Dempsey House in Leonardo Is Worthy of Preservation, Says Township

Middletown Township plans to apply for a state grant to pay the cost of preparing The Dempsey House property in Leonardo for nomination on the National Register.

The house is on a wooded lot at 55 Hamilton Avenue in Leonardo, and stands apart in the neighborhood for its distinctive pea stone construction and stone walls fence. 

"It's too irreplaceable," said Mayor Gerard Scharfenberger, who is also a professor of archaeology and scholar of Middletown history. 

A resolution passed unanimously by the Township Committee Tuesday night to allow the township to access a state grant in the amount of $9,675 "is a means of protection" for the neighborhood landmark. 

To be considered eligible, a property must meet the criteria for evaluation, which involves study of the property’s age, integrity, and significance.

Scharfenberger said he believed the house was not a residence but a spring house, built over an aquifer around the early 20th century, and probably part of a larger estate. There is no running water in the house, he said. 

It is located between Concord and Appleton Avenues. 

Over the years, stories have been told about the Dempsey House, and some of them are spooky. Read more about the Dempsey House on Patch.