Our Future Headquarters at the Historic Darlington Schoolhouse
The Schoolhouse in 2012, after Phase 1 restoration.To help us finish the campaign and begin construction, the Bolger Foundation issued an all-or-nothing challenge to us; raise an additional $1 million before November 1, 2013 and earn a $500,000 grant. We did it!
Find details in the update below.
Benefits of Trail Conference headquarters at Darlington Schoolhouse:
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A visitors center and virtual gateway for connecting people to nature via trails and Trail Conference programs
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A training center with multi-purpose classrooms and meeting space in a “green,” energy-efficient building
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A superb example of restoring and repurposing an architectural landmark
Updates
December 19, 2013
Great Horned Owl found, injured, outside of schoolhouse
The Darlington Schoolhouse is located in a hiker’s paradise, offering the perfect back drop of the scenic Ramapo Mountains and home to a vast population of native wildlife and plants. Located 1000ft from a popular Bergen County trailhead at Ramapo Reservation, visitors will be able to explore the headquarters and hop onto a popular trail for a day of hiking with beautiful vista’s and historic features. Our new headquarters at Darlington will be more than just a place to stop in to buy maps and ask experienced volunteers trail questions; we are preserving the natural surroundings and restoring habitat.
Our approach for the landscape outside of the headquarters will incorporate a detailed plan of native species and restoring wildlife habitats. Part of the riparian landscape, along Darlington Brook, will be to restore the Wood Turtle habitat, a threatened species in New Jersey. Darlington Brook’s soft bottom and muddy shores, is the ideal location for the Wood Turtle to wait out the winter season.
Continue reading about our wild friends in need
December 10, 2013
Trail Conference Headquarters Naming Opportunity: Giving each room meaning and inspiration
Our values of conservation, volunteerism and education rank among the primary reasons that our supporters make the Trail Conference a priority. Some of our closest friends have chosen to make a one-time legacy naming gift to permanently support the Trail Conference and its mission.
Dr. David Kopp and Reverend Dr. Ronnie Stout-Kopp are valued Trail Conference members and generous supporters of the Darlington Schoolhouse capital campaign. They believe strongly in maintaining trails and making them accessible to the public through parks and green spaces.
Understanding that parks and trails are our “singular ancient heritage in the US,” Ronnie and Dave were inspired by the words of Andrew J. Downing (American landscape designer, horticulturalist, writer and advocate of the Gothic Revival style). Downing stated in 1847, “If we have neither old castles nor old associations, we have at least, here and there, old trees that can teach us lessons of antiquity not less instructive and poetical than the ruins of a past age.” Learn more about A.J. Downing and our naming opportunities
November 21, 2013
We Name General Contractor and Break Ground at Historic Schoolhouse
On Thursday, November 21 at noon, the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference broke ground on the final stage of restoration and expansion of the Darlington Schoolhouse as the organization’s new and permanent headquarters.
At the ceremony, the Bolger Foundation of Ridgewood, NJ presented the Trail Conference with a $500,000 check. The gift marks the Trail Conference success in meeting the Bolger Challenge to raise $1 million in the past seven months for the project. Trail Conference Executive Director Ed Goodell also introduced the general contractor who has been selected to manage the construction phase of the project, Mahwah-based Vinnie LaBarbiera of LaBarbiera Custom Homes, a Division of VHI Builders.
Read more on groundbreaking ceremony and chosen contractor
November 1, 2013
Darlington Project Hits Million Dollar Target
Trail Conference Meets $1 Million Bolger Foundation Challenge Earning a $500,000 Gift to Begin Construction on Headquarters in the Darlington Schoolhouse
Mahwah, NJ: The New York-New Jersey Trail Conference raised $1 million over the past seven months to earn a $500,000 challenge gift from The Bolger Foundation of Ridgewood, NJ. Between March and November, 657 individuals, civic organizations, and local businesses responded to the campaign with donations that ranged from $10 to $150,000.
Ed Goodell, Trail Conference executive director praised the Bolger Foundation, “They challenged us to elevate the campaign to the point where we could finally begin construction, which will ultimately restore and enhance this community landmark for the public to enjoy and the Trail Conference to use. Most of all, we thank the many contributors who stepped up to meet that challenge.”
