The Skylands estate is a sprawling 1,117-acre property, now enveloped by Ringwood State Park, that was first established in 1891 on the western edge of the Ramapo Mountains in Passaic County by Francis Lynde Stetson. The “heart of the estate” is 96 acres and comprises several significant buildings constructed by two of the site’s most notable owners—Francis Lynde Stetson and Clarence McKenzie Lewis. Stetson first began amassing the property in 1891, combining several pioneer farmsteads to create the property he deemed the Skylands. Stetson commissioned several buildings on-site and in 1922, sold the property to Lewis. Lewis retained a majority of the outbuildings but demolished the Victorian Manor House in 1897 and replaced it with the Tudor Revival Manor House that stands as the Skyland’s most notable building. The half-timbered Tudor Revival style residence was constructed between 1922 and 1927, featuring 44 rooms and three stories. The Skylands also featured expansive gardens, ponds, and reflecting pools. Lewis continued to maintain the site and expand the gardens until 1953 when he sold the site to Shelton College. In 1966, Shelton College sold the site to the State of New Jersey which established the Skylands and the surrounding acreage as Ringwood State Park.  The Skylands Association formed in 1976 as a volunteer organization dedicated to caring for and maintaining the New Jersey State Botanical Gardens, a portion of Ringwood State Park.   

The 2023 Trust grant will help fund the partial exterior restoration of the Carriage House.

The 2021 Trust grant will help fund the replacement of the cedar shingle roof on the pumphouse in-kind.