10 Most 2025: Cornelius Doremus House – Montville (Morris County)

The Cornelius Doremus House holds significant historical value as one of Montville’s earliest designated historic sites and part of a group of Dutch stone houses added to the New Jersey State Register of Historic Places in 1991, and to the National Register in 1992. Though named after Cornelius Doremus, its more notable legacy comes from its years as the parsonage for the nearby Reformed Dutch Church. During that time, it received its distinctive Greek Revival brick façade and columns. 

The house has long been recognized as a local landmark. In 2015, the home—then in excellent condition—was purchased. Soon after, a proposal to add an extension that required removing a large portion of the original stone wall was denied by the Historic Preservation Commission, which offered guidance on a more preservation-friendly approach. In 2016, the owner requested permission to demolish the house, citing poor condition. The Commission and Planning Board both denied the request, and a court later upheld their decision in 2017. Since then, the house has sat vacant and steadily deteriorated. Despite the town passing a “demolition by neglect” ordinance in 2019 to prevent such decay, the law has not been enforced. Proposals to purchase and restore the house as a town museum have also been ignored by the township committee. 

The site is in serious disrepair, with threats like a collapsing chimney looming. Without immediate action, Montville risks losing a key part of its historic and architectural legacy.