Hunterdon Morris Warren Somerset Sussex
 

Weekend Getaways

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Fabulous Interiors and Exteriors

An enjoyable and enlightening weekend itinerary (April through November) Architecture, Home Décor & Gardens in Morris & Somerset Counties

Day 1

Rediscover 250 years of history with a walking tour of Basking Ridge. (pdf) Buildings span a variety of periods and styles, including Vernacular, Mission/ Eclectic Revival and Second Empire styles. Overall, this village reflects the stylistic changes in American architecture that took place over two centuries and convey the feeling of a historic village.

Have lunch and check in at Olde Mill Inn and Grain House Restaurant.

Head to Leonard J. Buck Gardens, just 15 minutes away and one of the premier rock gardens in the eastern United States, with something in bloom almost every week of the year. Mr. Buck, the gentleman whom the garden is named for, worked with a well-known landscape architect to develop a naturalistic garden -- a garden that would be ecologically correct and not recognizable as being man made. Several large rock outcroppings are found on the property, each one created with slightly different exposure enabling a variety of plants to thrive.

Dine in one of these nearby restaurants: Red Oak Grille or The Store Restaurant.

Day 2

Located on Old Jockey Hollow road and part of the Morristown National Historic Park is Cross Estates Garden.

The early twentieth-century landscape of the Cross Estates is characteristic of the Arts and Crafts period. The grounds provide hiking trails and formal gardens including a two-level walled formal perennial garden, a wisteria-covered pergola, and a garden of native plants. A self guided walking tour provides visitors with the opportunity to view historic trees and learn about the importance to Native Americans and colonists.

A short 25 minute drive and you arrive at the home of one of the leaders in the American Arts and Crafts Movement. Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms is the home of Gustov Stickley, furniture manufacturer, architect and publisher. Many of the examples of Gustov's work were original to the home, and some were acquired by the museum over the years. Both the grounds and home exemplifies the Simple Life that Stickley advocated.

Head to Madison, 25 minutes away, for lunch at the Main Streets Café, featuring innovative food in a sophisticated setting, Garlic Rose Bistro, New Jersey's first all-garlic restaurant or L'allegria, a quintessential Italian dining experience.

On the corner of Main Street and Green Village Road, in the center of downtown Madison is situated a most breathtaking examples of architecture in the Skylands. In the Richardsonian Romanesque Revival style you will find a most appropriate use of the building the Museum of Early Trades and Crafts. This building was originally the James Library, donated by philanthropist Dr. Willis James and his wife in 1900. James felt that a library should be a place that would inspire learning.

Once you are done marveling at the building itself you can enjoy the collection of over 8,800 artifacts related to 21 different trades.

Spend some time shopping downtown Madisons' many boutiques, shops and galleries including the J. M Stringer Gallery, featuring a worldwide collection of fine original painting and antiquities..

Take in a show at The Shakespeare Theatre in Madison, located on the campus of Drew University.

Day 3

Start the day by getting your chores out of the way at Fosterfields Living Historical Farm. Churn butter, crack corn and feed it to the chickens, and tend the garden. On the farm are two dwellings that visitors may tour to compare and contrast architectural style and contents. One home is the elegant Gothic Revival mansion, The Willows, built in 1854 by Gen. Joseph W. Revere, the grandson of the famous American patriot Paul Revere and home for Caroline Foster from 1881-1979. The other dwelling is the farmhouse, the first floor of which was restored to the period of 1918-1927 when Mr. Edward Woods, the farm manager, lived in it.

Just 10 minutes away and you arrive at Acorn Hall. Tour this Victorian home of the Morris County Historical Society and view its collection for furniture and decorative arts. You will also find lovely landscaped Victorian gardens that features 19th century flowers and shrubs.

Another 10 minutes away and 44 years earlier is Macculloch Hall. This 20-room Federal-style mansion was built in 1810 by George Macculloch, known as the father of the Morris Canal. Walk through 10 period rooms of 18th and 19th century furnishing. The collection includes English china, Oriental carpets and furniture by Chippendale, Hepplewhite and Sheraton.

You will also find a two acre restored garden which is the oldest in Morris County.

To assist with planning this trip, contact information, hours and other important details have been provided below. Also feel free to contact Skylands of NJ Tourism Council via email or call 1-800-4SKYLAND (475-9526).

 

New Jersey's Great Northwest
Hunterdon, Morris, Somerset, Sussex and Warren Counties

PO Box 464, Belvidere, NJ
1-800/4SKYLAND • email