By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
LAWRENCE — The long-running saga of the historic William Gulick House isn’t over yet. It’s just starting a new chapter.
CareOne Management LLC, which owns the three-story farmhouse on the corner of Route 206 and Province Line Road, will go before the Zoning Board of Adjustment Wednesday to appeal the denial of its request to demolish the house. The 7 p.m. meeting will be held at the Municipal Building.
CareOne made its case for demolition before the Historic Preservation Advisory Committee in November 2015, but the advisory committee denied the request. Based on the committee’s decision, township Construction Official Anthony J. Cermele refused to issue a demolition permit.
State law allows the applicant — CareOne Management LLC — to appeal Mr. Cermele’s decision.
The William Gulick House, which was built in 1855 for a wealthy farmer, has been at the center of several controversial applications since the mid-1990s. The house sits adjacent to the Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. headquarters.
CareOne Management LLC and its predecessor, Lawrenceville Realty Co., which purchased the property in 1995, had sought permission to develop an assisted living facility on the property and to incorporate the historic house into that plan.
The use variance application was denied by the Zoning Board of Adjustment — but following extensive court battles, CareOne received approval for the assisted living facility. CareOne, however, never followed through and the house has remained vacant.
This is not the first time that the William Gulick House has faced the prospect of demolition. CareOne attempted to demolish it in 2002 without obtaining a demolition permit. Township officials obtained a temporary restraining order in Mercer County state Superior Court to prevent its demolition.
Then in 2013, CareOne submitted an application for a demolition permit to township officials. The company was advised to seek permission from the Historic Preservation Advisory Committee. The application was submitted in 2015.
The William Gulick House is included on Lawrence Township’s list of historic properties. It was built in the Italianate style, which was considered very fashionable in the mid-19th century. The round-arched windows above the front door — on the second and third floors — combined with the decorative brackets under the roof, are key features of that style.
The house was later modified to reflect the Colonial Revival style, which was popular in the 1920s. It was not unusual for houses to be updated to reflect the then-current architectural style.
Preservation New Jersey placed the William Gulick House on its list of 10 most endangered historic sites in 2007. And in 2005, the house was highlighted by the National Trust for Historic Preservation on its online magazine’s website.