J.T. Bolger, Trustee of the Bolger Foundation announced, “The Bolger Foundation is proud to support the Trail Conference and the Darlington Schoolhouse construction. The repurposing of this building and creating a gateway to the expansive trail network is a wonderful addition to the educational and outdoor experiences the NY-NJ Trail Conference offers. When we were approached, we knew that this opportunity had to be an all or nothing and have a very short timeline, so as to inspire others to get involved. The time to wait and see was over, Phase I was complete and it was time to motivate and raise the total monies needed to complete the project. We are very excited to see this second phase start.”
As of today, contributions and grants for the final phase of the Darlington Schoolhouse construction amount to just over $2.5 million. The organization is continuing to accept contributions to meet the full construction budget which is expected to top $2.8 million. Mr. Goodell commented that, ”We have reached out to countless people and organizations over the past year and, thankfully, we continue to get generous offers to help.”
On Oct. 29, the Trail Conference’s board of directors approved a construction contract amount of $2.3 million to complete the Phase 2 interior renovation of the original 4,400 square-foot Schoolhouse and a 3,700 square-foot, two-story addition. Construction is expected to begin in November with a target completion date in October 2014. Phase 1—which included structural stabilization, exterior renovation, and HVAC and utilities—was completed in 2012.
The Darlington Schoolhouse was built in 1891 as a gift to the Mahwah community by Alfred B. Darling and Theodore Havemeyer, each of whom had farm estates in the area. It is considered “the most architecturally significant schoolhouse in New Jersey” by the New Jersey Historic Trust.
The Trail Conference and Township of Mahwah purchased the Schoolhouse for $550,000 in 2005 with matching grants from the Bergen County Open Space Trust Fund and New Jersey Green Acres funds. Public grants for the building's adaptive reuse as the Trail Conference’s new headquarters include $829,000 from the New Jersey Historic Trust and $436,000 from the Bergen County Historic Preservation Trust Fund, a part of the Bergen County Open Space, Recreation, Farmland, and Historic Preservation Trust Fund.
October 25, 2013
Rick, as a Life Member and an active Board Member and member of the Stakeholder Action Team, why is the Darlington Schoolhouse project so important to the Trail Conference?
When I first joined the Board, I was not expecting the scope of the Trail Conference and the exacting professionalism of its volunteers – the Board members and the trail construction/maintenance volunteers that produce amazing results. My first wakeup call was when I queried my hiking friends; not only did most of them have a very limited view of the TC and its mandate, but many did not go further than pointing out “you get a 10% Campmor discount with TC membership” (early in my membership that tidbit of information was my full understanding as well!). It also became apparent to me (as my learning curve rose) that our future success will need constant adaptation to both the environment and how we operate as a non-profit organization. It was immediately obvious that my new exposures uncovered the following (amongst other things): Click to learn what Rick discovered
October 3, 2013
Bergen Highlands Ramsey Rotary Club presents donation to Trail Conference, Darlington Schoolhouse at Mahwah Historic Farm Fest
Mahwah’s town historian, Carol Greene, and her husband Dick Greene led a gathering of fascinated visitors on a trip back in time last Sunday, September 29 at their home at Sun Valley Farm. Visitors, including the Bergen Highlands Ramsey Rotary Club, came to learn about and support the restoration of the Darlington Schoolhouse.
Continue reading about Mahwah Farm Fest
September 27, 2013
Volunteer Spotlight: Susan Barbuto
Life Member
Franklin Lakes, New Jersey
Seize the moment for our children
My family and I have decided to make the renovation of the Darlington Schoolhouse a priority in our philanthropy because it is a one-time opportunity to preserve a historic treasure that will serve our community for years to come. As a lifelong environmentalist and outdoor enthusiast, I believe that we need to seize this moment for our children and future generations. In one of my favorite books, Last Child in The Woods, author Richard Louv states that strengthening the “bond between our young and nature is in our self-interest,…because our mental, physical, and spiritual health depend upon it.”
September 25, 2013
Darlington Schoolhouse Honor Wall-Naming Opportunities
Click Here to see enlarged image
September 19, 2013
Darlington hits the news again as fundraising thermometer unveiled outside schoolhouse
Yesterday, outside the Darlington Schoolhouse, our campaign team volunteers gathered to unveil the Bolger Challenge Thermometer! The new eye-catching sign lets passers-by know about the project and how much we still need to raise to reach our goal. Currently, the Trail Conference has raised $855,000 of the $1 million needed to meet Bolger Foundation’s November 1, all-or-nothing challenge deadline. If we are successful, the Foundation will make a gift of $500,000, which will allow us start construction right away!
