New Gretna's Rt. 9 Mansion

Not a month goes by that I don't get 3 or 4 emails asking me for information on the Rt. 9 walled mansion that is constantly evolving with a collection of interesting statues and sayings painted on the wall. 

Unfortunately, I didn't know much more than the inquisitive emailers. That is until my men's breakfast buddy, Carl Joorman, a former New Gretna resident presently living at the Four Seasons at Harbor Bay in Little Egg Harbor, gave me a copy of the Harbor Bay Breeze, a monthly newsletter published by the adult community.

The July, 2012 edition of the Breeze contained an article and photos of the New Gretna mansion. It seems that John Ways and Arnold Scharfstein, who collaborate on a monthly story and photo column, were getting repeated questions from Harbor Bay residents concerning the mansion. The dynamic duo decided that a story on the mansion was in order.

I met John and Arnold the other day for lunch to get the skinny on how they got their story and photos. They graciously shared their adventure at the mansion with me. 

One day they decided to stop at the mansion and take photos of the statuary. As Arnold was poking the telephoto lens of his Nikon through the iron gate, Adalid Gomez, the caretaker of the property, walked up to them and asked what they were doing. After hearing their explanation, he invited them onto the property and introduced them to the property's owner, Byung Taek Kim.

Mr. Kim proved a friendly, hospitable host and took John and Arnold on a tour of the property. The following story and photos evolved from that tour.

The Wonderful Homestead on Route 9

Written by John Ways. Photos by Arnold Scharfstein.

Many of you have driven up or down Route 9 on your way to or from the Garden State Parkway and you saw an amazing sight. Near mile marker 58.5, you probably saw dinosaurs on a long wall with canons on each pillar and super hero transformer action figures in front of its gates. Mr. Byung Taek Kim, owner of this 60 acre homestead, was very kind to invite Arnold and myself into his facility for a walking tour along with Adalid Gomez, his property caretaker.

The author, John Ways, standing by the steam engine

at one of the gates to the property

We learned that this property was once a farm owned by Benjamin Franklin Headley in the mid to late 1800's and later owned by the Bush family. Then in 1970 it was purchased by Eddie Sims of Brigantine who decided to restore the farmhouse and enjoy the property for his own use. It seems that Eddie owned some worthless bay property in Brigantine which Harrah's Casino decided to buy. With his new found wealth, Eddie purchased the farm and started renovations in 1970.

The property was abandoned some 15 years ago so Mr. Kim, of Fort Lee, NJ, purchased it in September of 2010 to provide a fun summer home for his family. Mr. Kim, Chairman of the Taekwondo Association of Greater New York said that "He purchased the property for the sole enjoyment of himself and his family and not for any commercial venture." For the past year, Mr. Kim has been renovating and remodeling the buildings, redoing the landscaping, and adding many new features that add to the fun nature of the property. He said it would probably take another year or so to complete all of the renovations and additions that he has in mind; he will keep his gates closed until completion.

Byung Taek Kim

Our tour started in the rear of the house on the north side where we saw a large raised, covered wooden dog run approximately 100 feet for a collie and a German shepherd. It included a large dog bed with brass header and footer and other amenities for the dogs. On our right was an amazing 75 foot replica of the famed Korean Turtle Ship built by Admiral Yi Sun-sin during the Japanese invasion of Korea in 1592 and used successfully to defeat the Japanese Navy. It features a dragon head, iron plating, guns on all sides, and spikes on the curved upper deck to prevent the Japanese from boarding it.

Turtle Ship

A little farther toward the rear we entered a large enclosed area that included numerous chickens. Although the chickens were roaming outdoors, there were two new large hen houses with glass doors and a pond within this enclosure. We think the chickens were of the Araucanas or Ameraucanas breeds because they were laying blue eggs. Our last stop at the rear of the property was a lake with clear blue water, a dock with a ladder and a large covered but open cabana with seating facing the lake. Although this lake was stocked with bass, there were others stocked with goldfish and koi.

On the north side of the property was the barn which housed Batman, a black stallion who had a large fenced in pasture in which to run and play. Mr. Kim enjoys riding and he rides Batman around the property on his riding path.

Batman

Near the main house, which has completed renovations, is a large swimming pool with a wooden bridge spanning across the middle of it. On one side of the pool is a three story castle-like building with place for pool furniture storage and other items. Along the side of this structure is a waterfall that straddles the left side of the structure. On the top are two bright metallic knights and in between is an elephant head.

The three story main house on the south side of the property was built in three phases and has been renovated to Mr. Kim's specifications. Around the back there are various sculptures sitting atop the pillars of the rear fence. On one side is a vegetable garden; on the other a fully lighted tennis court. In front of the house is a bright red dragon accompanied by two stone angels. On one side is a 20 foot giraffe along with four smaller ones.

In front of the house and in its garage are 400 year old sculptures including pagodas, Buddhas in stone and brass, and Christian sculptures of Christ and angels, 15 foot black stallions, and colored dragons that are awaiting placement. These sculptures come from Korea, Texas and local South Jersey artists.

Arnold and I thoroughly enjoyed our tour and are so grateful for Mr. Kim's hospitality.

Reprinted with permission from the Harbor Bay Breeze.

I hear various opinions from local residents regarding Mr. Kim's whimsical endeavor. As for me, I think he is a welcomed addition to our community. I always smile when I pass the mansion, and I look forward to what the future might bring.

Well, that's the scoop on the mansion. Perhaps, now, I won't be getting any more email inquiries.

Pete S

PS- Click on the photo of the mansion below to read a previous Blog post that provides some background information on the mansion property.

Following are a few photos that I took today.