BARNEGAT TOWNSHIP, N.J. — A pet project by the Ocean County Board of Commissioners to restore a 2-story home in Barnegat is turning into a money pit for taxpayers.
The cost of restoring the historic Mary Etta Cox House in Barnegat continues to climb, as Ocean County commissioners approved a contract increase of more than $40,000 this week for exterior repairs and rehabilitation work already underway.
Wu & Associates, Inc., the contractor handling the outbuildings rehabilitation and exterior repairs, was awarded Change Order No. 2, raising the total cost of the project by $255,846.38. The nearly $3.4 million project marks the latest phase in a multi-year effort to renovate the 19th-century mansion located on Route 9.
The full restoration was expected to cost around $4.7 million — significantly more than the property’s market value — and has drawn attention as a long-running capital project of the county. County officials have said the Cox House will eventually house the Ocean County Cultural and Heritage Commission.
Now, at a $5 million price tag, the home is one of the most expensive pieces of residential real estate per square foot in the entire county.
“The current project represents the first of two phases to restore the 19th century mansion,” said Donna E. Flynn, a spokeswoman for the county Board of Commissioners. Prior efforts focused on removing mold and asbestos from the structure’s interior.
Future use tied to Barnegat Branch Trail
In addition to serving as office space, the two-and-a-half-story building is planned to become an interpretative center for the nearby Barnegat Branch Trail, a 15.9-mile path still under construction between Barnegat and South Toms River.
County Commissioner Virginia E. Haines, liaison to the Department of Parks and Recreation, has supported the initiative as a way to preserve local history and enhance public use of the surrounding park system. The Cox House stands one block from the trail’s southern trailhead.
Haines believes the house has historical importance to Ocean County history due to her own ties to the building.
The mansion’s preservation has been in discussion for years, with restoration funding sourced from the county’s capital budget.
Ocean County’s investment in the Cox House restoration has now climbed past $3.6 million with the latest contract increase.