BARNEGAT – People could easily think that Barnegat resident Bill Cox has a personal stake in the restoration of the Mary Etta Cox House in the downtown historic district.
However, while Cox acknowledged he shares the same name with the original landowner, he denies any bloodline connection. A retired New York City detective, Cox relocated to Barnegat in 2004. He feels he doesn’t need to be related to want to see a part of history preserved.
“The house just looks terrible,” said Cox. “I wish we could get a show like ‘This Old House’ to fix it up.”
By sheer coincidence, it turns out Mary Etta Cox was married to another William Cox, who was born in Barnegat in 1819. As legend has it, this William Cox went out to sea, and upon his return, invested in real estate, building vessels, and money lending before banks were in operation. William lived in the house with his family until he died in 1903.
After Mary Etta died in 1949, the house was passed to the couple’s two sons and was ultimately transferred to the Township of Barnegat to be preserved as a memorial to the family in 1985. Barnegat signed over the property to Ocean County in 2017.
Two years later, a driver spun out of control and caused extensive damage to the porch of the already aging building listed on a national registry.
Even before the automobile collision occurred, authorities began to restore the historic residence. According to the New Jersey Historic Trust Fund, a 2005 grant “helped fund the preparation of pre-design, schematic design, and construction documents for the stabilization and restoration of the carriage house and barn.”
Ocean County Parks and Recreation Director Michael T. Mangum provided an update on what he estimates as a two-year restoration project.
“We have replaced the roof and fixed the porch,” Magnum said. “What we’re doing now is prequalifying contractors because this building is on the National Register of Historic Places.”
According to Magnum, the county plans to do Phase One of the work with a $750,000 grant from the historic trust. Phase Two work will be completed with a $500,000 grant.
Magnum explained that the grants require that the county determine what contractors qualify for the job based on the historic nature of the buildings.
“We have to make sure we have contractors who have worked on similar projects and size on historic buildings,” Magnum said. “This is really important because most typical contractors don’t have the experience to do this kind of work.”
County officials have been working with Historic Building Associates in Trenton on development of the project. The bid specs and plans should be ready for delivery to the Ocean County Board of Commissioners for their second meeting in March.
Most recently, the Ocean County Board of Commissioners amended a purchase order awarding additional funding to an engineering company also working on the restoration of the Cox House.
“Phase One of the project will include fixing the exterior problems of the building,” Magnum said. “There are a lot of problems with the building.”
Among other things, the Cox House will need to be brought up to code to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The project also calls for mitigation of asbestos, mold and lead in the historic home.
Part of the restoration includes conversion of the barns to a bathroom building. Lifts will also be installed to make it easier for people with wheelchairs to visit the inside of the house.
“If all goes well, we should begin bidding for Phase Two next year and completing the work,” shared Magnum. “This means finishing what needs to be done to the interior.”
The National Register of Historic Places received a 104-page document requesting that the Cox House be added to its list in June of 2004. The building was added to the registry in 2005.
According to the paperwork submitted, Mary Etta Cox remodeled and enlarged her North Main Street residence in 1904 from its original structure, which occurred in two stages in 1829 and 1848.
“Mrs. Cox’s renovations took place at a time when the popularity of the Queen Anne style was waning and the Colonial Revival style was beginning to dominate residential architecture,” states the application.
At that time of the requested listing, the house and grounds were described in good condition. However, both the barn and carriage house suffered from moisture-related deterioration. Magnum confirmed that the barn remains in pretty “sad shape.”
Features of the structure and each individual room are contained in extensive details in the National Parks archives here: catalog.archives.gov/id/135815639.
