Preservation New Jersey Names Cooper House to State’s 10 Most Endangered Historic Places

RidgeView Echo, May 19, 2026

The newly acquired Cooper House joined Preservation New Jersey’s 10 Most Endangered Historic Places list. The PNJ board voted early this week to include the stone and frame structure to this year’s list and notified owners Help Our Preservation Effort (H.O.P.E.).

The Cooper house, along with its neighbor, the Crusen House, is the subject of restoration efforts by H.O.P.E. They are on Bridgeville Road (Route 519) in the village Moravian Historic District which has been on the State and National Historic Registers since 1973.

H.O.P.E. purchased the two houses from First Hope Bank in April 2025.

The Cooper house is a post and beam clapboard-sided building. Some 17 buildings remain in Hope from those constructed by the Moravians between 1769 and 1808. While over 50% of those structures built were of frame construction, the Cooper House is one of only three that remain.

Architecturally and structurally, the Cooper House is in poor condition, because of its age, lack of modern conditioning systems and the fact that it has been vacant since the early 2000s. Its position on Route 519 subjected it to foundation damage caused by heavy trucks rumbling through the village over the last 50+ years.

The rear section of the house is the oldest part of the building and was constructed by the Moravians c. 1770-1885. The attic floor framing and the area adjoining the attic are deteriorated and need substantial reinforcement. The chimney and its two flues that vent the two fireplaces (one on the first floor and one in the cellar) are seriously deteriorated and will need to be reconstructed and/or restored. Another chimney in a later addition to the house is seriously deteriorated and was partially deconstructed below the roofline in the early 2000s. A third chimney needs to be repointed. An exposed timber beneath an exterior door is seriously rotted and requires immediate repair or replacement.

The front of the house is made up of two additions (c. 1800-1840) which will require reinforcement of floor framing on the second floor to treat bulging in the exterior wall on the north side. Most of the home’s foundation needs immediate stabilization, repair and repointing.

By including the Cooper House in the 10 Most Endangered Historic Places list for 2026, Preservation New Jersey recognizes the building’s significance to the State’s heritage. In addition to this recognition, H.O.P.E. will also receive access to technical assistance and guidance from Preservation New Jersey staff and Board members.

The 10 Most Endangered Historic Places program highlights New Jersey’s irreplaceable historic, architectural, cultural and archaeological landmarks that face immediate threat of being lost. It aims to draw attention to the challenges affecting the landmarks’ survival and to the broader need to preserve historic resources across New Jersey.

Bob May, H.O.P.E.’s president, is confident the designation will result in an outpouring of support to see the building saved before it is too late. He is optimistic it well improve H.O.P.E.’s chances of obtaining grants so that critically needed work can begin in 2027.