Denville acquires first 17 acres of St. Francis property in nearly 50-acre preservation effort
DENVILLE TOWNSHIP, N.J. (Morris County) — Denville Township has acquired the first 17 acres of the historic St. Francis property as part of an effort to permanently preserve nearly 50 acres in the heart of the community.
The newly acquired parcel, at the corner of Diamond Spring and Pocono roads, represents the first phase of one of the largest land preservation efforts in the township’s history.
Denville expects to complete the purchase of the remaining 33-acre parcel in October. The second phase includes the property’s historic barns, athletic fields and festival grounds, bringing the total amount of preserved land to approximately 50 acres.
The acquisition was made possible through grants from the Morris County Open Space and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund, the New Jersey Green Acres Program and the Denville Open Space and Recreation Trust Fund.
“This is truly a once-in-a-generation achievement for our community,” Mayor Tom Andes said. “Preserving a property of this size and importance in the center of Denville is an opportunity that may never come again. Thanks to our funding partners and the commitment of Denville residents to open space preservation, this remarkable property will remain a public asset to be enjoyed for generations to come.”
The St. Francis property has been part of Denville’s history for more than 130 years. Originally part of the historic Glover estate, known as Rockaway Farms, the land was later associated with Jeremiah G. Hamilton, a prominent 19th-century Wall Street investor, and Louis Fenn Wadsworth, one of the “Forefathers of Baseball.”
In the early 20th century, the property became home to the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother and later the St. Francis Residential Community. For decades, the Pocono Road property and Festival Grounds hosted St. Clare’s Hospital and St. Francis festivals and served as a community gathering place.
Most of the institutional buildings were demolished following the property’s sale in 2022, but the historic barns, open fields, woodlands and scenic landscape remain.
Township officials said the acquisition will protect one of Denville’s last remaining large open spaces while preserving wildlife habitat, environmentally sensitive land and scenic vistas.
Plans envision a combination of conservation and recreation, including preserved athletic fields on the Pocono Road property, walking trails and passive recreation on the St. Francis property and the eventual restoration of the historic barns as a potential community center.
“This acquisition is more than preserving land,” Andes said. “It is about preserving Denville’s history, protecting our environment, expanding recreational opportunities, and creating a place where future generations can gather, celebrate, and enjoy everything that makes our Township special.”
Andes also thanked Springpoint, Morris County and the state of New Jersey for their partnership in the acquisition.
“This investment protects not only open space, but an important piece of Denville’s identity,” Andes said. “It is a legacy that today’s residents are preserving for tomorrow.”
With the first 17-acre acquisition complete, the township anticipates closing on the remaining Pocono property this fall. Once completed, the effort will preserve approximately 50 acres at one of Denville’s busiest intersections for public use and future generations.
