Guest Testimonials
"Dear
Edie & Alan,
What a wonderful home you and your family have.
We really enjoyed our stay, and with your attention to all
of the little details, no one could want for anything.
Thank you and Good Luck!"
-- Love, John & Debra |
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Inn
with an 18th century ambiance
BY
TANYA DROBNESS-- STAR-LEDGER STAFF
Nestled in the rural farmlands of Knowlton on Auble Road are three rustic structures, a main house, an old carriage barn and a Moravian stone cottage. The quaint two-story cottage was built in 1730, and it may be the oldest home in Warren County, said Edith Sauck, who owns the property with her husband, Alan. The couple have transformed the buildings into an inn called the Alexander Adams Homestead.
The original owner, Alexander Adams, built the cottage and the carriage barn in 1730 and left them to his 17 children when he died in 1805. The main house was built by one of the Adams children in the early 1800s. It has since had only six owners, Sauck said. The Saucks decided to open the 18th century cottage for visitors as a bed and breakfast a year ago because they felt that the homestead had potential to be more than just a home for themselves and their two children.
"This is such a special property and we want it to be something really spectacular for people who want to come and go in and out of the city and urban areas." said Sauck. She and her husband have been maintaining the 6-acre property for the last 15 years. When the Saucks began renovating the cottage in September 2001, the couple painted the interior of the cottage with warm autumn colors of deep gold, plum and green. Green carpeting was laid down on the floors of the upstairs bedroom, but the original wideplanked wood floors were kept downstairs.
The interior of the cottage was decorated with antique and eclectic furniture, and the stone walls are lined with 19th century portraits.
When work had to be done on the red brick chimney, Alan Sauck found that behind the brick was the original stone fireplace, which was stripped down to the stone and restored, Sauck said.
Although the property is not listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the site is included on the Historical Barns and Site Tour of Knowlton Township because it is a great example of a piece of history that has been salvaged, said Hal Bromm, Chairman of the Knowlton Township Historic Commission.
"There are a lot of old farms and buildings in the town and something has to be done before they are all lost," Bromm said.
Bromm is impressed by the fact that even though this property may be the oldest in the county, it has managed to stay off of the "Ten Most Endangered Historic Properties" list for the state of New Jersey. Preservation New Jersey, a statewide preservation group, composes the list each year of the 10 historic properties in the Garden State that are most in danger of being destroyed, Bromm said.
"For that family to preserve and protect that property - it promotes the historic character and encourages tourism, which is good for businesses," he added.
According to Mayor Frank Van Horn, there are about 100 historic properties in the township. "We have some fascinating history in Knowlton such as A-sided schoolhouses and the oldest working post office in the state (built in 1854), and we want to keep it looking good," he said. "We are very happy that they opened up this piece of history and that they are keeping it intact, because once you lose something like this you can never get it back," Van Horn said.
Edith Sauck, a Manhattan native, moved into the cottage in 1986 - a year after her father purchased the property and became the sixth owner. She fell in love with her new lifestyle and didn't return to the Big Apple. "I remember when I first came here and I looked into the sky - and I couldn't believe I was seeing stars. You can't see stars in Manhattan," Sauck said.
The original main house was destroyed by fire 150 years ago but was rebuilt. The carriage barn was renovated into a home in 1971 and is being currently occupied by residents.
The couple hope one day to pass the property down to one of their children. "It would be nice to pass it on to one of them and have this place in the family for a long time," Sauck said. For more information contact Edith or Alan Sauck at (908) 459-4018 or at check out their Web site at www.alexanderadamshomestead.com.
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