MOUNTAINSIDE – Finally, after two postponements, Mountainside’s historic Levi Cory House will be moved on the morning of Saturday, Nov. 2.
Necessary work will be completed to reinforce a section of the framing and chimney so that the 200-year old structure can be ready for the journey. The house has been placed on “cribbing” suspending it 8 feet in the air. It will be lowered onto a trailer positioned underneath it.
The moving company, W.A. Building Movers, will prepare the house and secure it to the trailer before Nov. 2.
To view hourly progress before the move, visit www.mountainsidehistory.org and click on the “Watch Time-Elapsed Photo Progress…” link. You will see the house in real time and view any new developments as they occur before and after the move.
Once the trailer is hitched, the house is estimated to start moving between 9 and 10 a.m. on Nov. 2. It will proceed north for approximately ¾ mile on New Providence Road toward its final destination – Constitution Plaza, adjacent to Mountainside Public Library and the Deacon Andrew Hetfield House.
The house will leave New Providence Road, after crossing Rt. 22, near the northeast corner of the intersection. Upon leaving the roadway, it will proceed through the commuter parking lot next to the Mountainside library toward its permanent location.
Depending upon roadway conditions and utility company activity along the way, the move is expected to be complete by noon. During the move, portions of New Providence Road will be intermittently closed to traffic as will Rt. 22 for a short time.
Scott Daniels, Mountainside Restoration Committee Chairman, invites spectators to watch this historic event. He recommends viewing locations on the lawn of Children’s Specialized Hospital, Mountainside Borough Hall property at the corner of New Providence Road and Hwy. 22 East, and at the bottom of the entrance ramp to Constitution Plaza near the library.
Parking will not be allowed in the Mountainside library lots or on New Providence Rd. Spectators wishing to witness the move should park at the Mountainside Pool, Borough Hall and on side streets and should arrive at a viewing location between 8:30 and 9 a.m.
Spectators are asked to remain at least 20 to 30 feet away from the house. Food and beverages will be available from early morning at The Mountainside Deli at 895 Mountain Ave. and at the food stand located near Mountainside Borough Hall.
The property is slated to be the site of a commercial building. The historic structure (circa 1810-1818), which was most recently the home of Patterson Interiors preceded by Barrett & Crain Realtors, was originally owned by the Woodruff family who were prominent members of the “West Fields” of Elizabethtown and Mountainside communities.
Levi Cory once owned the house and rented it in 1892 to the founders of the “Children’s Country Home” as a summer retreat for inner city children. In 1962, the Children’s Country Home was renamed the Children’s Specialized Hospital – the largest rehabilitation children’s hospital in the nation.
Because of its significance in the history of the Mountainside/Westfield area, the Mountainside Restoration Committee has undertaken to move the house and save it from destruction.
The Borough of Mountainside has allowed the Committee to use borough-owned property located on Constitution Plaza between the Mountainside Fire Department and Mountainside Library to situate the Levi Cory house placing it next door to Mountainside’s Deacon Andrew Hetfield House – a very suitable neighbor.
The Mountainside Restoration Committee continues to rely on donations and fund raising to fund the move of the Levi Cory house, the site preparation required to permanently place it on Constitution Plaza and to restore the structure.
Parties interested in helping to fund this move and restoration are asked to contact the Committee at 908-789-9420; or email: [email protected]. Donations can also be made online at www.mountainsidehistory.org; or mailed to Carol Clark – Treasurer, MRC/Levi Cory House, 308 Summit Rd., Mountainside, NJ 07092, with checks made payable to Mountainside Restoration Committee.
The Mountainside Restoration Committee is a 501(c)(3) charity and donations are tax-deductible. Since the Mountainside Restoration Committee is an all-volunteer committee, 100 percent of the proceeds will go toward costs associated with the move and restoration of the Levi Cory house.
The Mountainside Restoration Committee — the Mountainside Historic Committee — is a committee of volunteers governed by the Borough of Mountainside whose purpose is to maintain the Deacon Andrew Hetfield House, save the Levi Cory House and collect and save historic information and items from destruction. For further information, call 908-789-9420 or visit www.mountainsidehistory.org .