The Kempte House - Mt. Holly Historic District - Mt. Holly, NJ
N 39° 59.693 W 074° 47.091
18S E 518366 N 4427211
This brick, 1863 house is the only one on Buttonwood Street to make the contributing structure list, and for good reason taking into consideration what surrounds the home.. The house is a cross between the Federal & Victorian styles of architecture.
Waymark Code: WMEV2D
Location: New Jersey, United States
Date Posted: 07/08/2012
Views: 2
The house is rather large in the front but very small in depth, going back maybe a room and a half at the most. Two, interior dueling chimneys can be found on both ends, typical of the Federal period but there are Victorian elements as well such as the Gothic shaped windows under the gable on the third floor and the decorative porch trim. The shutters have been removed form the four 4/4 windows on the first floor (two to the let and two to the right of the center entrance). The louvered shutters on the second floor, flanking five 4/4 windows are trashed and need to be replaced. Overall, with some much needed rehab work, this house has the potential to be absolutely stunning.
Naturally, a building this old and unique is also a contributing structure to the Mount Holly Historic District. In my never ending quest to document all things contributing, I visited the town library to retrieve the nomination form and narratives for the historic district. The reference desk rewarded me with a very old, crumbling NRHP packet from 1969. Despite what on-line sources would have you believe, there are actually 39 contributing structures and not 36.
From the Nomination Form:
30. THE KEMPTE HOUSEs....1863 ....23 Buttonwood Street
Two and one-half story L-shaped house with central hall floor plan; clapboard rear wing of "L"; common bond brick construction of main house; windows 4/4 (five on second floor and four on first); one bay entrance porch and paneled door with side lights and architrave trim; shutters are paneled on first floor [removed as of June 29, 2012] and louvered on second floor; gabled roof with bi-colored slates; inside end chimneys.
The house is devoid of the usual historic marker which identifies noteworthy structures of historical distinction and/or contributing properties.