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Preservation at Work: Acorn Hall’s Carriage House Addition

by Amy Curry, Executive Director
March 31, 2026

For over a decade, restoration of Acorn Hall has been consistent, addressing projects like the exterior restoration of Acorn Hall, the restoration and stabilization of the carriage house, and returning the landscape to a proper 19th-century cultural aesthetic. In 2025, MCHS tackled four exterior restoration projects around the property through funding from the New Jersey Historic Trust and Morris County Historic Preservation Trust Fund: stabilization of the icehouse foundation, restoration of the front yard fence, installation of period-appropriate landscape lighting to mark the driveway entrance and exit, and reconstruction of the original gardener’s shed addition to the carriage house. Even in winter, progress continued, and work is now nearing completion. The gardener’s shed, added to the Hall’s carriage house by Augustus Crane, served his gentleman’s farm by providing the necessary space for Crane and his gardener to store their equipment. Soon, it will not only serve the needs of our visitors as an ADA-accessible restroom, but also as a storage space where we can house our lawn tractor and other landscape equipment.
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The first step on any project where significant ground is disturbed, a full archaeological investigation was completed in 2023 by Hunter Research which determined the exact dimensions of the original space.

 

Despite being completely obscured, a large percentage of the shed’s foundation was found intact during archaeology. 

 

Once documentation was complete and all measurements were taken, the site was prepared for construction to begin.

 

First, Lewis Graham, Inc.’s mason prepared the forms and reinforcing rods to be included in the foundation walls. 

 

12”x18” concrete blocks were stacked up to 12 courses tall to form a level foundation behind the carriage house. On the left is the space for the ADA-accessible bathroom and on the right is the space for much-needed storage and workspace. Preservation standards allow us to use modern materials so long as where they can be seen they are faced with a stone veneer to match the carriage house foundation.

 

Stairs to the lowest level were installed to allow access to the tank for the Clivis Multrum toilet. The foundation was then ready for the cement truck to arrive.

 

A messy job that needs to be completed fast but correctly – and only when the weather is the right temperature – the concrete for the foundation floor and stairs was poured over the course of 5 hours.

 

The tank for the Clivis Multrum composting toilet was installed in the shed’s basement. This dry system allows us to not need cost-prohibitive sewer and/or water access.

 

After the bathroom floor above the tank was poured and all concrete had cured, the walls were framed. Additional drywall along the shared wall with the main carriage house was added to create a fireblock to protect the original, mid-19th-century structure from the shed’s potentially flammable contents.

 

Work continued on the coldest days. Framing for the bathroom was completed first.

 

The shed was then wrapped and the custom mahogany window and exterior board and batten siding were added to match the carriage house.

 

Now, the addition is nearly complete. Once fabrication of custom strap hinges and pintles for the shed’s three doors are produced by a blacksmith in New Hampshire to match ones on the carriage house, the outstanding items will be installed, and the bathroom available for use.

 

Did you enjoy this blog? MCHS is an independent nonprofit. Please consider supporting our mission at morriscountyhistory.org/donate or become a member at morriscountyhistory.org/get-involved/ to help us continue to preserve and promote Morris County history through programs, exhibits, and blogs like this.

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