The Roseberry House dates back to the 1700s and is being restored.
The Roseberry House had been boarded up for 35 years when Frank Greenagel and Scott Curzi decided to break in.
Greenagel described ripping the plywood off a window one night eight years ago, and finding their way in, carefully avoiding gaps from missing floorboards. The Phillipsburg home had been on the National Register of Historic Places since the 1970s, but at the time was known more as a place where teens would sneak off to party.
Time and some vandalism had taken tolls, Greenagel said, but the homestead had held up surprisingly well.
"Scott turned to me," he recalled of his late friend memorialized on a plaque outside the building, "and he said 'Frankie, we're going to restore this.' I didn't know it then, but I signed on."
Eight years later and more than half a million dollars in grants, there is still much work to be done. But Greenagel was among the local history buffs and other officials on Friday celebrating what has been done so far with the unveiling of a new sign that town Council President Todd Tersigni said turns what was once an eyesore into a landmark.
The stone-and-wood structure on Warren Street was built in the 18th century, and was saved from destruction decades ago. The Phillipsburg Area Historical Society is restoring the building and uncovering some of its original architecture and decor.
The plan is not to use it as a museum, but as a venue to host functions by a variety of organizations -- though it won't be without its educational value. For example, the basement, once finished, could host students from the elementary school next door for period-accurate crafts.
Tersigni, who is also president of the historical society, said more than 400 people, mostly children and families, visited the homestead over two hours during the town's recent Halloween festivities. And a Yule celebration is planned in the coming months, to show how an immigrant German farm family would have marked the Christmas season.
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Phillipsburg Mayor Stephen Ellis was among the speakers at Friday's gathering, and like others he talked about the importance of remembering the town's history -- beyond sports and beyond the industrial days of the past decades.
"It was a run-down building," he said, "and it reflected on the town's ... lack of hope."
The Roseberry House's restoration, Ellis said, is "the beginning of the preservation of Phillipsburg."
Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @type2supernovak and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.