Farmhouse, both of which will be fully restored come October. With the help of Michael Calafati of Historic Building Architects, and the Somerset Hills Historical society, the group formerly known as Friends of Farmstead spent ten years restoring the farmstead.

The award, dedicated to Lorraine Passmore, a 42-year member of the historical society who recently passed away, provides "an opportunity to celebrate what Somerset Hills has to offer" according to the Historical Society President, Dan Lincoln.

Given to the Farmstead Arts Center by June Campbell, the award goes to those that are "very, very devoted to historic preservation," according to June Campbell.

Historical Society chair Marcella Miccolis described the award as "a testament to the historic preservation achievement of the farmhouse," in a resolution put together by the Historical Society to be put in the organizations permanent minutes.

The Farmstead, originally built around 1750 has had many owners including Reverends and Colonels, and the affluent Stelle family, before becoming township property in 1999. Since then, the Farmstead Arts Center has transformed the site, restoring two buildings and hope to complete work on two more buildings, the Wagon House and Cowshed, in the near future.

The two restored buildings will now be used as an arts center, Farmstead President John Campbell hopes "it will become a center for the arts for the township…county…for the entire state of New Jersey."

The group is actively seeking members of the community to display art, play music and teach lessons. If you are interested in working with the Farmstead, you can follow them on facebook, online at their blog, or email them at farmsteadartscenter@gmail.com.