WEST MILFORD, NJ – At the turn of the 20th century West Milford catered to tourist that flocked to the area for its scenic views and recreational opportunities. Idylease stands as a reminder that the area was a recreational destination.
Over the course of several days in October, Owner/Operator Richard Zampella launched his Mavic Pro drone to capture the fall color show from the skies above the 100 acre estate. Hues of red, orange, purple and yellow mixed with the evergreens surround the historic hotel. The landmark resort hosted Thomas Edison while he working on a magnetic ore excitation device at the Franklin/Ogdensburg mines for the New Jersey Zinc Corporation.
For more information on Idylease visit our website at www.idylease.org.
As the owner and operator of Idylease in West Milford, New Jersey, I understand that I am only a temporary steward of this historic landmark. I am fourth in a line of owner-operators who have made the preservation of this structure part of their life’s work. That responsibility is never far from my daily activity.
Preservation is not simply about saving old buildings. At its best, it allows the past to remain in conversation with the present. Architecture is one of the clearest expressions of history and place. A building holds evidence of the people who lived, worked, recovered, waited, and passed through its rooms.
By preserving historic structures, we preserve more than wood, stone, plaster, and glass. We preserve the spaces where earlier generations lived their lives. These places allow us to encounter the aesthetic, cultural, and human history of another era in a way that cannot be recreated once it is lost.
There is no opportunity to save a historic site after it is gone. And we can never know with certainty what future generations will come to value.
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis once said, “If we don’t care about our past, we cannot hope for the future. … I desperately care about saving old buildings.” Her words remain true. Preservation is not nostalgia. It is an act of care directed toward the future.
Every day, I think about my father, Dr. Arthur Zampella, and about Dr. Edgar Day and Dr. Daniel Drake, who came before me at Idylease. I also think about the many people who have passed through its doors since New Year’s Day in 1903.
When my hand runs along the stairway banister, I know other hands have touched the same wood. Patients, doctors, nurses, guests, workers, families, and visitors all left some part of themselves here.
That is where preservation begins for me.
Not with ownership.
With contact.
I am honored to play a small role in the continuing preservation of Idylease, and in carrying this historic landmark forward for future generations.
Carl awarded Outstanding Employee pin in 1964 on the lobby staircase at Idylease. Carl was awarded for 10 years of meritorious service. Business Administrator Neil Malloy is pictured on the left and my father, Dr. Arthur Zampella on the right.
West Milford was not the most hospitable place for African Americans in this Community in the 1950s. Jake McNeir would tell stories of befriending Carl Grays in the early 50s and how he was given a hard time and found himself defending Carl against racist remarks.
Carl was the Maintenance Supervision of a high rise on Park Avenue when my father met him in 1949. When my dad purchased Idylease in 1954, he asked Carl to come with him. Their friendship spanned over 20 years. When Carl died in 1975, my father oversaw his funeral and burial arrangements. As a nine year old, I had never seen my father shed a tear until that quiet December morning at the Newfoundland Methodist Cemetery.
Carl Grays was born on April 16, 1911 in Philadelphia. He died in on December 24, 1975 in Newfoundland, NJ. He was raised in Harris County, a suburb of Huston, Texas. He had a sister named Lillian Richardson who resided at 1408 Yates Street in Huston. Carl enlisted in the United States Army during WWll in Milwaukee Wisconsin on August 15, 1940. He was honorably discharged in 1945 with the rank of Sergeant. Carl spent the latter part of his life as the maintenance supervisor of Idylease Nursing Home in Newfoundland, NJ. He passed away in his cottage at Idylease on Christmas Eve in 1975.
I spent this morning at the cemetery cleaning Carl’s headstone. He will always be remembered by me for his soft spoken quiet demeanor and ever present smile. Gone but not forgotten.
