Denville Township in Morris County, New Jersey, has completed the purchase of a 17-acre parcel, beginning a $13.4 million land preservation project that will permanently protect about 50 acres that had once been considered for dense housing development. Under an agreement between township officials and property owner Springpoint Realty, the town plans to complete the purchase of another 33-acre parcel in October 2026. The first deal secures land at the corner of Diamond Spring Road and Pocono Road, one of the township’s main intersections. Together, the properties will turn a former private institutional campus into a large area of public parkland, sports facilities and protected open space.
The deal also ends earlier plans for high-density housing that emerged after the property was sold by its religious owners in 2022. Coverage from local broadcaster WRNJ Radio and community news outlet My Paper Online, along with transaction records from the Morris County Board of County Commissioners, describes the project as one of the biggest environmental and historic preservation efforts in Denville’s history.
The first 17-acre parcel covers the northern part of the historic St. The remaining 33 acres, expected to be acquired in October 2026, contain historic farm barns, existing sports fields and long-running community festival grounds along Pocono Road. Francis property has more than 130 years of cultural and community history in Morris County. In 1895, the northern part of the property was purchased by the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother. After the campus was sold in 2022, most of the modern institutional buildings were demolished. The $13.4 million purchase is being paid for through a combination of municipal, county and state funding. The Morris County Office of Planning and Preservation said county commissioners provided a $5.7 million grant through the Morris County Open Space and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund.
Speaking about the first purchase, Mayor Andes highlighted the importance of the deal for the community in comments reported by WRNJ Radio.
“This is truly a once-in-a-generation achievement for our community,” Mayor Tom Andes said. ” Andes said the purchase would protect both the area’s history and its natural environment. “This acquisition is more than preserving land,” Andes said.
Francis property. Township records show that Mayor Thomas W. Andes and Township Administrator Steven Ward completed the final closing after receiving approval from state and county funding partners. Together, the parcels will prevent major commercial or residential development at an important intersection while preserving a large area of open land in the centre of the township. “Preserving a property of this size and importance in the center of Denville is an opportunity that may never come again. Thanks to our funding partners and the commitment of Denville residents to open space preservation, this remarkable property will remain a public asset to be enjoyed for generations to come. “It is about preserving Denville’s history, protecting our environment, expanding recreational opportunities, and creating a place where future generations can gather, celebrate, and enjoy everything that makes our Township special. The St. Historical information cited by WRNJ Radio and local preservation archives shows that the land was once part of the Glover estate, known as Rockaway Farms. Colonel John Heyward Glover established the estate in the early 1800s along the Rockaway River. During the 19th century, the property became linked to Jeremiah G. Hamilton, a successful Wall Street investor and one of the few African American millionaires of his time. The land was later owned by Louis Fenn Wadsworth, an important figure in early American sports history who is widely regarded as one of the forefathers of organised baseball. They established the St. Francis Residential Community and health resort. For decades, the property and surrounding fields hosted community events, including annual festivals connected with St. Clare’s Hospital. The original timber barns, open fields, wooded areas and rolling landscape, however, remained. Additional money came from the New Jersey Green Acres Program, which supports municipal land conservation, and local tax revenue from the voter-approved Denville Open Space and Recreation Trust Fund. After the senior living community closed, private owner Springpoint Realty considered other commercial uses for the property. Changing market conditions and continued interest from township officials eventually helped move the site towards permanent preservation.