Outlook Lodge
The approach to this old lodge always
strikes us a bit uneasy. It's not simply the strange design, or the
fact that it sits silent and abandoned in the forest. What is most
bothersome about this place, as we make our slow trek up the wooded
trails, is the unblinking gaze of the owl which is crafted into the
building's side. Like some creature from a fever-dream it sits
perpetually staring outward, colorless except for its orange eyes and
beak. Making it all the more bizarre, the owl sits perched upon the
smooth branch of a life-sized dead tree which is also constructed
into building's chimney. This was not likely intended to be a
frightening piece of artwork, but given the current state of the
building and the fact that it now sits in the woods far removed from
all other structures, the lodge and it's stonework owl guardian have
come to seem downright eerie.
This unusual structure came into
existence back in the 1930's, a product from the mind of James
Turner, for his brother William. James Turner owned a large farm down
the mountain from the plot where this lodge was constructed, because
of the grand view from this bluff the building was named Outlook
Lodge. What makes this structure so unique (aside from the
aforementioned owl) is the material from which it was built. The
walls, floors, and ceilings of this place were constructed from the
remains of some 25 antique barns and houses. This strange composition
of reused materials gives the lodge an odd aesthetic, and makes it a
kind of Frankenstein's Monster among abandoned buildings. It also
designates it as an interesting, and very individual piece of
architectural history for the rural region of Northern New Jersey.
From the time of its construction, and
into the 1950's, the lodge was used on a weekly basis by members of
Boy Scouts troops, members of 4-H and Future Farmers of America, as
well as Sunday School and various church groups. In 1956 a kitchen
and bathrooms were added, and the lodge came to be used as a
dormitory building for forestry students of Cook College (now the
Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences) in the
summer season. The forestry program deactivated in 1975, ending the
need for dormitories in the lodge. After that the farm, and the lodge
when needed, were used by the local 4-H for youth programs. In 1996,
due to lack of enrollment and the ever-mounting maintenance costs,
the grounds closed for good.
Years of disuse have found the lodge
slipping into a frail state. The heavy slate roof is becoming an
increasingly hard burden for the aging lodge to bear, and leaks are
slowing allowing the elements to gain entry to the vulnerable wooden
frame. Without some form of help, in the way of funding or simply
volunteered materials and effort, this lodge may be quickly
approaching collapse. There is hope however, as the farmland and
lodge are now in the hands of the NJ State Park Service and the State
Agricultural Development Committee. They, along with the Heritage and
Agriculture Association are currently forming plans to stabilize the
old lodge, as well as restore the deteriorating farm. While this is
all wonderful news and we truly hope it succeeds, as it is with
anything of this nature - We will believe it when we see it...
