Clark House (1894)
The Clark House is home to our administrative offices and the Albert P. Terhune Library, which houses an extensive collection of books, maps, directories, exhibit panels, and other ephemera primarily from northern New Jersey dating from the last three centuries.
The House’s History
Dr. James Henry Clark, Jr. (1853-1945) and his wife Carrie Schenck (1859-1901) built the two and a half story Queen Anne style house at 108 Orange Road in 1894 on land that was part of the original three-hundred acres Jasper Crane (1605-1681) had willed to his sons Azariah and Jasper, Jr. Dr. Clark’s father was an Army surgeon during the Civil War. His first cousin, Abraham Clark, was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and a descendant of the signers of the Mayflower Compact.
The home has four bay windows and a large porch running across the full length of the entrance. There is a two-story turret with conical roof that defines the south corner of the house. There are decorative wood moldings above and below the second floor windows, which form a band around the house and turret. A bay window extends on the first floor to the south and two hipped dormers with diamond configurations in the casements break the roof line.
Members of the Clark family occupied the home until 1962, when Dr. and Mrs. M. C. Sampson purchased it. In 1985, MHS bought the house. Today it is used as the Society’s educational, research, and administrative complex, including exhibits and the Albert Payson Terhune Library, which in turn is dedicated to the preservation of local resources unique to Montclair. The Clark House is part of the First Residential Historic District, which contains the largest concentration of documented houses in the Township of Montclair. It was added to the State Register of Historic Places in 1996 (ID#1128).
Albert P. Terhune Archives and Library
The Albert P. Terhune Library is dedicated to the preservation of local resources unique to Montclair. Researching the history of your family, home, or town? Our archives may be the place to begin. At the Albert P. Terhune Archives and Library, you will discover: a collection of tax and county maps, old and new Montclair history books, vintage photos, phone directories dating to the late 1800s, school yearbooks, the New Jersey Archives collection, oral histories, extensive Crane family genealogy, scrapbooks and files on 20th century, African-American life in Montclair, ephemera from local history and Montclair organizations.
The Albert P. Terhune library is open during our office hours, Tuesday through Friday from 9 am to 3 pm. Please contact our staff to schedule an appointment to use the research library by emailing mail@montclairhistory.org or calling 973-744-1796. We ask that a $5 donation be made to the Montclair History Center to support our ongoing work of preserving Montclair history. MHC members may use the research library for free.
The archives and library are located in the Clark House at 108 Orange Road. When you visit, you may park in the parking lot and come in the back door.
Click the button below to explore our collection.