BY LINDA DeNICOLA
Staff Writer

PHOTOS BY HOWARD RICHMOND OCEAN TOWNSHIP — The Eden Woolley house is finally at its new home.

Last week it was moved from its position three-quarters of the way between the site where it sat since the 19th century onto the prepared footings of the new site on Deal Road and Route 35.

In the coming weeks, the foundation will be built in preparation for renovation when it will become the Ocean Township Historical Museum.

According to Howard Richmond, trustee of the museum, the original part of the house was built in the 1700s and the remaining two-story section was built in the early 1800s, but the land on which it sat was owned by the Woolley family beginning in 1697

Richmond, an Oakhurst resident, said Helios Construction began to build the foundation from the steel I-beam footings that are already there up to the house last week.

“We are hopeful that the foundation will be finished next week,” he said on Friday.

Up until the move, the house was owned by Ceruzzi Holdings, the corporation that owns the property on Route 35 and Deal Road, where it plans to build a Stop & Shop supermarket and a mall.

Ceruzzi is going to put a jughandle and a bypass where the house was located. When the property was purchased, the contract specified that the buyer would assume responsibility for moving the house. The developer paid the mover to move it, but once there, the township will own it. The township will lease it to the museum after it is restored.

It is estimated that restoring the building will cost about $1.25 million. According to Richmond, they have $250,000 to date.

Once the building is restored, it will have 10 rooms, with additional attic space for storage, or even an office. Among the room uses will be a classroom, kitchen, research library and a room for quilters.

At present, the museum is located in an old schoolhouse on Monmouth Road owned by the Board of Education, where it only has part of one room.

The house is named after Eden Woolley, who owned the farm. According to Richmond, Woolley became very interested in forming a government in Ocean Township, and in 1849 became the first elected councilman.

The Eden Woolley House in Ocean Township was moved on to the prepared footing on Monday. At left, the house was pushed on to footings at its permanent location near the new library on Deal Road.