FallPaperturn - Flipbook - Page 34
Holiday Traditions
temporary visitors, the door to nowhere was used to hoist furniture from the ground up to the second floor using a pulley system.
It also seemed like the only way Santa Claus would9ve fit into the
house on Christmas Eve, until the original fireplace was uncovered behind a first-floor wall, when the 1930s era kitchen was torn
out during restoration. An ancient corner cupboard in the kitchen
was left to the historical society by Nellie9s heirs but the rest of
the furnishings, including a stunning Jenny Lind bed and the Victorian pieces in the parlor were donated by local supporters.
Known as a loner, Nellie9s obituary described her as a retired
self-employed domestic and when she died in the house at the
age of 94, she had outlived her only child and her four siblings.
The 17-acre restored property, which is tucked between the South
Branch of the Raritan River and the bustling Columbia Trail, was
acquired by the Borough and the NJ Water Authority in 2010 and
is now managed by the Califon Historical Society and serves as
the society9s headquarters and museum and the picturesque venue
for the annual Christmas Open House.
Each year, President Don Freiberg and the dedicated volunteers at the Califon Historical Society transform the Cabin-ByThe-River and the Nellie Hoffman House into a period piece
holiday scene that would inspire Clement Clark Moore but it9s not
all 19th century vibe 3 there9s plenty of retro for the babyboomers and beyond from original New Jersey hand-painted
Shiny Brite ornaments to the kitschy plastic snow globes from the
1960-70s. The vintage toys donated for display by their original
local owners were of particular interest to Santa Claus, who comes
to the open house each year to pose for pictures with visitors on
the D.K. Apgar antique cutter sleigh.
