Upton Pyne - Bernardsville, NJ

In 1898, Percy R Pyne bought 200 acres on the Bernardsville mountain and construction of the stone house, designed by Lawrence Aspenwaul, began in 1899. The estate was named after Upton Pyne in Devon, England, his family's ancestral manor. Many skilled craftsmen, who lived in temporary tarpaper houses, were hired to construct the main house, the barns, and homes for the staff. The stone for the three-story house were purchased from the Hacklebarney quarry, and a narrow railroad was built by the Pynes to carry the stone up the side of the mountain. Mrs. Pyne resided in the house until her death in 1952. The Women's Association hosted its first Mansion in May at Upton Pyne in 1974. Upton Pyne was the largest home in the area until it was destroyed by fire in 1982.