On Saturday, November 14, the Township of Mendham will be hosting tours of the newly acquired Pitney Farm property located at 1 Cold Hill Road between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.  Interested residents must pre-register for the tours through the Township Website, www.mendhamtownship.org , or by contacting Town Hall at (973) 543-4555.

The Township acquired the 12-acre Pitney property in July of 2009 for $4 million.  The acquisition was accomplished using a combination of $1.5 million in general Township funding, $500,000 from the Township Open Space Trust, and a $1.5 million grant from the Morris County Open Space Trust.  Seven acres of the property will be preserved as open space. The remaining five acres, including the Pitney farm-house and several other structures, have been designated for potential adaptive reuse to be determined in the future.

The Pitney Farm property is one of Mendham Township’s oldest residential properties, with structures dating back to the 1700s.  Purchased by the Pitney family in 1760, the farm has housed eight generations of Pitneys, many who figured prominently in local, state and national history.  The farm once stretched more than 200 acres in size, on which the family grew grains, raised cattle, pigs, turkeys and sheep.  The property also served as a dairy farm and its sprawling orchard produced apples and peaches as well.

Today, the property remains in excellent condition, buffered from the surrounding development by woodland.  At the center of the property still sits the 200+ year old farmhouse and adjacent barns constructed over ensuing years that served the property’s various operations. The grounds feature expansive gardens, including a picturesque wall garden, as well as various species of specimen trees over 200 years in age.  It is truly a hidden treasure that must be experienced first-hand.

Take a step back in time.  Join the Township for a tour of the Pitney Farm property on November 14.  Tours lasting about 45 minutes will start every half hour from 10 a.m. through 2 p.m.  All interested residents must pre-register to attend (No pets please!).