The Tamima Team at Keller Williams NJ Metro Group is honored to have represented the current owners in the sale of this magnificent home, which closed in May 2025 for $3,800,000.
550 Park Street has a fascinating, rich history, as described in this article from the The Montclair History Center and Montclair Town Historian Mike Farrelly.
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An English Country Residence on Park Street
In a 1922 supplement published by the Montclair Times, called Montclair In Pictures, this house was labeled as the "English Country Residence of Charles A Fulle".
Some may see it as an English Cottage. Others have a hard time pinning it to any particular architectural style.The 1982 Preservation Survey calls it "Eclectic with Dutch Elements.” The permit was applied for in 1915. John Picken a local contractor was selected to build the home.
Picken was known to have built over 100 homes in Montclair. He became the Building Inspector and served as a Town Commissioner for 20 years, from 1916 to 1936.
The featured house was expected to cost about $2,500 and was completed about 1917 for Charles A. and Elise (Siebs) Fulle.
Charles Fulle was a founding partner and president of Truslow & Fulle, which produced corks and bottle caps. He was also the president of the Milton Cork Co. In 1919 he started the White Metal Manufacturing Co.
Charles was a director of the First National Bank and Trust of Montclair and a director of the Equitable Trust of New York. In the 1920s he started a real estate development company, A. F Co., Inc., which bought land on Bloomfield Ave. and The Crescent, with the intent of building gas stations.
Around 1944 ownership of the featured house passed into the hands of Ezra (the 3rd) and Eleanor (Branch) Cornell.
The Cornell family could be considered New York royalty in a way. Ezra's dad was Henry Watson Cornell, who was the son of Alonzo Cornell., governor of NY from 1880 to 1883.
Henry was also the grandson of Ezra Cornell, who founded Cornell University. Ezra III's mom was Margaret (Bouck) Cornell, who was the granddaughter of another New York governor, William Christian Bouck, governor from 1843 to 1845. Ezra III was therefore the great grandson of the founder of Cornell University and descended from two New York governors. Ezra's dad, Henry Watson Cornell was a prominent businessman from Ithica, NY. He was considered a transportation expert and was a respected lecturer on business affairs.
Ezra Cornell III graduated from Colorado College and Cornell University Law School. He became a partner at the prestigious New York law firm of White and Case,, where he became the lead counsel for Joseph Seagram & Sons, the distilling giant.
The house passed into the hands of Ezra and Eleanor's daughter, Nancy (Cornell) Esposito and her husband, August Esposito. The Espositos did not live in the house. They lived in Cedar Grove and then in Montville and operated a commercial printing and graphics design company.
The Espositos sold the house to George and Judith "Judy" Egan in 1991. Judy was a successful real estate agent in Montclair.
In 2008 the Egans sold the featured house to the current owners.*
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*The Tamima Team at Keller Williams NJ Metro Group is honored to have represented the ”current owners” on the sale of this magnificent home, which closed in May 2025.