Grace Lutheran Church

Livingston's Grace Lutheran Church was built in the early 1960s, replacing a farmstead that stood on the same land. 

The building consisted of a small chapel with a single story schoolhouse attached to the right side. The Sanctuary was clad in a cedar clapboard painted barn red, which contrasted nicely against the large green lawn. 

In 2011 an article in the Livingston Patch described how a Spanish speaking Lutheran congregation was to began sharing the space with the existing worshippers. 

Unfortunately even with the new worshippers the church couldnt afford the maintenance and upkeep required to stay open. By 2021 the church vacated the building. The property sold quickly for $3.55 million.

The building was vacant for several years before it was eventually declared an "area in need of redevelopment". Town officials were interested in moving the nearby West Essex YMCA out of their aging building and into a new, state of the art facility. There was quite a bit of community pushback, citing increased noise and traffic concerns. Despite that the plans went ahead, and the building was demolished in 2025. 

Mount Pleasant Mansion

The "Mount Pleasant" Mansion was Built in 1993, on a nearly 6 acre parcel of undeveloped woodland.

The home was built in a modern minimalist style, with a large open atrium flanked by two wings. A butterfly staircase led to the bedrooms on the upper floors. The kitchen and dining areas were just beyond the staircase. 

A large indoor pool and hot tub took up the entire right wing of the house. It was a surprise for me considering how reserved and empty the rest of the interior was.

The home was sold for just one dollar in 2017, then again in 2022 for $2.75 million. As far as I can tell, this is the last time anyone lived inside the building. 

I found the building one day while making deliveries in the area for work. I marked it down on my map, as it was too late in the day for me to risk the long walk down the driveway. 

The next morning I pulled up to the mansion with the intention of scoping it out. The tennis court out back was overgrown, and provided ample cover as I worked my way closer to the home. The closer I got, the more I could see how deteriorated the stucco exterior was. Carefully I made my way towards the back of the building. 

I looked inside a couple doors and windows to confirm that nobody was living inside anymore. One of the back doors was missing a handle, and opened right up when I pushed on it. The door led into the pool room, which still smelled strongly of chlorine. Carefully I worked my way to the main atrium. It wasn't until I realized that power had been cut to the building that I was finally able to relax a bit. 

I didn't spend terribly long inside, intending to return with my camera. Unfortunately before I could get back the building was completely demolished. A house and church next door were also taken down before I could visit, leaving a massive bare patch along what was once a quiet block. 

Even though I'm bummed I wasn't able to shoot it properly I'm still glad I was able to see the building at all. I'm not sure what plans the future has for the property, but whatever it is Hopefully it will be more productive than a single home.