by Erin Feith, Research Assistant
October 22, 2024
Arriving in the Washington Valley in the late 19th century, millionaire Martin Luther, “Luther,” Kountze soon owned the largest estate in Gilded Age Morris County, known as Delbarton. Named in honor of his first three children, DeLancey, Barclay and Livingston (a middle name of one of his daughters), the centerpiece of his holdings became his sprawling home. Possessing an appreciation for his property, Kountze incorporated the natural and rich cultural landscape into his mansion.
Kountze began purchasing farmlands in Washington Valley in 1881, acquiring approximately 4,000 acres by the close of the decade. For much of this period, construction of his mansion was underway led by the local firm, Schenk and Young. The discovery of a deposit of granite stone on the estate prompted Kountze to have the white stone quarried and incorporated into his home’s design. Indeed, in 1882, two-foot thick, granite exterior walls were built. Further utilizing resources on his lands, timbers and paneling used in the home also came from the property and were processed in his private sawmill.
Completed in 1888, Kountze’s 150 by 125 foot mansion boasted three stories and over 40 rooms. Of these spaces, one in particular, the Washington Room, reflected the land’s revolutionary roots, housing Kountze’s extensive collection of 18th century artifacts. As his property encompassed much of the site of Washington’s encampment of 1779-80, Kountze added local pieces of Revolutionary-era history to his holdings, including cannonballs, muskets, and buckles. Beyond the walls of his home, Kountze expressed interest in colonial sites located on his estate, including the Wick house, leading to its protection from development during his ownership.
Following Kountze’s death in 1918, the estate was sold and had several owners through the early 1920s. By 1925, St. Mary’s Abbey purchased 400 acres from the estate, including the mansion, and opened an all-boys school known by the property’s name, Delbarton, in 1939, which still operates as such today. Meanwhile, in 1932, Kountze’s heirs donated the area containing Jockey Hollow to the National Park Service to establish Morristown National Historical Park the following year, with many of his artifacts given to the Washington Association of New Jersey where he was a member for over 30 years. Through their efforts and philanthropy, Luther Kountze and his heirs left a lasting legacy to the people of Morris County, enabling three centuries of its rich and long history to be appreciated.
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