Two-century-old home expected to be preserved

BY SETH MANDEL
Staff Writer

In less than two weeks, the Abraham S. Davison House went from being historic to being history, and back again.

The house, constructed 199 years ago in Monroe and later relocated to the corner of Gatzmer Avenue and Front Street in Jamesburg, was to be demolished as part of an application to subdivide the property into three lots for the construction of three single-family homes.

The plan was to go before the Land Use Board April 13, but in light of concerns raised by local historians and borough officials, the applicant pulled the item from the meeting agenda.

John Profaci, whose Mid-State Realty owns the property, said he changed his mind about the plans after being made aware of the historic status of the homestead.

"The day I was going in for the approval was the day I found out that the house may be historical," Profaci said.

Profaci said he was never informed of the significance of the house when he began preparing the application, but responded immediately once he found out.

"So, we pulled it off the agenda and we took a harder look at it, and it looks like we're going to be able to save the home and work around it," Profaci said.

Earlier that week, Borough Historian Tom Bodall told the Sentinel of the house's ties to borough history.

According to Bodall, the house was built in 1807 between Half Acre and Perrineville roads, where it stood until sometime between 1830 and 1860. Bodall noted it was moved to its current location prior to the Civil War.

In 1685, one of the first rooms of the Buckelew House was built by William Davison, of whom Abraham Davison is believed to be a descendent.

Mayor Anthony LaMantia and the Historical Association were adamantly opposed to the plan to raze the house, though the application conformed to the borough's zoning laws.

That conformity, Historical Association President Ron Becker said, made Profaci's decision all the more commendable.

"Although the house was going to be torn down, we recognized the fact that the man had every legal right to," Becker said. "The borough ordinances and zoning were on his side."

Becker said members of the Historical Association were very appreciative of Profaci's willingness to work toward the shared goal of preserving the town's historical quality.

Mid-State Realty, which is located in Monroe, is also a member of the Jamesburg Area Chamber of Commerce.

The new plan, scheduled to go before the Land Use Board on May 11, calls for the construction of only two new homes, leaving the Davison homestead intact.

"If it's in the budget, I'd like to restore it as a historical home, and keep it," Profaci said. "We're certainly not going to knock it down. We're going to be looking into restoring it and the cost of restoring it."

The details of the possible restoration are still to be determined, as are the fates of two old trees on the property.

Profaci said his new plan has been well-received thus far by LaMantia, borough Zoning Officer Bernie Long, members of the Historical Association and other residents.

Becker, on behalf of the association, confirmed that reception.

"He's very interested in preserving the house, working not only with us, but also the borough, to make sure that everybody comes out of this happy," Becker said.

This will not be the first time that one of Profaci's projects has provided for the preservation of a borough building.

Profaci sold a home on Railroad Avenue that currently houses a dentist's office. The building retained its Victorian style thanks to the work of the same architect Profaci plans to use for the Davison homestead.

Profaci sold and restored a building on Forsgate Drive as well.

"I think that to see older homes get destroyed, that you can never bring back, would be a terrible shame," Profaci said. "I'm doing everything I can to save this one, which it looks like we are, and I'll help them out in any way I can in the future."