WMA 8, North & South Branch Raritan River

The Trust for Public Land (TPL), a nonprofit land conservation organization, has signed an exclusive option agreement to purchase 144 acres in Mendham Township and Peapack Gladstone, New Jersey from the Sisters of Saint John the Baptist. The bulk of the property, 131 acres, is in Mendham Township . The $13 million purchase—which includes the 66,000 square-foot former Mosley Mansion used by the religious order used as a convent, school, and orphanage—is expected to take place in September of 2007. At the invitation of Conservation Resources Inc, which has served as open space advisor to Mendham Township on this project, TPL has been working closely with the township on the purchase. Mendham Township has been interested in preserving the property for the past several years, and the township will ultimately manage the open space portion of the property as a new local park.

Falling within the Upper Raritan watershed, the land contains the headwaters of Gladstone Brook, a Category One stream, and a large mature hardwood forests and wetlands. The property is home to a variety of wildlife, including the eastern box turtle, a species of special concern. 

The Mosle Preserve and Recreation Area property is the site of Mount Saint John Convent and home to eleven Baptistine Sisters. When the order was much larger, there were as many as 30 sisters living at the convent and running services and programs, including an orphanage and a school.

The orphanage closed in 1937.  The school closed in 1992, and the number of sisters living at the convent has declined, making the sale of the property inevitable. The sisters have received offers from developers, but are willing to sell to The Trust for Public Land for a competitive price. The purchase is a top priority for the Township of Mendham , which plans to make the existing athletic fields available to the public and offer access to the significant open space surrounding the buildings. The land is also at the headwaters of a significant stream the Gladstone Brook.

Working closely with the township, The Trust for Public Land will subdivide the land. The buildings and 15 to 25 acres will be sold and the remainder will become local parkland.

There are approximately 90,000 square feet of building space including the convent and school building. Originally known as the Mosle Mansion , built in 1906, the property was purchased at auction by the sisters in 1926. They added two wings to the building and ran many charitable outreaches from this base. The building and grounds continue to serve as a retreat for priests and sisters and other visitors as well as conferences.  TPL and the township are working with several interested nonprofit organizations regarding the sale of the buildings, the proceeds of which will offset the contribution required to preserve the remainder of the property.

Funds for the purchase of the approximately 120-acre open space portion of the property will come from a number of sources, including the Township of Mendham, the Morris County Preservation Trust, The Trust for Public Land, and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Green Acres Program.  Additionally, the partners have had preliminary discussions with several other organizations, including the New Jersey Water Supply Authority, the Schiff Natural Lands Trust, and the Upper Raritan Watershed Association, about participating in this project.

For more information contact CRI.