Mendham Convent Is One Of NJ's Most Endangered Historic Sites

MENDHAM, NJ — Preservation New Jersey (PNJ) has placed the Community of St. John Baptist Convent on its "Ten Most Endangered Historic Places in New Jersey" list.

PNJ, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation of historic sites, released its annual list of the top ten most endangered historic places in the state this week.

The annual list is intended to raise awareness of "irreplaceable historic, architectural, cultural, and archeological resources in New Jersey that are in imminent danger of being lost," according to the group.

The Community of St. John Baptist Convent, which has been used as a community charitable resource and nature preserve in Mendham, was added to the list by PNJ because the building does not qualify for historic preservation grants.

The site is significant for its French Norman Chateau Revival-style convent and its connection to the founding of an important religious order of self-sacrifice and public service.

The Convent and Retreat House on site, which has been a community charitable resource and nature preserve in Mendham since 1900, welcomes over 2,000 visitors each year. Burr Friedley and William Cordingley designed the convent in 1915 to resemble a French Normandy monastic structure.

There are also formal gardens and a cemetery on the property.

Currently, the Convent Guest Wing and Retreat House provide a sacred space for individuals and groups to find rest, spiritual refreshment, peace and quiet. The majority of the sisters are also certified spiritual directors who support a diverse range of clergy and secular directees from all faiths.

The religious order also supports the Good Shepherd Home in Cameroon, West Africa, which is for children orphaned by the AIDS epidemic.

According to PNJ, the convent and retreat house have lost funding in recent years for upkeep and preservation.

The state Supreme Court ruled in 2018 that the practice of awarding millions of dollars in taxpayer-funded grants to local churches for historic preservation violated the state constitution's Religious Aid Clause.

"The ruling has had a cascading impact on historic preservation programs statewide, putting many valued architectural resources and historic landmarks at risk. As such, the community has lost 50 percent of their bricks-and-mortar funding that has been vital for their upkeep and preservation of the site," PNJ said.

Currently, two historic churches in Morris County, including one in Mendham, are suing the county and local officials in an attempt to overturn the decision.

• Read related: Mendham Church Sues Morris County Over Taxpayer Money

Mendham Methodist Church filed the suit on April 28 in U.S. District Court in New Jersey, naming Morris County, the Morris County Board of County Commissioners, the Morris County Historic Preservation Trust Fund Review Board, and John Krickus, the county board's commissioner director, as defendants.

Another local convent may soon undergo changes, including the conversion of the nearly century-old convent and surrounding buildings into a new housing development.

The Sisters of Christian Charity convent on Bernardsville Road might be redeveloped with 94 residential units, 88 of which will be market-rate and six of which will be affordable.

The developer also intends to convert 17 affordable residential units from existing accessory buildings, bringing the total number of residential units to 111, including 23 affordable housing units.

Pickleball courts, a swimming pool, shuffleboard courts, a barbecue area, and several lawn and terrace areas are also mentioned as potential property amenities.

The Sisters of Christian Charity have served the church and the local community on the former Cromwell Estate since the 1920s. The religious order was founded in Germany in 1849 and has had a presence in the United States since 1873.