King Store and Homestead facts for kids
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King Store and Homestead
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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King Store at 211 Main Street
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 Location in Morris County, New Jersey
Location in New Jersey
Location in the United States
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| Location | 209 and 211 Main Street Ledgewood, New Jersey |
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| Built | 1815 |
| Architect | Woodruff & Hopkins |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne, Greek Revival |
| Part of | Ledgewood Historic District (ID13000202) |
| NRHP reference No. | 94000393 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | April 29, 1994 |
| Designated CP | April 18, 2013 |
The King Store and Homestead are two historic buildings. They are located at 209 and 211 Main Street in Ledgewood. Ledgewood is a part of Roxbury Township in Morris County, New Jersey.
These buildings are now owned by Roxbury Township. The Roxbury Historic Trust helps take care of them. They were added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 29, 1994. This was because they were very important for business from 1815 to 1928. On April 18, 2013, they also became part of the Ledgewood Historic District.
A Look Back in Time
The King Store was built in 1815. It is a 2½-story building made of strong stone. The walls on the first floor are about 3 feet thick! When it was first built, it had white walls and green shutters and doors. Two builders, Woodruff and Hopkins, constructed it.
The Woodruff family ran the store until 1835. For about two years after that, the building was empty. It was even home to wandering goats and sheep!
In 1837, Albert Riggs bought the building. He was the son of Silas Riggs, who owned several canal boats. Albert reopened the building as a general store. It served the local community and people using the Morris Canal. For many years, it was also the local Post Office. Its owner often served as the Postmaster. The store was very close to the Morris Canal Basin.
Theodore King took over the store in 1873. He was Albert Riggs' son-in-law. Theodore lived on the second floor of the building with his wife and daughter.
By 1881, Mr. King had built a house next door. He then started to update the store. He changed its look to the Greek Revival style. The new colors were cream with brown trim. The outside was covered with a smooth layer of stucco. This stucco was scored to look like large stone blocks. The inside of the store was given an Italianate design. It had a cream and maroon color scheme.
The Roxbury Rotary group helped restore and make the building stable by early 2000. After that, they began working on the Homestead.
Building Styles and Details
The King Homestead started as a simple frame house. Over time, it had several parts added to it. These additions had details from the Italianate and Queen Anne styles.
The original house might have only had the current parlor and two exhibit rooms. It also had one or both staircases to the second floor. On the second floor, there were two front bedrooms and a smaller back bedroom.
There were stairs to the basement, where the kitchen was. Kitchens in basements were common in older homes. A dumb waiter was likely moved when the dining room was added. This helped bring food up from the kitchen below.
The last parts added to the home were probably a round office on the first floor. Mr. King used this office, and later Louise King did too. A kitchen was also added at the back of the first floor.
One interesting artistic feature is a large mural in the dining room. It covers all four walls. James William Marland painted this oil-on-canvas mural in 1936. He signed and dated his artwork.
Visiting the Museums
Both the King Store and Homestead are now museums. They are open on the second Sunday of each month. This is true for all months except January. You can visit them from 1 PM to 4 PM.
Visitors are always welcome! If these times do not work for you, you can call to make a special appointment.
See also
