MORRIS COUNTY — The Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms, the early 20th century historic home of Gustav Stickley, is hosting a free Crafts-Mas Open House and Pop-Up Shop on Saturdays, December 4 and 11 from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the museum’s doors were closed for tours in March 2020. Then in August of that same year, the museum suffered a further setback when a destructive tropical storm severely damaged a building on the property, forcing the museum to remain closed, except for grounds tours, ever since. Now, before rebuilding begins in 2022, the museum will open temporarily for two special holiday events in December.
The Open House will take place in the Log House at Craftsman Farms. This structure, completed in 1911, is one of the most important architectural achievements of the Arts and Crafts movement in America. Designed to be a clubhouse, it became the Stickley family home and remains the heart of the property today. For this special event, the Log House will be decorated for the holidays in Arts and Crafts style, taking inspiration from Gustav Stickley’s ideas about the season—as expressed in his magazine The Craftsman—and from early 20th century Christmas traditions. Visitors will be invited to view the Log House interiors at their own pace. Docents will be stationed throughout to share more about the Christmas décor and the history of the site.
The Crafts-Mas Pop-Up Shop will take place in the lower level of the museum’s Education Center (the museum’s shop was displaced by the August 2020 tropical storm). The Shop will feature custom, new holiday items, including Motawi’s Christmas Tree tile in a custom colorway, and old favorites, which will be deeply discounted. Museum Members will receive an additional 10% off their entire purchase. All sales benefit the museum and support its operations as it moves forward following two challenging years.
The events will be held on December 4 and 11 from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Advance registrations are not necessary for this free event. Because of the close quarters inside Craftsman Farms’ historic buildings, masks will be required regardless of vaccination status.
Craftsman Farms, the former home of noted designer Gustav Stickley, is owned by the Township of Parsippany-Troy Hills and is operated by The Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms, Inc., (“SMCF”) (formerly known as The Craftsman Farms Foundation, Inc.). SMCF is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization incorporated in the State of New Jersey. Restoration of the National Historic Landmark, Craftsman Farms, is made possible, in part, by a Save America’s Treasures Grant administered by the National Parks Service, Department of the Interior, and by support from the Morris County Historic Preservation Trust, The New Jersey Historic Trust, and individual donors. SMCF received an operating support grant from the New Jersey Historical Commission, a division of the Department of State and a grant from the New Jersey Arts & Culture Recovery Fund of the Princeton Area Community Foundation. Educational programs are funded, in part, by grants from the Arts & Crafts Research Fund.
