One 'Endangered' Essex County Building Makes List Of 10 Most Precarious NJ Sites

THE CALDWELLS, NJ — Each year, Preservation New Jersey, a non-profit group, names 10 "endangered" sties that may fall apart unless they get some kind of protections — often sites that teach a lot about the past. The sites aren't always historic homes or prominent structures.

This year's properties span the gamut from schools to a cafe. And number 2 is in Essex County.

The Caldwell Public Library, built in 1917, was the only Essex County structure to make the 2022 list.

"The 10 Most Endangered Historic Places program spotlights irreplaceable historic, architectural, cultural, and archeological resources in New Jersey that are in imminent danger of being lost," the group said.

Why did they choose the Caldwell Library?

They said, "The Caldwell Public Library is a 1917 Classical Revival Carnegie library, designed by architect and Caldwell resident Lynn Grover Lockward. It is one of four Carnegie libraries in Essex County still in its original building." (See their photo here.)

They added, "The Borough is planning to demolish the Caldwell Public Library and redevelop the area as part of a Municipal Complex to include Borough Hall, the police department, a community center, and a health and human services facility."

According to the National Park Service, between 1886 and 1919, Carnegie paid for more than 1,679 new library buildings across the country with $40 million in donations.

However, Caldwell Public Library Director Robin Rockman said that the facility was heavily damaged by Storm Ida.

"Below is a picture of immediately after the storm, where we had 6 feet of water, mud, and sewage that destroyed everything in our entire lower level and beyond, and a picture of what the lower level looks like now after most of immediate damage was cleaned up," she wrote.

She pointed readers to this statement, which reads, in part, "For the Library Board, given the deterioration of the Bloomfield Avenue building and the existing issues with the culvert, the legacy of being a Carnegie Library is not the building; it is the community, resources and services that the library can provide to us all."

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The preservation group further explained why it chose the library.

"The Library is a 1 story, 3 bay brick building," they wrote, "and is distinguished by its temple-like austerity and diminutive size. The civic and formal appearance is reinforced by decoration derived from classical elements, including tri-partite vertical division with a projecting central bay, round arched multi-paned windows and a frieze parapet...

"It is special for a town to have a Carnegie Library. The Library and its ability to tell the story of Caldwell and the legacy of Andrew Carnegie to future generations is irreplaceable. The building can be adaptively reused or at minimum the facade can be preserved and incorporated into the plans for the new building. Preservation New Jersey urges the Borough of Caldwell to reconsider their plans for demolition and adopt a policy of adaptive reuse for this landmark building."

Not all are on board with demolishing the library. On a Facebook page for Caldwell's Historic Preservation Commission, a commenter wrote, "Save the Carnegie library!"

The demolition plans were to be discussed at the March 1 council meeting. The packet is available here.

Read about last year's "endangered NJ sites" nominees here.

Founded in 1978, Preservation New Jersey is a statewide nonprofit organization that promotes the economic vitality, sustainability, and heritage of New Jersey’s diverse communities through advocacy and education. Visit www.preservationnj.org for more information.