An Autumnal House Party in Shrewsbury

Each year the Shrewsbury Historical Society comes together to recall the borough of yore and to celebrate the Autumn Harvest at one of the town's many historically significant locales.

On Sunday, Martha and Jim Maloney hosted the annual get together at their Sycamore Avenue home, one of cultural importance to Shrewsbury and one that traces its history back to the latter half of the 19th century.   

According to Mayor Donald Burden, who also serves as president of the Historical Society, the Sycamore Avenue home was first known as the Brenda Lodge and served, like many of Sycamore's homes, as a summer retreat. Built in 1877, the home sits on a slice of a parcel of land known as the Waldron P Brown Estate that once stretched all the way to wedding reception venue Shadowbrook on Obre Place.

While much of the charm of the home exists in its adherence to period design and style, the Maloney's have let one detail lapse during their time as owners of Brenda Lodge. These days, the Maloney's have no qualms about letting visitors park on their driveway.

From Burden's research of the property:

Mr. Brown relied on horses and carriages. He didn’t want anautomobile in the country. He was so proud of his Shark River white gravel driveway from the house to Sycamore Avenue that callers arriving in cars had to park them on Sycamore and walk in. Mr. Brown didn’t want any oil stains or dirty tire marks on his drive.

For being gracious hosts, the Maloney's were presented with books detailing the borough's rich history as well as a portrait of their home created by a local artist.