September
Terhune-Post House
Built 1871
552 Franklin Lake Road, Block 3208, Lot 1
Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417
The East side façade of the Post-Terhune House – Section A - is a Gothic Revival and was built between 1861 – 1876, c. 1870 and a well-preserved example of the picturesque Gothic Revival Style. The façade has characteristic steeply pitched roof with cross gables, 3 interior end chimneys with recessed panels with projecting molded courses.
The South Wing – Section B – may predate Section A. It has a gable roof, a 2 bay, late 19th century Queen Anne style porch with turned posts, plain brackets and a denticulate pattern in the cornice area. Small eyebrow type windows are located in the upper story. This wing is located lower than Section A, so that its ridge is at a lower level than Section A.
The West Wing – Section C – has a gable roof oriented so that its ridge is at a right angle to the roof of Section A at the point of attachment. It was a free-standing building and was attached to Section A in about 1940. The height at the ridge is much less than that of Section A; it has eyebrow windows and a recently added bay window on the 1st story.
The land of the Post-Terhune House has been subdivided. The house is in excellent condition, privately owned and occupied.
History:
In front of three northern bays of the façade – Section A - is a two-bay porch with octagonal posts on paneled plinths, octagonal capitals and elaborate delicate scroll brackets with central pendants suggesting continuous spandrels. The slightly off center entrance has a double paneled entrance door with decorative cast iron grills, rectangular transom and heavy architrave trim. The left side of the façade has 2 French windows and the right 2 six-paned windows. Above the entrance is a projecting slightly off-center gable pavilion with verge board and a finial with drop. In the gable is a pointed-arched opening with a balcony with a scroll railing.
According to the present owner the small South Wing – Section B – is the older wing and has the remnants of a baking oven. However, Hopkin’s Map does not indicate a building on this side in 1861. The owner also stated that the rear wing - Section C – was once a detached fruit stand and store which was moved and attached to the house in the 1940’s.
The present owners have painstakingly restored the historic character of the house by replacing synthetic shingles with clapboard siding and repairing the original ginger bread trim and porch scroll brackets.
The following map references list the Post-Terhune House:
- 1861 – Hopkin Wall Map – not shown
- 1876 – Walker’s Atlas pl. 122 – C.R. Post
- 1902 – Robinson’s Map – S. Terhune
- 1913 – Bromley’s Atlas , pl. 32 – J.J. Terhune