Status: Progress Made
County: Hunterdon
Additional Features:
UPDATES:
05/2017: The McCloughan Mansion was purchased in May 2017 with the purpose of rehabilitation for continued use as a single family residence. The new owners are continuing the restoration of the exterior building envelope begun by the previous owners and are rehabilitating the interior to better suit a more modern residential life style. The result will be a contemporary livable interior with an exterior that will preserve the historic, 19th century fabric and aesthetic on the three elevations visible from the Old Allerton Road.
9/2012: After more than a decade of neglect, the McCloughan Mansion has been purchased by a group of investors that are moving forward with a plan for restoration. The investor group includes Sarah G. Melvin, Walter B. Melvin, AIA of Walter B. Melvin, Architects, LLC and Michael J. Margulies, AIA and Jessica R. Margulies, AIA of Eclectic Architecture, LLC. Michael Margulies serves on the PNJ Board of Directors.
07/2010: Housing development still under debate, but proposed plans call for their restoration.
06/2009: Architectural firm recently completed very preliminary plan encouraging restoration of both buildings for use as community facilities within a proposed housing development
03/2007 Both houses are threatened by an affordable housing project to be constructed on four contiguous lots, including the one on which these houses stand on.
DESCRIPTION:
Though separately owned today, these neighboring buildings share a common history and a threat of demolition. The Adam Runkle House is a well cared for, one-and-a-half story, wood-frame farmhouse built c. 1770 by German immigrant, Adam Runkle. The impressive McCloughan Mansion, an Italianate brick house, was built c. 1860 by Henry McCloughan, who purchased the Runkle house and its 225-acre tract in 1837.
In 1870 McCloughan gave the farm to his son, John, who was married to Adam Runkle’s great granddaughter, Euphemia. They lived there until 1913 when Euphemia sold the property after John’s death. While the farm has been subdivided into many parcels over the years, the Runkle and McCloughan houses remain intact.
Both properties, which are privately owned, are threatened by the possible construction of a road whose location the local planning board recently approved. While the Township Council has not yet acted on the planning board recommendation, it could at any time.
Clinton Twp. contacted the group concerned with preserving the McCloughan Mansion to set up a meeting, to discuss the potential and program for developing a preservation plan.
CONTACT:
The Runkle Family Association
PO Box 14
Ringoes, NJ 08551
Susanna Harrington, McCloughan Mansion
suha529@yahoo.com
Website