COURT HOUSE –– Are you interested in county history or architecture or both? If so, keep your eyes on bookstore shelves starting in May of this year.

That is when a new book by author Joan Berkey titled “The Early Architecture of Cape May County” is expected to be released. Berkey partnered with the county Historical and Genealogical Society in developing her work and having it funded by the state.

The partnership received $15,048 to publish the book. They were one of 39 groups statewide to split over $500,000 in grants from the state Historical Commission, a division of the Department of State, according to a Jan. 7 release.

In the book, Berkey features over 60 heavy timber framed houses built between 1680-1850 that are still standing in this county, around 35 of which were built before 1730. Heavy timber framing was used widely before more modern methods such as balloon and platform framing were implemented, she explained.

According to Berkey, the book will contain historical data from her vast research as well as 300 images in its 352 pages, she said. Currently, the book is in the editing and design phase, she said.

Berkey told the Herald that her book was a long time in the making.

“It started in 1981 when I was working on a survey of historic sites along the Great Egg Harbor River,” she said.

It was there, after just graduating with a Historic Preservation degree from Goucher College in Maryland, that she encountered the Reeves-Iszard-Godfrey House owned by Lew and Jean Albrecht in Beesley’s Point, which she calls “the best preserved heavy timber frame house in the state.”

That house, which is on the state and national historic registers, piqued her interest in the subject and then some 13 years or “a couple kids later” as Berkey said, she was hired to work on the historic preservation of the Jonathan Pyne House on Sea Grove Avenue in Lower Township and the Thomas Leaming House at Leamings Run Gardens on Route 9 in Swainton.

Those houses too are listed on the registers.

She was surprised at what she found.

“Both houses were built using the same kind of framing as the Reeves-Iszard-Godfrey House,” Berkey said.

After having the idea at the back of her mind for a while, Berkey approached the Society in 2002 with an idea to do a survey of similar historic homes throughout the county.

“We agreed that survey would be a perfect project for the Society,” said Society Director Pary Woehlcke. “It was important work.”

Hence, Berkey’s project was born.

The following add appeared in the Nov. 27, 2002 edition of the Herald:

Do you live in a classic heavy timber frame historic home?
The Cape May County Historical and Genealogical Society is conducting an intensive level survey of the county's earliest buildings, with Joan Berkey leading the search.
Early structures have heavy timber frame construction, (also known as post and beam), and date from the late 1600's to the early 1800's.
A few have been discovered - some in Upper Township- and Berkey would like to locate more.
Some of the features usually found in a heavy timber frame building include gunstock, or flared, corner posts, flush board wood walls, exposed corner posts, floor joists and-or framing, and-or fireplaces with winder stair.

Looking for county residents’ help, the add asked for those who knew houses that had some of the features listed above to contact Berkey

For several years, she conducted the this survey and performed intensive research looking at over 100 homes in the process. The new book grew out of the survey research.

Berkey’s survey is available for review in both the county and Society’s libraries.

The latest funding to publish her book was the project’s third grant from the state Historical Commission. They received two previous grants, one to complete the survey and another to write the book.

The book was the only county project to receive a Historical Commission grant this year. In 2005, Historic Cold Spring Village in Lower Township received $10,000 to upgrade its orientation exhibit.

According to the Historical Commission’s Web site, its mission is to “enrich the lives of the public by preserving the historical record and advancing interest in and awareness of New Jersey's past.”

Berkey’s book is sure to do just that.

Contact Hart at (609) 886-8600 Ext 35 or at: jhart@cmcherald.com