Kip's Castle

Kip's Castle is a historic 10-acre estate located on the ridge of First Mountain along the border of Montclair and Verona townships in New Jersey. The property features a 9,000-square-foot mansion designed to replicate a medieval Norman castle, along with a 6,000-square-foot carriage house. Originally known as "Kypsburg," the estate was constructed between 1900 and 1903 by wealthy textile inventor and industrialist Frederic Ellsworth Kip and his wife Charlotte Bishop Williams Kip, who designed the building and grounds including an distinctive octagonal rose garden.

After Charlotte's death in 1926, the estate changed hands multiple times and fell into disrepair. The property notably served as a monastery for Indian spiritual leader Osho during the 1980s. In 1985, a law firm purchased the property and undertook significant restoration work through 2005. When the firm's plans to develop townhouses encountered legal complications, Essex County acquired Kip's Castle in March 2007 through funding from the New Jersey Green Acres Program and the Essex County Recreation and Open Space Trust Fund.

Today, Kip's Castle Park operates as a public county park managed by Essex County. The estate is undergoing transformation into a cultural resource center supporting arts and culture throughout the region. Plans include administrative offices, meeting spaces for community organizations, educational programming, and a museum dedicated to the history of the Essex County Park System. An advisory board has been established to guide the property's restoration and development as a community asset.