Here's How To Join Cranford Roundhouse On Historical List

CRANFORD, NJ — Do you know of a historic site in New Jersey that's falling down, or is in danger of being destroyed? Each year, the group Preservation New Jersey releases a list of the 10 most endangered historic places in New Jersey, and they're seeking nominations.

Last year, the Cranford Roundhouse on North Avenue East was among the 10 places on the list.

The group said that the roundhouse, built between 1913 and 1915, was only one of three surviving roundhouses in the state, "a once-common but now rare building type associated with New Jersey's dynamic railroad history."

Roundhouses were used in the first half of the 1900s because it was difficult for big steam locomotives to turn around. Trains would head into a stall in the roundhouse and be turned around on a turntable in order to depart.

The group said that the building was in danger of being demolished for future development. They suggested that it could be repurposed as artist studio space, a brewery, or a small performance/event venue.

The other two standing roundhouses are in Newark and Hawthorne.

How to nominate

The group said this week, "Do you know of a historic place that is threatened due to neglect and deferred maintenance, threats incurred by redevelopment and new construction, or difficulties raising adequate historic preservation funding?"

They added, "The 10 Most Endangered Historic Places in NJ program spotlights irreplaceable historic, architectural, cultural, and archaeological resources in New Jersey that are in imminent danger of being lost."

Use the nomination form LINKED HERE. Nominations are due Friday.

What else was on last year's list

Here are a few of the other sites that were on the list last year:

• Old Stone House, South Orange, Essex County, located behind the South Orange police station. (See photo above.) Historians estimate that Dutch settlers built the farmhouse between 1666 and 1680 when they arrived in Newark. The original house was 1.5 stories with a native, rubble stone foundation. Renovations in 1877 and 1896 transformed the farmhouse into a Queen Anne, shingle-style mansion. The Township of South Orange Village has owned the Old Stone House since 1953. It was vacated in 1983 and has suffered significant water damage and deterioration.
• Derick Sutfin House, Manalapan, Monmouth County, in Monmouth Battlefield State Park. Jacob Sutfin constructed the dwelling after purchasing the property in 1718. During the Battle of Monmouth in June 1778, the farmhouse was in the midst of the action, caught in the crossfire of the biggest field artillery duel of the American Revolution. Sutfin died in 1796. "It is in such a severely deteriorated condition that there have been discussions of abandoning the house to demolition by neglect so available funds can be used to maintain two nearby houses."
• Elks Hall, New Brunswick, Middlesex County. Elks Lodge 324, on Livingston Avenue adjacent to the newly revitalized Cultural Arts District in downtown New Brunswick. Dedicated in 1926, Elks Hall is an example of classical revival architecture designed by local Highland Park architect Alexander Merchant. The site also boasts a historic "Elk Sculpture" created by Laura Gardin Fraser, a prominent early 20th-Century female sculptor. Elks Hall has played an important role in the civic and community life of New Brunswick for nearly a century.
• The Fort Lee Post Office, Fort Lee, Bergen County. It was constructed as a part of the New Deal program in 1938. Like many federal projects of that era, it was designed in the colonial revival style, honoring the architecture of the nation's founding. The building also boasts four large-scale murals by Henry Schnakenberg depicting the city's history. Today the building stands as a reminder of Fort Lee's roots, but it also faces the threat of demolition. As part of the City's redevelopment efforts, the US Postal Service agreed to relocate to a new facility. The city plans to demolish the building and replace it with a passive park. Many post office buildings have been successfully adaptively reused as offices, restaurants, and cultural or community spaces.
• Records Storage Building, Hoboken, Hudson County. The building, which sat at the edge of the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad rail yard in Hoboken, was a 1904 red brick building harkening back to English Victorian Gothic Revival architecture. The building deteriorated to the point that the NJ Department of Community Affairs called for its demolition due to safety concerns. (See a prior Patch story on the Records Storage Building here.)

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