A Living Museum

The larger, more fascinating work involved restoration of the interior as a living museum. Room-by-room, extensive, and expensive renovation was required.

Kitchen: The original wall was replaced, dividing the room into a historic “summer kitchen” and a functional kitchen. The old fireplace, the beehive oven, and the pot warmer were fully restored. Modern flooring was removed and a modern picture window was replaced with two windows.

Dining Room or “south parlor”: This room needed less work. The wainscoting was removed and the well-preserved fireplace refinished. A picture window was replaced with two windows, matching those in the living room. The room is often used to serve refresh­ments at small social events sponsored by the Trust.

Living Room or “north parlor”: Modern paneling was removed, and the wall that once divided the room from the office and supported the beams of the floor above was replaced. The walls and ceiling were replastered, and all new trim was handmade and installed to match the original trim that was found or documented. New doors were milled and installed.

Office: When paneling was removed, a border of silhouettes depicting the life of George Washington was discovered. They had been painted by Bus McGinity and formed part of the house’s Colonial Club days. These were preserved on a DVD before renovation. The small room was restored and furnished as an office befitting a flourishing mill owner. A desk displays Kingsland family letters and papers related to the mill operations. Other Kingsland memorabilia are housed in glass cabinets. This room provides access to the ballroom.

Ballroom: This room was added during the Victorian period, circa 1860. A modern bar, false ceiling beams, and ceiling and wall paneling were removed during restora­tion. More silhouettes were uncovered when the paneling was removed; it too was recorded on DVD before renovation. New trim was installed. The plaster walls and ceiling were restored to their original state. The modern fireplace was replaced with a plaster version of the original and a marble mantel was added. The room is furnished in a Victorian style and contains a working Mason & Hamlin Organ circa 1904 and a square grand piano. A modern replica of a gaslight chandelier was installed. Rosewood ballroom side chairs and marble-topped side tables circa 1900 complete the room’s furnishings. The Ballroom is used for social and business events and for small musical concerts sponsored by the Trust and other civic organizations.

Upstairs: The modern bathrooms and closet were removed and the space restored to its original use—a children’s bedroom. The north bedroom is an exhibit room containing Kingsland family artifacts, including numerous photographs and family Bibles. The south bedroom has been furnished in a Victorian style. The fireplaces were rebuilt, woodwork and doors were replaced, and all woodwork was painted. There were originally only three dormers. In the 1940s, one dormer was moved and another one added. The latter has been removed and the first one moved back to its original position.

Speakeasy

In 1927, Bernard Charles “Bus” McGinnity, a Nutley High School athlete (class of 1919), a freelance cartoonist, and a constable in Nutley’s Third Ward since 1921, opened a speakeasy in the basement of the Kingsland Manor under the nallroom. He ran the speakeasy there until 1933, when Prohibition was repealed, at which time he moved his liquor establishment into the ballroom with a New Jersey club license. He called his club “The Colonial Club” and decorated the walls of the ballroom with silhouettes of colonial figures. Although the use of the Kingsland Manor during the Prohibition era and immediately following are not part of the Kingsland family story, it is a colorful reflection of early 20th century life.

Bus McGinnity used his talents as a cartoonist to decorate the speakeasy walls with cartoon characters of that period. Remnants of his work can still be seen and will be undergoing future restoration.

In 2015, we began restoring the speakeasy using funds that we collected through several speakeasy parties. Paint chips were taken from the floor, ceiling, and walls so we could match the original color palette. The original bar rail was still cemented to the floor. A wooden bar and shelf were constructed using wood panel doors turned on their sides—a technique used by Bus to section off parts of the basement area. A faux door was added to show the location of the original doorway to the speakeasy, and period furniture and a pot-bellied stove were added to the space. Care was taken not to disturb images of silent film stars and other objects still attached to the ceiling beams. Edison-like bulbs were hung from the ceiling over the bar to add authenticity.

The renovated Speakeasy is a tour favorite and a scene of paranormal investigations.