Gingerbread Open House Rocks Mountainside Landmark

A classical quintet, gingerbread houses, and Santa and the Missus, delighted a fully packed Deacon Andrew Hetfield House in Mountainside on Sunday, December 11.  The Borough’s Restoration Committee sponsored the annual event, which featured a development of gingerbread houses on display; ornament decorating; a holiday centerpiece sale; and a warm up of songs from the Borough’s elementary school’s choir. 

Volunteers from the Mountainside Restoration Committee welcomed friends and neighbors into splendidly decorated "themed" rooms.  A Victorian style prevailed on the first floor of the historic building, which was erected in three phases, the oldest of which is circa 1760.  Another room downstairs relied only on "things from nature" to deck its halls. 

Chris Bizzarro, Mountainside School District’s music instructor, led a selection of holiday tunes, sung by fifth and six graders from the Deerfield School's choir, as families milled about the two story living museum, once used as a Tea Room. The landmark was moved from Union to Mountainside  in 1985, stopping traffic along Route 22 during its relocation to Constitution Avenue.

Gingerbread creations were on display for all to admire in the "Victorian" room, where a stringed quintet serenaded guests with classical holiday favorites.  The same quintet performs at the Hetfield House’s annual Tea and Strings event in the spring.  

Mr. and Mrs. Claus sat by the hearth, reminding children to be good boys and girls all year round, and posed for photos.  Home made cookies and other treats were enjoyed by more than 250 visitors throughout the course of the afternoon.   

Calligrapher Maureen Goense of Mountainside personalized some of the lovely ornaments which were available for purchase, many hand made by local crafters.  Holiday boxwood arrangements and topiary trees were also sold.  The proceeds will help fund the upkeep of the Hetfield House, which is cared for by volunteers in the community.

Upstairs, Mountainside Girl Scouts from Troop 443 helped youngsters decorate gingerbread ornaments in a room filled with snowmen, while their parents took a peek inside the glass cases containing precious local artifacts.  The historic site is a treasure trove; each room is filled with antique heirlooms and objects dating back as far as the late 1700s.   

Children and their parents also made old fashioned fun at the event, hand-crafting holiday boxwood arrangements out of fresh greens and garland in the "patriotic" room, bedecked exclusively in red, white and blue.

Carol Goggi, a volunteer for the Mountainside Restoration Committee told Patch that she overheard a ‘woman of considerable age,’ remark, “I come here every year because it really gets me in the spirit of Christmas.” 

The Hetfield House is a "Four Centuries Site," and is registered onto both the New Jersey and the National Register of Historic Places.

Mrs. Goggi noted that volunteers are needed all year long.  To learn more about the Mountainside Restoration Committee and the Hetfield House, please visit www.mountainsidehistory.org.