The long-awaited Grover Farm report, released by West Windsor Township Attorney Mike Herbert, answered some questions, raised others, but did not immediately resolve the controversy. Members of the Grover’s Homestead Restoration Committee, which is seeking ways to restore the 19th-century home on the property, have been irked particularly at the suggestion that three of their members entered the Farmstead “illegally” on May 15, 2012.
The report summarizes the history of Grover’s Farm, from its purchase under the township’s open space program through the decision to tear down the residential structure on the property after the last of the Grover family stopped using it to the Township’s investigation by Detective Mark Lee, which was completed in December. The investigation was conducted in response to reports that valuable artifacts had been removed from the property as the township prepared for its demolition.
The investigative report, part of the criminal investigation, will not be released to the public. However, Herbert agreed to issue a report on the behalf of the Township. His report contains five findings:
1.) Restoration Technologies of New Jersey, operating under an oral agreement with the West Windsor Historical Society, took several items from the farm with the Historical Society’s permission for possible barter of antiques to be used at Schenck House [the 1740s-era farmhouse that is part of historic site being preserved by the township]. The items include 20 doors; 24 sets of window sash; the main staircase; three mantels; 150 square feet of boards; and one basement window for “Mr. Grover.” The value of these items was estimated at less than $10,000.
2.) Metal was taken from the property by members of the public who believed they had permission to remove [it]…. These members of the public then sold the metal . . . It is also likely that vandals removed other metal items from the property.
3.) Actions at the property should have been better documented and managed by Township Administration . . . Steps have been, and must be taken to ensure that proper records are maintained for the treatment of this and other [Township] properties.
4.) The decision to demolish Township properties should not be a unilateral decision of the Administration. Council should be informed of decisions regarding significant changes to Township property.
5.) The West Windsor Historical Society is a group of volunteers with good intentions. The Township should ensure that the Historical Society and similar societies interacting with the Township be incorporated, have a set of bylaws that must be followed, have membership that is fully documented, and that detailed minutes are kept of its meetings. Written documentation should have been required before the Historical Society was permitted to remove items.
At the February 4 Council meeting the Grover’s Farm report came under criticism from both elected officials and members of the restoration committee who wished that the entire report could be made public, not just the attorney’s summary.
Council president Borek noted that “we were shocked that the Mercer County prosecutor’s office said we cannot release the report. We have to abide by this. Letters were sent to the state Attorney General. If you want the report to be released, send more letters and maybe they will listen.
Herbert responded that, “The mayor, the Council members, and I have all reviewed the police report. We want to release it to the public, but it is not our decision. The county prosecutor said we cannot release the report. We cannot name names without the risk of a lawsuit. I did the best I could with what I had.”
Former Grover Farm resident Ted Grover said he disagreed with the report’s statement that the farm is not historically significant. “It was built in the 1800s, and was a pick-your-own farm. Literally thousands of school kids have visited Grover Farm,” he said. (See page 29 for other recollections of the farm’s history.)
He also noted that there were some errors in the Herbert report: “When my mother vacated the house, it was still habitable, and she was never interviewed by Detective Lee. And the Grover family was never notified that the town was going to demolish the house. We found out on our own.” Herbert responded that he would look into these issues and if there were factual errors, he would amend the report.
Herbert then asked Pete Weale, a member of the restoration committee, when the business plan on potential uses for the farmstead would be ready. Weale said that the group could not give a specific date. Borek advised Weale that “the Council is about to start the budget process. If the report is not presented to us soon, it will have to take a back burner to the budget deliberations. That is our first priority in the coming months.”
