Community Corner
Historic Levi Cory House Finally Makes Its Move This Week
After twice being postponed, 1800s structure to be transported to Constitution Plaza on Saturday morning.
After twice being postponed, Mountainside's historic Levi Cory House will be moved on Saturday.
Work will be completed this week to reinforce a section of the framing and chimney to ensure the 200-year-old structure is ready for the approximate 1-mile journey.
The house will be suspended 8-feet in the air and lowered onto a trailer this week for the journey to Constitution Plaza next to the Mountainside Library and the Deacon Andrew Hetfield House.
Those interested in tracking the move's progress, can visit MountainsideHistory.org to view hourly updates by clicking on "Watch Time-Elapsed Photo Progress."
The house is expected to be transported at about 9 a.m. Saturday and will be settled into its new location by about noon. The house will travel north on New Providence Road, cross Route 22 and will proceed through the library's commuter lot. The move will cause short road closures in the area.
Spectators are invited to watch the move. Scott Daniels, Mountainside Restoration Committee chairman, recommends viewing from the lawn of the Children's Specialized Hospital, Mountainside Borough Hall property and the bottom of the entrance ramp to Constitution Plaza near the library.
There will be no parking in the Mountainside Library lots or on New Providence Road. Parking will be permitted at the Mountainside Pool, borough hall and on side streets, but those parking in these areas should arrive between 8:30 and 9 a.m.
Spectators should remain at least 20 to 30 feet from the house. house. Food and beverages will be available at The Mountainside Deli at 895 Mountain Ave. and at the food stand located near Mountainside Borough Hall.
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The historic house from the early 1800s will become a commercial building. The structure, which previously housed Patterson Interiors and 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.
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Because of its significance in the history of the Mountainside/Westfield area, the Mountainside Restoration Committee has decided 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.
The Mountainside Restoration Committee continues to rely on donations and fundraising 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.
Those interested in contributing can contact the committee at 908-789-9420 or email hetfieldhouse1@yahoo.com. 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 (checks payable to Mountainside Restoration Committee).
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