A house listed on the Nationwide Register of Historic Locations simply went off the market at a steep low cost.
Referred to as “the oldest log cabin within the Western Hemisphere nonetheless standing in its unique place,” the circa 1638 Nothnagle Log Residence in Greenwich, Gloucester County, is presently below contract for simply $262,000.
The pending sale value of the house is significantly lower than its unique — and a few argue, present — worth. The 1.3-acre property on Swedesboro Street within the Gibbstown part of the township was initially listed in 2015 at $2.9 million; subsequent listings have seen the value tag drop from $1.75 million (2017), to $875,000 (2020), then $750,000 (2021), right down to $475,000 (2022), and now simply over 1 / 4 million.
“We had a variety of curiosity from common patrons however when it got here right down to it, it takes a variety of experience to revive and preserve this residence,” stated Christina Huang, the property’s itemizing agent. “The common purchaser, by the point they purchase their residence, they don’t have the cash.”
The customer is a developer who requested to not be named, stated Huang.
“He intends to maintain the log residence and residential that’s hooked up to it intact, full repairs, and make it liveable,” stated Huang.
The 16-by-22 foot cabin, constructed by Finnish settlers within the mid-Seventeenth century, is barely a part of the bundle on the market. A two-story Colonial residence was hooked up to the unique construction within the late 1730s, increasing the dwelling area to 1,800-square-feet. There may be additionally a machine store, constructed within the Thirties, a shed and four-car storage on the tract, which is graced with 100-foot-tall redwood timber.
“Lots of people have had a dream of really dwelling in a museum — and I’ve lived in a museum,” stated Doris Rink, 80, the vendor.
Doris Rink and her husband Harry purchased the property in 1968 from its earlier house owners, Harry’s uncle and aunt. The couple even held their wedding ceremony on the positioning. All through the a long time, the pair labored to protect the historic integrity of the cabin, stocking it with interval artifacts and incessantly opening it to the general public without cost excursions.
“We by no means charged anyone one purple cent to return and see that cabin,” stated Doris.
Harry died at 89 in 2018, however Doris has continued to dwell within the Colonial residence hooked up to the unique construction.
The landmark has attracted fairly a little bit of publicity through the years, together with articles in The New York Times, London Daily Mail, archdaily.com, Town and Country, Philadelphia ABC Action News and NJ.com.
Doris stated she at all times imagined the property would change into an official museum website someday and even function as a customer middle for South Jersey. However, she’s glad it can not less than be maintained.
When the house was initially put up on the market, it included artifacts and different valuable gadgets from the 1600s introduced over from Sweden. Nevertheless, this stuff weren’t within the price range for the typical purchaser.
Most of the artifacts have been bought in an property sale and some objects stay with Doris, the vendor.
“We’re excited that it’ll not less than stay standing,” stated Huang, the property’s itemizing agent. “It was an attraction that individuals simply beloved and loved.”
“It’s onerous to place a price ticket on one thing as particular as that,” stated Huang.
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Jackie Roman could also be reached at jroman@njadvancemedia.com.
