Hoboken Home From 1840 On Agenda For Demolition

HOBOKEN, NJ — Former Hoboken historian Jim Hans — who was said to have lived in one of the oldest homes in the mile-square city — passed away a year ago, and now his home may be torn down.

For years, Hans and his family have decorated the porch of the house on Third Street to inspire passers by. Even after Hans passed away, signs of the Christmas holiday appeared on the fenced-in porch last month (see photos above). But the days of the home — which dates back to the 1800s — may be numbered.

An application to demolish 206 Third St. is on the agenda for the Hoboken Historic Preservation Commission for Monday at 6:30 p.m. (See the Zoom link below.)

"Demolition of existing single-family building," the agenda says. The application includes a report saying the house is "out of plumb," or leaning.

The 1,639 square foot home, with its large, screened porch, is a rarity in the densely populated city. It was built in 1840, listings say.

An engineer's report written last month, based on a walk-through in September, details serious problems.

RELATED: Developers Are Applying To Tear Down Hoboken Homes Still That Have Tenants In Them

'Several Bowls Of Rat Poison'

These include chimney erosion, timber joints that are no longer holding anything up, and various leaning structures. Photos appear to confirm the findings.

"The Western girder line was found to have timber posts installed which appear to no longer be bearing at their top connection," the report says. "The posts appear to be rotten at their bases. It is unclear why these timber posts were installed, but they are not performing any function presently. The writer measured the 1st Eastern pier for plumbness and found that it was out of plumb."

In addition, "The North pilaster of the Eastern girder line...is supporting a large load from the timber girder above, and must be repaired immediately to prevent further movement...The crawlspace was found to be filled with debris and had several bowls of rat poison present, indicating that the building is suffering from a severe rodent problem."

The report concludes:

"After reviewing the level of structural deficiencies found at the site, it is this office’s opinion that the building is in an advanced state of disrepair and would be too costly to repair or bring up to current standards. It is recommended that the building be vacated and then demolished."

But not all are in favor of destroying the structure.

"The prospect of losing this building, that we should be protecting and preserving, to the wrecking ball is infuriating on every level," said one longtime resident. "I hope the Historic Preservation Commission votes against the destruction of this slice of Hoboken’s architectural history."

Read the application and see what else is on the agenda for Monday here.

[FOLLOW UP: Hoboken's 'Monkey House' May Not Be Oldest, But Sure Is Popular]

How To Watch The Meeting On Monday

• The meeting will be held at 6:30 Monday on Zoom. This is the Zoom link.
• Or you can open the Zoom app and entering Webinar ID: 890 7809 1600. Members of the public may also join by telephone by dialing +1 301 715 8592 and, when prompted, enter the Webinar ID: 890 7809 1600.
• If the instructions are updated, they will be found here.