356 Kings Highway, Clarksboro
Private Residence

Circa 1880-1882 photograph courtesy of Mary Cloud Hollingshead. Seated on porch: Amos J. & Hannah (Lippincott) Peaslee, daughter Hannah and a boy, Charles Jackson and his dog.

In 1847 Amos Peaslee purchased the Justice-Peaslee farm from the estate of Joseph V. Clark family. He then built the Peaslee "Main House" in 1876 for his son, Gideon Peaslee. His grandson, Ambassador Amos Peaslee was born here in 1887.

Peaslee House 1981 from "Some Old Homes of Mickleton"

Side view of Peaslee Main House. Photograph by Janice Brown, 2004

Amos Peaslee Sr. became an international lawyer and spent 20 years working on a World War One sabotage case called "The Black Tom Case." Amos served as the US Ambassador to Australia (with the full title of "Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary") from August 12, 1953 to February 16, 1956 under the administration of President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

During this time Ambassador Peaslee lived in New York. When he inherited the farm in 1930, he allowed several different tenants to run the farm. World War II began and two Jewish refugees from Hitler's Germany came to live here--Helga and Rudy Doblin. Amos took music lessons from Rudy.

Back View of Peaslee "Main House" -- photograph taken by Janice Brown, 2003

Many years later, Wick and Mary Cloud Hollingshead purchased this house from the Peaslee family. A few years ago, they purchased "The Barn."

THE BARN

Information from a document provided by Emma Peaslee Engle. "It is believed that the barn was built about 1747 during the French and Indian Wars. Nicholas Justice built his home (the large house to the left as you face the front of the barn). He also built the small house to the left of the barn as a corn-crib. Some of the main crossbeams with wood peg fasteners resemble beams found in both the "Crib House" and Justice House; however they are all that remain of the original beams. A close look at the rest of the beams in the roof and those resting on the cross breams reveal a more current construction technique using nails and straighter, squarer beams. These date to approximately 1802. That is when Thomas Clark (founder of Clarksboro) purchased the farm and added an addition to the Justice House and to the barn."

Emma remembered her Uncle Ed Bond farming and milking cows in the barn. There were two horses and three cows at that time. The cows stayed where the fireplace is now, and the horse was stabled where the kitchen and bathrooms are now. A hayfork on top moved the hay mounds on each side of the center.

In 1942 Amos renovated the barn. At the end of the summer it was opened as a social hall. A concert was held to open the barn. Rudy Doblin played the violin, Helga Doblin played the piano and Amos played a piece he head learned. Other concerts were held for the Red Cross. Ambassador Peaslee's 80th birthday party here; many family gatherings have been held here since then.

Other outbuildings of Peaslee "Main House" - Photograph by Janice Brown, March 2004