By Sharyn Walz
Sam and Erin Schneider and their rescue dog Dixie moved into the Britton House (30 Homestead Lane) last August. They met while working at a summer camp, and were recently married. Sam grew up in North Jersey, relocated to Plainsboro, and wanted to find a home near his job in Monroe. Erin was born in Philadelphia, but was raised in the South. Neither had heard of Roosevelt prior to looking at the Britton House, but several residents have stopped by to tell them some interesting information about the house: the deck of the Starship Enterprise used to be in the basement, there is video of Albert Einstein leaving the house, and there may be ghost in the attic. They report that Dixie sometimes looks up at the ceiling and barks for no apparent reason!
They are both looking forward to fixing up the home and will be working closely with their families for help. They have already done some work on the bathroom and have installed a new roof. They are planning to stay in Roosevelt for the foreseeable future. Sam’s family bought an old home and restored it while he was growing up, so the “fixer-upper” passion is in his blood. Once the structural bones of the house are completed, Erin looks forward to decorating, as she is very crafty.
The Schneiders have already begun to get involved in our Roosevelt community. They attended the wine and dessert fundraiser in the fall that benefitted the Roosevelt Public School Education Foundation. Since both are teachers, it was a natural fit. Erin teaches kindergarten and Sam teaches music to middle school students. They are eager to attend upcoming town events and have the opportunity to meet more people. Erin also mentioned enjoying the Roosevelt Rocks activity, and they keep one of the special flower rocks by artist Alex Pendjurin on their patio.
Britton House, formerly known as Chamberlin House, received its own designation as a “principal historic structure” as defined in the ordinance providing for the designation and preservation of the Historic District of the Borough of Roosevelt. As reported in a 2014 Bulletin article, Britton House was built around 1830 and played an important role in the early years of the community, serving at various times as an outlet store for the factory and as the first children’s nursery. We welcome the Schneider family to Roosevelt and look forward to seeing them around town.
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