In attendance was reporter Allison Pries from the Bergen Record, check out her article; Fundraising deadline looms for Mahwah's historic Darlington Schoolhouse
Jessica Mazzola, of Mahwah Patch, also covered the event, check out Darlington in Patch; Trail Conference Looks to Beat $1 Million Donation Deadline
September 4, 2013
Volunteers who are making this campaign move!
We asked Bob to describe his 50 year connection with the Trail Conference:
I got involved with the Trail Conference in the 1960s and had the pleasure of a friendship with Bill Hoeferlin, who created maps that were the predecessors to the Trail Conference’s award-winning trail map enterprise.
I have always cherished the work of the Trail Conference because they create the trails I love. It has been a miracle to live in various locations across this vast metropolis and still be able to enjoy the solitude of open space where I can appreciate the beauty and diversity that nature has to offer.
It’s easy to take for granted that access to open space will always be available, but without the Trail Conference, I know that the trail system would crumble into disrepair. Across the region, the Trail Conference provides a quality of life that millions have enjoyed decade after decade. Click to read more from Life Member Bob Ross
August 6, 2013
Campaign in Motion: Darlington Schoolhouse Progress Report towards the Bolger Challenge
We are making great progress and want to thank everyone who is helping us raise the funds to restore the Darlington Schoolhouse as a conservation training center and new home for our 92 year old organization.
So far we have raised $699,256 in pledges from the March 1 Bolger Challenge start date (raise $1 million additional in pledges before November 1, 2013). Have you made your gift to help the Trail Conference meet the Bolger Foundation Challenge?
Corporate Donors:
Inserra Supermarkets, Inc., family-owned business operating 21 ShopRite stores throughout New York and New Jersey, has pledged to the schoolhouse campaign and has chosen to name the Trail Conference’s future Headquarter's Kitchen and Break Room.
Special Thanks for Tribute and Naming Opportunities To Date:
Named: Geothermal Climate Control Named: Executive Director’s Office
Named: Ramapo Reservation Trail Named: Wood Turtle Habitat
Named: New Addition Entry Foyer Named: Small Meeting Room
Named: Larry Wheelock Trail Named: Riparian Landscaping and
Crew Tool Room Interpretation
Named: Darlington Preserve Viewpoint
Named: Kitchen and Break Room
Click to learn more about our Campaign in Motion
July 23, 2013
Congratulations & Thank You Mellonie and Friends
Congratulations & Thank You Mellonie and Friends
Mellonie Sanborn completes 22+ hike to benefit the Trail Conference’s future headquarters at the Darlington Schoolhouse on Saturday, July 20th . Accompanying Mellonie were three other Trail Conference members and volunteers, Ed Disalvo, West Milford, NJ Irene & Gary Auleta from Frankling Lakes along with Chris Norris and Trail Conference Development Director Don Weise supplying water, snacks and words of encouragement for 2/3 of the grou
p’s hike . Starting at 7:15am from Darlington Schoolhouse on Rt 202 in Mahwah NJ, Mellonie and crew hiked to Senator Frank Lautenberg Visitor Center in Tuxedo, NY in 10.25 hours, in temperatures reaching into the 90’s, to complete their through-hike, ending at the visitor center at 5:30pm.
Mellonie’s hike to benefit Darlington Schoolhouse has raised $1,680 so far. The Trail Conference is still collecting donations towards the benefit hike. Help us get Mellonie to $2,000! To ensure that your gift is acknowledged as a tribute to Mellonie, put "Go Mellonie!" in the Special Instructions box.
To ensure that your gift is acknowledged as a tribute to Mellonie, put “Go Mellonie!” in the Special Instructions box. - See more at: http://blog-dsh.nynjtc.org/?p=370#sthash.oOWs98R7.dpuf
Mellonie’s hike to benefit Darlington Schoolhouse has raised $1,680 so far. The Trail Conference is still collecting donations towards the benefit hike. Help us get Mellonie to $2,000! To ensure that your gift is acknowledged as a tribute to Mellonie, put “Go Mellonie!” in the Special Instructions box. - See more at: http://blog-dsh.nynjtc.org/?p=389#sthash.3JmAlD6C.dpuf
July 3, 2013
GO Mellonie!
On Saturday, July 20, Mellonie Sanborn of Morris Plains, NJ, plans to put her feet to 22 miles of ground for the benefit of the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference.
Ms. Sanborn, a self-described “mature woman” who works weekdays as an executive administrator with Black Rock investment company in Manhattan and enjoys hiking on weekends, plans to do a 22-mile trail walk that will start at the Darlington Schoolhouse trailhead in Mahwah, NJ—site of the Trail Conference’s future headquarters—and end at the Senator Frank R. Lautenberg Visitor Center at Sterling Forest State Park in New York.
