Nearly $900K in funds target Lakeview fix-ups
Foundation work will be followed by an array of upgrades
BY JESSICA SMITH
Staff Writer

JEFF GRANIT staff The historic Lakeview mansion on Route 522 in Jamesburg will soon undergo several phases of improvements. Borough Historian Tom Bodall said that more than 40 individual projects are needed as part of the improvements.

JAMESBURG - A Middlesex County grant will fund the second phase of improvements at the historic Lakeview mansion and will bring borough parks up to par with state laws for children with disabilities.

The latest grant brings the total amount of funding to $892,000 awarded thus far for fix-ups at the Route 522 building where town namesake James Buckelew once lived.

In December, Jamesburg received a $472,000 grant from the Middlesex County Board of Chosen Freeholders to perform phase one of repair work on the mansion, part of which dates back to 1685. Though that work has yet to begin, an engineer and architect have been hired. Once the plans are developed, the project will go out to bid.

Phase one is slated to address the roof, foundation and heating system of the house.

"The foundation is sinking on the house, and there's a large crack," Borough Historian and Councilman Tom Bodall said, adding that this part of the project is the most crucial element of the improvements.

In June, the freeholders voted to award $491,000 to Jamesburg, including $420,000 for phase two of the improvements to Lakeview. That work will involve replacement of the front porch, painting, and carpentry repairs on the outside of the house. According to Bodall, pieces of clapboard have been falling off from the siding.

"We need to get the serious issues out of the way first," Borough Administrator Denise Jawidzik said.

Lakeview was built in various stages as the Buckelew family and its resources grew. The original part of the structure served as a one-room house, built in 1685. Other parts of the building were added between then and 1870, according to local historians.

In 1979, the Jamesburg Historical Association bought the property for about $35,000, Bodall said. The group then sold it to the borough to make the site eligible for state Green Acres funding. The association now leases the mansion from the borough and is responsible for its care and upkeep.

"We have outlined over 40 individual projects throughout the house," Bodall said.

The improvements are tentatively slated to take place over three phases. Funding for the third phase of the project has yet to be obtained. According to Jawidzik, additional phases may turn out to be necessary to complete the work.

"We're not going to know until we get into it, how much is involved," Jawidzik said.

The 1.75 acres that Lakeview sits on comprises Buckelew Park.

Buckelew, who once owned about 4,000 acres in the surrounding area, was an influential figure, not only in Jamesburg's history but also in that of the county, state and nation. Locally, he is credited with modernizing Jamesburg and making it a center for commerce. His former home is included on both the state and national historic registers.

Borough park upgrades

The remaining $71,000 from the grant will go toward bringing two borough parks up to standards set by the state's "barrier-free" regulations for recreation facilities. The regulations require playgrounds and other recreational facilities to be made accessible to individuals with disabilities, and must be met by October.

"We want to make sure it's up to grade, and that it's barrier free, so all the children can use it," Mayor Anthony LaMantia said.

Work at the two parks is expected to be complete by late fall or early spring, Jawidzik said. Two swing sets will be replaced with handicap-accessible ones at the Green Acres Park on Augusta Street, and a small swing set will be replaced at Tillie Davison Park on William Street. Both parks also must be resurfaced to meet the state requirements, Jawidzik said.

Jawidzik said she is still researching the costs for the parks project.

The Borough Council still has to adopt a resolution to accept the grant funds, but is expected to do so at Wednesday's council meeting, Jawidzik said. After that, the county freeholders must sign the agreement. The council would then introduce an ordinance for the use of the funds.