the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Sparta NJ, The Sparta estate that was once the residence of F. Ross Johnson, the legendary CEO of RJR Nabisco during the era of excess, is now back on the market.
Situated at 210 East Mountain Road, Johnson’s former hilltop retreat is generating significant interest, partly due to its scenic appeal throughout all four seasons, according to Ryan McGurl, the listing agent from Prominent Properties Sotheby’s International Realty. Priced at around $1.5 million, the residence features five bedrooms, five full bathrooms, and breathtaking views of Lake Mohawk and the Northern Highlands.
Built in the mid-1930s, the home gained its most prominent owner in 1981 when Johnson, originally from Winnipeg, Canada, acquired it in the same year as the merger between his company Standard Brands and Nabisco, then located in East Hanover. Known as a symbol of corporate excess, Johnson was notorious for his extravagant corporate-funded lifestyle, frequently rubbing shoulders with celebrities, star athletes, and other high-profile executives of the 1980s.
“Barbarians at the Gate,” co-authored by Bryan Burrough and John Helyar, is a compelling and detailed account of the frenzied corporate takeover battle for RJR Nabisco in the late 1980s. The book takes readers behind the scenes of one of the most iconic and high-stakes financial transactions in history, providing a gripping narrative of the intense negotiations, power struggles, and strategic maneuvers that unfolded. Focused on the personalities involved, particularly RJR Nabisco’s CEO F. Ross Johnson, the book explores the excesses of Wall Street during the era and sheds light on the culture of corporate America. The narrative skillfully navigates the complex world of finance, making it accessible to both financial experts and general readers, and the book was later adapted into an HBO film, further solidifying its status as a classic in business literature.
Following his leadership at Nabisco, Johnson orchestrated the company’s 1985 merger with RJ Reynolds and attempted to take control of the public company itself. Eventually, RJR Nabisco was sold in a leveraged buyout to a private equity firm, with many assets divested in subsequent years. Despite being ousted, Johnson received a severance pay of over $50 million before heading south to run his private investment company.
Hidden from view along a lightly traveled road off Route 15, Johnson’s former Sparta home occupies a hilltop encompassing 59 densely wooded acres near the Morris and Sussex county border. The property’s history dates back to James B. Titman, who owned the land and ran the Morris Anchor Works during the Civil War, producing anchors for the U.S. Navy.
The home itself features thick stone walls, a spacious stone patio with views extending to the Delaware Water Gap on clear days, private terraces off the primary and second bedrooms, three fireplaces, a sauna, a media room, an elevator, and a home gym. Additionally, there is a smaller home with a three-car garage, two bedrooms, and two bathrooms, located near the inground pool and connected to the main house by a large looping driveway.
The pool house, constructed in 1984, a year before the property was sold to the current owners, Stephen R. Tilton and Judith Schumacher-Tilton for $2.25 million, is part of the sale. Tilton, a Sparta native, chairs his investment firm and has served on the boards of Newton Memorial Hospital, Lakeland Bancorp, and Big Brothers/Big Sisters of New Jersey. Schumacher-Tilton, the president of Schumacher Chevrolet Auto Group, holds the distinction of being the first woman to chair the New Jersey Coalition of Automotive Retailers. She is actively involved with various organizations, including the Montclair State University Foundation, Passaic County 200 Club, and the Boys & Girls Club of Clifton, and co-founded the Give the Kids Hope Foundation, supporting recreational and educational programs for underprivileged children.
BUT DOES IT HAVE A JAPANESE KOI POND? https://theridgewoodblog.net/but-does-it-have-a-japanese-koi-pond/
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