Preserving the Past is our Gift to the Future
Our History
1821
The Tichenor-Gregory-Goodell-Wallisch Farmstead, known commonly as the Wallisch Estate, is one of the last surviving large tracts of land that formed the original township of West Milford. The earliest known mention of the house, 1821, is in a property deed from Richard Ryerson to Jacob Ryerson, the family that owned the Long Pond Ironworks.
1824
The Tichenor family, one of the early families to settle the area, constructed the original homestead in 1824 as a one-and-one-half-story vernacular, frame farmhouse.
1836
James Hunter Gregory purchased the property from the Tichenors in 1836, and during his tenure built the extant frame barns. With a wife and nine children, he expanded the house around 1860. The right wing is the original house.
1886
When James Gregory passed away in 1886, one of his sons, Sylvanus Newbury Gregory, purchased the farm. Sylvanus and his wife Mary Ann LaRoe, raised five children in the house. Sylvanus passed away in 1908, and in 1912 Mary Ann Gregory sold the farm to Edwin Goodell, who built much of what we see today.
1912
In 1912, Mr. Edwin Goodell purchased the property for use as a dairy farm. Goodell transformed the frame farmhouse into the extant Dutch Colonial Revival house with additions that likely included the front porch, the dormers, and the rear wing. He also constructed outbuildings that include a chicken coop, two stone barns, and a windmill.
1923
Louis Wallisch, Sr. purchased the property from Mr. Goodell in 1923. He and his wife Cornelia had three children: Louis Jr., John and Sophie.
1926
In 1926, Louis Sr. renamed the property from “Camp Wallisch” to “Wallisch Estates” and began selling lots for people to build summer cottages. The streets still bear his children's names, John, Sophie, and Louis, as well as Madelyn, the builder's daughter.
1935
Louis Sr. passed and the sons took over the property in 1935. The family continued to use the property as a second home.
1973
In 1973, Louis Jr. and John Wallisch moved into the house permanently after the deaths of their sister and mother. The Wallisch brothers ran a law firm out of the house and maintained the property until their deaths.The brothers were heavily involved in the development of the township and witnessed its growth from a rural farming community to the suburban enclave it is today. The brothers kept their estate representative of the early heritage and development.
1984
John Wallisch passed away in 1984 and left his share of the property to the Board of Education.2001
Louis Jr. passed away in 2001 and left his share to the Township of West Milford. It was the intention of the brothers for the property to be used by the public for “educational purposes and the preservation of the community and its environs” including use of “the Wallisch home and lands for . . . sports, wildlife, and recreational purposes.” The Township and Board of Education share ownership of the homestead. The Township maintains the large lawns and oversees the property.
2013
In 2013, the Friends of Wallisch Homestead (FOWH) was created as a non-profit organization dedicated to the restoration and preservation of the property to fulfill the Wallisch brothers' vision of the homestead being used as a vibrant community educational and recreational center.
Present
FOWH continues to work with the Township and the community to preserve the Homestead buildings and property, and rehabilitate them for adaptive reuse by the public.
All archive photos courtesy of West Milford Museum