Mellonie’s goal is to draw attention to the Schoolhouse’s location as a trailhead that connects communities to an extensive trail network in two states.
“I asked Don Weise [Trail Conference Development Director and founder-leader of the Wild Wyanokie Wanderers and West Milford 13ers hiking groups] what I could do to support the Darlington Schoolhouse project,” Mellonie says. (She is a member of WWW and of the Trail Conference.) “I enjoy long-distance hikes, and this hike will link two beautiful facilities. It will be an homage to both, as well as to the late Senator Lautenberg, who did so much to protect our environment.” Read more on Mellonie's Hike for the Darlington Schoolhouse
June 25, 2013
The need for a conservation training and visitors center
If you have ever stopped by our Trail Conference office in Mahwah, NJ (the former Ford Union Hall), you know what a busy place it is. On any given weekday, and some weekends, the office is bustling with staff, volunteers and visitors. The office is a hub where information is collected from volunteers out in the field, maps and books are sold, mailings are sent, materials are stored, and all our meetings and indoor work take place. Crammed into the corners, you’ll find some of the Trail Conference’s best equipment: loppers, pickmatics and other specialized trail tools. We don’t have enough space to store these items nor do we have proper facilities to clean them on-site.
June 5, 2013
Trail Conference and its Capital Project Supporters Gather at the International Explorers Club in Manhattan
With the announcement of the Bolger Foundation Challenge to raise $1 million by November 1, 2013, the race to connect with as many Trail Conference members, Bergen County community members, outdoor enthusiasts and supporters of access to open space is ON. Our efforts took us to the Explorers Club International Headquarters in New York City. It was the perfect fit for the Trail Conference with the Explorers Club’s like-minded mission: “dedicated to the advancement of field research and the ideal that it is vital to preserve the instinct to explore”.
Hear more about the Trail Conference's event at the Explorers Club
May 16, 2013
Bolger Foundation Challenges the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference to Complete Funding to Restore the Historic Darlington Schoolhouse - See details of the Bolger Challenge Grant
May 6, 2013
Site Plan Approval in local news!
Read Mahwah Patch's Article, Trail Conference Gets OK to Restore Historic Schoolhouse
May 3, 2013
Darlington Schoolhouse Site Plan Approval Marks Milestone for Trail Conference Relocation
MAHWAH, NJ- On May 1, 2013 Executive Director Ed Goodell, attorney Andy Norin, Drinker Biddle and Reath, architect Winston Perry, CPLA, and engineer Tibor Letiscics, Conklin Associates, met with the Mahwah Township Zoning Board of Adjustment to approve the site plan for the Darlington Schoolhouse. After years of legal work, this approval marks the first step in initiating the construction on the schoolhouse, bringing the Trail Conference closer to their goal of relocating to this historical treasure.
View our blog to read more regarding the site plan approval
April 8, 2013
Raising Awareness for Darlington Schoolhouse Campaign
As our efforts to raise the capital funds for our project continues, raising community awareness is an essential component. Click to check out how the Trail Conference is raising awareness for the campaign!
February 11, 2013
Rendering of Darlington Schoolhouse
Developed by Architect Victor Barbalato of ZVESDA Collective, this rendering of the Darlington Schoolhouse showcases the vibrant environment that will transform the landmarked 1891 building following a successful capital campaign to fund its adaptive re-use. The schoolhouse will become the permanent headquarters for the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference, a trail visitors center and center for conservation services learning. The schoolhouse grounds will feature picnic areas, a wood turtle habitat and historical information on the impact of this building located on an ancient Lenape trail.
January 24, 2013
Another step forward for Darlington
Mahwah Town Council endorses plan for sidewalk, read more on our blog!
January 17, 2013
Special Briefing Regarding Plans for the Adaptive Re-Use of the Darlington Schoolhouse
Ramapo College President Peter Mercer and his wife, Dr. Jacqueline Ehlert-Mercer, welcomed the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference and special guests to the Havemeyer House for the first in a series of briefings the Trail Conference has launched regarding plans for the adaptive re-use of the Darlington Schoolhouse. Read full story on our Darlington blog
In photograph taken at the Havemeyer House: Trail Conference Board Chair, Chris Connolly; Trail Conference Executive Director, Edward Goodell; President of Ramapo College, Peter P. Mercer; Mahwah Historian, Carol Greene; Trail Conference Development Director, Don Weise; Darlington Schoolhouse Stakeholder Action Team Members Bill and Linda Dator
December 27, 2012
Interested seeing in what Darlington Schoolhouse looked like before the exterior restoration? Visit our blog to view our gallery!
