Force Homestead & Museum

The Force Homestead & Museum in Livingston, NJ, was also part of Essex County's Historic House Tour last weekend. Built in 1745, it is named for the Force family who lived in the house in the early 1800s. There is a fireplace in every room and an exhibit of wedding gowns on the second floor that are on loan from the Edison Foundation.

 

In 1777 Samuel Force purchased the house for his son, Thomas, who operated a sawmill across the street. 

This room has a lovely calimanco bedcover.  

 Unfortunately, I missed the story about the spread on this bed--I was chatting with a longtime friend :)

Here is a close-up of the little dress you see in the corner of the bedroom in the previous picture. 

The museum room houses this display of wedding gowns dating from abt. 1790 to 1944.

Livingston's Bicentennial quilt hangs in the stairwell of the Force Home between the first and second floor. It is currently covered with a layer of vinyl to protect it from sunlight. 

This is the block of the Force Home that I made for the quilt. It's in the lower right corner. You can see the vinyl in this picture.

I'll be posting photos of the Canfield-Morgan House & Museum in Cedar Grove, NJ, soon!