BY JESSICA SMITH
Staff Writer
MIGUEL JUAREZ staff Ron Becker, president of the Jamesburg Historical Society, shows the instability of the walls in the basement of Lakeview, the historic mansion on Buckelew Avenue. The Middlesex County Board of Chosen Freeholders is granting $472,000 for building repairs. The first batch of much-needed improvements at Jamesburg’s historic Buckelew mansion is being made possible with help of grant funding from Middlesex County.
The Board of Chosen Freeholders is granting the borough $472,000 to cover the costs of the most urgent repairs needed at Lakeview, part of which dates to 1685 and is the former home of borough namesake James Buckelew. The building is located on Buckelew Avenue.
“It was a wonderful Christmas gift to the people of Jamesburg,” Ron Becker, president of the borough’s Historical Association, said of the grant announcement. “The Jamesburg Historical Association is very appreciative to the Middlesex County Freeholders and the borough of Jamesburg.”
The grant, from the county’s Open Space, Recreation, Farmland and Historic Preservation Trust Fund, will finance work on the building’s foundation, roof and heating system, Becker said. Repairs to the foundation are the most important of the improvements, as one corner of the building has sunk 4 inches, borough historian Thomas Bodall said.
PHOTOS BY MIGUEL JUAREZ staff Above, Ron Becker shows a hole in the basement wall at Lakeview, once home to Jamesburg’s namesake, James Buckelew. The mansion was built in various stages between 1685 and 1870. Below, large cracks like this one can be seen in rooms at the northwest corner of the mansion. Leaks in the roof have also been an ongoing problem, along with pieces of slate falling off it, he said.
While Bodall said there is no specific time table as to when the work will begin, he speculated that it would be under way sometime in the early spring. The Borough Council is in the process of drafting an ordinance to formally accept the grant from the county. From there, the borough will go out to bid with the project.
“They are very aware of the problems … and they’re helping us every step of the way, so that the house can hopefully stand for another 320 years,” Bodall said.
Lakeview was built in various stages as the Buckelew family and their resources grew. The original part of the structure served as a one-room house, built in 1685. Other parts of the building were added between then and 1870.
In 1979, the historical association bought the property for about $35,000, according to Bodall. The group then sold it to the borough to make the site eligible for state Green Acres funding. The association now leases the mansion from the borough and is responsible for its care and upkeep.
“It’s Jamesburg’s privilege to have the mansion, and it’s an honor for [Buckelew] that we’re trying to preserve the mansion,” Becker said. “That’s what makes history real.”
The 1.75 acres that Lakeview sits on comprises Buckelew Park. At one time, the man owned about 4,000 acres in the surrounding area, which are now owned by the borough.
Buckelew was an influential figure, not only in Jamesburg’s history but also in that of the county, state and nation, Becker said. His former home is included on both the state and national historic registers.
Phases II and III of the improvements will consist of structural and site work, Bodall said. The porches will be replaced, the drainage system will be upgraded, and various structural repairs to the interior will comprise some of the upcoming work. Becker said they hope to be able to secure other grants for those improvements.
“They provide a gateway to the past, and by preserving the mansion, we can help to fulfill that mission,” Bodall said. “It’s a proud day for Jamesburg.”
part of the structure served as a one-room house, built in 1685. Other parts of the building were added between then and 1870.
In 1979, the historical association bought the property for about $35,000, according to Bodall. The group then sold it to the borough to make the site eligible for state Green Acres funding. The association now leases the mansion from the borough and is responsible for its care and upkeep.
“It’s Jamesburg’s privilege to have the mansion, and it’s an honor for [Buckelew] that we’re trying to preserve the mansion,” Becker said. “That’s what makes history real.”
The 1.75 acres that Lakeview sits on comprises Buckelew Park. At one time, the man owned about 4,000 acres in the surrounding area, which are now owned by the borough.
Buckelew was an influential figure, not only in Jamesburg’s history but also in that of the county, state and nation, Becker said. His former home is included on both the state and national historic registers.
Phases II and III of the improvements will consist of structural and site work, Bodall said. The porches will be replaced, the drainage system will be upgraded, and various structural repairs to the interior will comprise some of the upcoming work. Becker said they hope to be able to secure other grants for those improvements.
“They provide a gateway to the past, and by preserving the mansion, we can help to fulfill that mission,” Bodall said. “It’s a proud day for Jamesburg.”