By: Lea Kahn
An 18th-century house that belonged to one of the earliest settlers of Lawrence Township, and a dirt road that leads to the township-owned Brearley House, have been added to the township’s list of historic properties.
Township Council gave final approval to the ordinance that designates the Hunt/Mershon farmhouse at 2775 Main St. and Meadow Road as historic landmarks at its regular meeting Tuesday. Meadow Road, off Princeton Pike, leads to the 1761 Brearley House.
But three other properties – whose owners opposed having their houses included on the township’s list – will not be included on that list, despite the recommendations of the township Historic Preservation Advisory Committee (HPAC).
The ordinance did not include 18 Cold Soil Road, 120 Cold Soil Road and 42 Van Kirk Road because their owners did not want their properties to be included on the township list. But the ordinance encourages the owners of those properties to maintain them in keeping with their historic nature.
The list of properties was developed by the HPAC, following three commissioned surveys of the township’s historic properties. The HPAC recommended the list to the Planning Board, which endorsed it and sent it to Township Council for final approval.
The Hunt/Mershon farmhouse at 2775 Main St. is important because of its links to the two families, who were pioneer settlers of Lawrence Township. The house has been modified over the years since its first section was built about 1750, according to the HPAC.
Meadow Road, which runs east off Princeton Pike near Lewisville Road, is important because it is one of the few remaining unpaved roads in the township. It leads to the recently restored Brearley House.
The Theophilus Phillips barns at 18 Cold Soil Road, which were not listed, consist of three barns dating to the 1700s, when the fieldstone Theophilus Phillips Homestead at 2837 Main St. was built. The barns are important because of their frame construction. One of the barns has been converted into housing.
The Robert White farmstead at 120 Cold Soil Road is a Greek Revival farmhouse, built about 1850, according to the HPAC. An addition was built several years later. Known today as the Hendrickson Farm, it is still a working farm. It was originally part of the James White Farm at 100 Cold Soil Road, known today as Sunny Slope Farm.
The farmhouse at 42 Van Kirk Road, known as the Edmund Bainbridge Farm, is a well-preserved farmhouse that was built in two sections – one in 1820 and the other in 1840, the HPAC said.
A property may be designated for the historical list because of its architectural character or because of its association with people who may have lived there. Some properties may be deemed historically important because the occupants were important in Lawrence Township history.
Inclusion on the list carries some restrictions. The historic preservation ordinance seeks to ensure that the exterior of the house is properly maintained. It does not affect changes to the interior of the house.
Owners may paint the house, but changes or additions to a property must be approved by the HPAC. Exceptions can be made if a financial hardship can be proven.
The township’s ordinance offers more protection for historic homes than the state or national Registers of Historic Places. Listing in the state or national registers is considered an honor.
Township officials recognized the need to preserve historic properties in the early 1980s after a number of historic houses either were modified or torn down. At that point, township officials decided to take steps to preserve the historic feeling in Lawrence Township.
