By Ginny Privitar
WEST MILFORD — John Hefferon has always been involved in construction, one way or another, since boyhood. He was often building things.
“Old school Lincoln Logs were my favorite," said Hefferon. "And club houses and tree forts with every scrap of wood we could find.”
Hefferon maintains that passion for building, along with an appreciation for the skill and techniques of early craftsmen. He is a senior project development manager at SL Green Realty Corporation, which focuses primarily on acquiring, managing and maximizing the value of Manhattan commercial properties.
Hefferon enjoys building things “hopefully that will stand the test of time.” About a year ago, his firm finished the I. Miller Building in Times Square.
“Part of the project was historic preservation. It was so successful it won the Lucy G. Moses Award for excellence in historic preservation, issued by the New York Landmarks Conservancy," said Hefferon. "There were four statues on the second story which had to be taken down and sent out to be conserved, and metal casting on the front of building; it was very interesting.”
Born in Manhattan and raised in Ridgefield in Bergen County, Hefferon was influenced by his father, a carpenter in the construction trades. The son started his career as a carpenter, back in the 1970s in Houston, Texas, eventually working his way into construction management and returning to the area.
Hefferon’s interest in old-school building techniques dovetails nicely with his membership and position as board president of the Friends of Wallisch Homestead. He said that now that the kids are out of the house, he has more time to devote to the project.
The 200-year-old historic farm, located at 65 Lincoln Ave., is co-owned by the Town of West Milford and the West Milford Board of Education, given to them by the Wallisch brothers. Because of budget constraints, the town has not been able to restore or repurpose it. With help from the Friends, this can be accomplished.
The property consists of 99 scenic acres with seven buildings: three primary structures, including a residence, small barns, an ice house, a privy and a windmill. The town has responsibility for day-to-day maintenance, while the Friends were organized to do restoration work, and eventually turn the property into a self-sustaining cultural, recreational and historic resource for the community.
The group has a few grant applications out and expects to start real restoration work once the funds become available, said Hefferon. Right now, they’re doing small repairs.
“This past weekend I put a new sump pump in the basement of the main building to keep water out," he said. "It gives me something to do on weekends.”
One of the first tasks they’ll tackle is the restoration of the well-preserved 100-year-old windmill, “the only example of this type of windmill on the eastern seaboard,” according to Hefferon. “The property is already a public park – there’s a nature trail developed by Ramapo College and volunteers are needed to help clean the trail two times a year.”
Other historic preservation groups might look with awe at what the Friends have accomplished in just two short years. To date, the group has reached out to collaborate with other organizations, hosting events and planning more. So far they’ve hosted events like native plant identification, geocaching, migrating bird lectures and self-guided tours, art shows and flower planting. And of course, there’s always hiking and bird watching. Hefferon points out the property can provide resources for service hours, merit badges, garden space and the like.
The Friends of Wallisch group wants to turn a stone storage barn into an exhibition/meeting hall, with space for local artists, musicians and civic groups. In the future, with proper modifications and upgrades, Hefferon hopes the facility could become a self-sustaining generator of funds. The creamery would be used for classes and school. And maybe, eventually, the home could open to tours and crops could be planted as an educational project.
To learn more about Friends of Wallisch Homestead, go to www.wallischhomestead.org or find them on Facebook.
In the meantime, enjoy the recipe Hefferon sent in, a twist on the traditional jambalaya.