October 11, 2012
Darlington Schoolhouse event hits local news!
Check out Mahwah Patch's article, NY-NJ Trail Conference Kicks Off Expansion of Historic Darlington Schoolhouse
October 10, 2012
Phase 1 Exterior Restoration Completed, Commencing Efforts for the Adaptive Re-Use of Historic Darlington Schoolhouse
Leaders representing the organizations and institutions collaborating to raise the funds for the adaptive re-use of the Darlington Schoolhouse gathered at the site to announce the completion of the exterior restoration and the commencement of efforts funding the interior renovation.
“Today we are unveiling our plans for converting the historic landmark to become the permanent regional headquarters for the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference and standing with our partners who are going to help us make it happen” said Trail Conference Executive Director Edward Goodell.
Click to read and view photo's from the event
Creating a Center for Conservation Service Learning and Trails Visitors Center in Mahwah, New Jersey
The nation’s pioneering trail organization, the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference, has undertaken a project to restore and renovate the landmark Darlington Schoolhouse as its permanent headquarters for conservation service learning and Trails Visitors Center. Centrally located within the 20 counties of northern New Jersey and Hudson River Valley that are the Trail Conference’s primary field of operation, the Schoolhouse is ideally situated, at a popular trailhead and directly adjacent to Ramapo College.
Every year the Trail Conference trains thousands of volunteers to create and maintain 1,850 miles of public nature trails. These trained volunteers donate 70,000 hours annually working with 122 public agency land managers to protect public open space and provide safe and responsible access through marked and maintained trails.
This project offers the perfect adaptive re-use for the Darlington Schoolhouse. By bringing together people and organizations with a wide range of interests including conservation, recreation, architecture, history, community development and citizen engagement, this collaboration is making it possible to create a new center for conservation service learning for the metropolitan area.
The Iconic 1891 Landmark Is a Perfect Public Face for the Trail Conference
Located on Route 202, an ancient native trail that gave Mahwah its Lenape name meaning ‘where the trails meet,’ the Darlington Schoolhouse was constructed in 1891 and is considered the most historically significant schoolhouse in New Jersey.
Designed by Newport, RI, architect Dudley Newton, the building’s fieldstone walls and Romanesque arches combined with Stick and Shingle Style features make it one of the most distinctive one-room schoolhouses in the country. A single classroom occupies most of the first floor and a community meeting hall most of the second.
Despite years of neglect, “the majority of the building remains intact, including chestnut doors, Eastlake-style door hardware, slate chalkboards and rounded-arch, multi-paned windows,” according to the nomination that resulted in the Schoolhouse being listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Side Elevation View of Restored Schoolhouse with Educational Annex
The new Center will offer many valuable benefits including:
- A centrally located headquarters for the Trail Conference and visitor center
- An educational and meeting center for Trail Conference stewardship training
- Facilities that can benefit other nonprofit and educational organizations such as Ramapo College’s Sustainability Center and local K-12 classes
The Trail Conference successfully raised the funds needed to acquire, stabilize and complete the exterior restoration of the schoolhouse. Now efforts are fully underway to raise the $2.4 million needed for the interior renovation and construction of an educational annex that preserves the Schoolhouse and property forever.
The Trail Conference’s presence and stewardship will ensure that the Headquarters and Visitors Center will become a gateway for public access to nature. We need your help to make this happen!
This capital project will allow the organization to better serve its 100,000 members and affiliates serving as a gateway to the vast network of trails and destination for its more than one million online visitors each year.
By transforming the Darlington Schoolhouse into a Center for Conservation Service Learning and Visitors Center, the Trail Conference will better serve its mission focused on the benefits to people of all ages access to nature and recreation for people of all ages.
To participate in the capital project for the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference Headquarters at the Darlington Schoolhouse Capital Campaign contact:
Jennifer Easterbrook, Campaign Assistant, Trail Conference Center for Conservation Service Learning
201.512.9348x 24 or jennifer@nynjtc.org
Beth Hershenhart, Campaign Counsel
800.710.7760, or beth@InnovativeResourcesGroup.com
New York-New Jersey Trail Conference
156 Ramapo Valley Road
Mahwah, NJ 07430
2007
History
- Learn about the history of the Darlington Schoolhouse.
Click here for Historical Highlights.
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