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