Community 'Deeply Saddened, Pained' By Pitney Farm Fire, Officials Say

MENDHAM TWP., N.J. – Sadness and uncertainty have filled the minds of Mendham Township residents since a centuries-old piece of history was destroyed in a fire Wednesday morning.

The main house at the Pitney Farm homestead on Cold Hill Road suffered a partial collapse and other major damage after the fire, which was first spotted at 2:37 a.m. Wednesday by a passerby.

See related: Fire Destroys Centuries-Old Pitney Farm House In Mendham Twp.

Established in 1722, the property and its land were purchased by the township in 2009. Recently the area became a point of contention after the township considered rezoning parts of the property to develop housing, but then reversed that decision in December 2015.

In a statement released Thursday afternoon, Mendham Township officials said:

The Mendham Township Committee, Mendham Township employees, and the entire Mendham community are deeply saddened by the destruction early Wednesday morning (February 23, 2016) of the Pitney Farm homestead main building. We are grateful that the building was unoccupied and that there are no reported injuries. Nevertheless, we are pained by the loss of this historic residence and the pleasant memories it provided to many longtime residents of Mendham Township and the surrounding area.

The community would like to commend and thank the units that responded to the fire in the middle of the night, including Mendham Township Brookside Engine Company No. 1, Mendham Township Ralston Engine Company No. 1, the Mendham Township Police Department, the Mendham Township and Mendham Borough First Aid Squads, and fire companies from Mendham Borough, Chester, Randolph, Peapack and Gladstone, Bernardsville, Morris Plains, New Vernon, Fairmount, Roxbury, and Mount Arlington. We also are grateful to the Morris County Mutual Aid coordinators and the Morris County Air Truck, which is staffed by the Morris Plains Fire Department, as well as the companies that provided coverage at responding firehouses, including Flanders, Morris Township, Bernardsville, and Schooley’s Mountain.

The Morris County Prosecutor’s Office is conducting an investigation for possible arson but did not respond for comment Thursday.

Photo Credit: Melissa Phelan