Preservation New Jersey's 2016 10 Most Endangered Historic Places List Announced

In recognition of National Preservation Month, Preservation New Jersey, Inc. (PNJ) announced its annual list of the 10 Most Endangered Historic Places in New Jersey on the front steps of the State House in Trenton New Jersey at 10 a.m. on Thursday, 12 May 2016. PNJ was joined by the advocates for this year’s endangered historic places at a rally to support New Jersey’s threatened cultural and architectural heritage.

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 act of listing these resources acknowledges their importance to the heritage of New Jersey and draws attention to the predicaments that endanger their survival and the survival of historic resources statewide. The list, generated from nominations by the public, aims to attract new perspectives and ideas to sites in desperate need of creative solutions.

Several challenges face properties on this year’s endangered sites list, including neglect and deferred maintenance, threats incurred by redevelopment and new construction, stalled adaptive reuse proposals, and lack of State officials implementing adequate historic preservation funding despite voter approval to do just that. As the economy continues to improve, the impacts to historic properties and places are more imminent: the list shows the increase in development pressures resulting in threats of demolition of the historic resource and the need to balance preservation and development; the need to incorporate history and historic preservation in redevelopment plans for neighborhoods, towns and cities throughout the state; and the value of using preservation as a positive tool for revitalization.

As we acknowledge each year, selections to the 10 Most Endangered Historic Places list are based on the likelihood that historic buildings and places can be brought back to useful and productive life. PNJ proudly points to many properties previously listed among the 10 Most Endangered that have now been saved and preserved or rehabilitated, and have once again become character-defining assets to New Jersey’s communities. However, as we announce this year’s list, we reflect on the recent loss of the historic Duke estate mansion in Hillsborough, a story all too familiar in New Jersey. After receiving a New Jersey Historic Preservation Office award just last year for their planned adaptive reuse of a barn and renovation of a conservatory at Duke Farms, the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation began demolition of the 67,000-square foot Duke mansion last month. While many other buildings and landscape features remain at Duke Farms, this great estate is now missing a fundamental and irreplaceable piece of its history. Although PNJ’s 10-Most Endangered Properties list is published once per year, the fight for the preservation of our historic and cultural resources is daily, and the story of the Duke estate mansion is evidence of such threats and the need to bring awareness and to develop creative solutions.

The 2016 List:

Union Hotel, Borough of Flemington, Hunterdon County

• This 1814 hotel in the heart of historic downtown Flemington is currently threatened by demolition as part of an otherwise laudable and long-overdue plan to revitalize the downtown. The municipality and developer must find a way to redevelopment and revitalize the community without destroying what makes it special.

East Broadway Historic District, City of Salem, Salem County

• This historic district, along a main artery in Salem, contains over twenty vacant buildings in a two-thirds of a mile stretch, reflecting the declining economy and population of the City. Salem, like countless other communities in the state, needs to motivate current owners to rehabilitate their buildings and attract new owners to purchase and restore abandoned structures. This highlights the need for a state Historic Preservation Tax Credit program, a bill for which has been reintroduced in the current legislative session after having been vetoed by the governor a few years ago.

Deliverance Evangelistic Center, City of Newark, Essex County

• Originally constructed as Temple B’nai Abraham, this 1924 circular building with a 2,000-seat sanctuary is owned by Deliverance Evangelical Ministries. The congregation, in decline for many years, no longer uses the building, which is in need of extensive repairs. Local government and spiritual and civic groups need to partner to put this important Newark landmark back into use.

Dr. James Still Office, Township of Medford, Burlington County

• This one-story hipped-roof vernacular building was built in 1836 by James Still, an herbalist and practitioner of folk medicine. The State of New Jersey purchased the property in 2006 but has undertaken no work at the deteriorated and vacant building despite completion of a New Jersey Historic Trust-funded preservation plan. This property highlights the need for the governor and legislature to implement the terms of the 2014 voter-approved referendum to allocate a portion of the Corporate Business Tax for open space and historic preservation.

Rahway River Park, City of Rahway, Union County

• Construction is currently underway on a new track and field complex that will ruin the original open-space and passive-recreation design of Rahway River Park, one of four original neighborhood parks in the Olmstead Brothers’ design for the Union County Park system. While the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Rahway Board of Education have disregarded the historic significance of this park, steps must be taken to prevent future detrimental actions at this and other Union County parks.

Van Dien-Ruffgarten House, Borough of Paramus, Bergen County

• This 1840s Jersey Dutch Stone house sits vacant, deteriorating, and for sale. The Borough of Paramus declined to purchase the nine-acre property, and with tremendous development pressure in the area, the building’s future is uncertain. PNJ encourages local officials and the owner to work together to find a compatible, viable new use for this historic resource.

The Forum Theatre, Borough of Metuchen, Middlesex County

• This 1928 red-brick theater only receives intermittent use and is currently for sale due to severe competition from mass market movie theaters. Despite being great cultural resources, many historic theaters in the state face similar circumstances and threat of demolition. The community and local government must work together to recognize this historic resource’s worth and ensure its preservation.

Hugg-Harrison-Glover House, Borough of Bellmawr, Camden County

• Built in stages between 1720s and 1764, the Hugg-Harrison-Glover House is notable for the 1764 date visible in its patterned brickwork and for its association with the War for Independence. The house sits in the path of the massive “Direct Connection” project linking I-295 with State Route 42 and is threatened by demolition. After its significance was overlooked during early project planning, the Department of Transportation must now exhaust all efforts to save this building.

Deteriorating Infrastructure of New Jersey, Statewide

• The American Society of Civil Engineers recently rated New Jersey’s infrastructure a D+. Despite the vast need for construction, repair, and maintenance, the state’s infrastructure, which is often older and historic, is critically underfunded. PNJ urges elected officials to increase funding for infrastructure and begin making necessary upgrades and improvements needed to meet the needs of New Jersey and its 3.9 million daily commuters.

Whyman House, City of Elizabeth, Union County

• This late-nineteenth-century cubical Italianate villa with intact outbuildings and landscape features is one of the last unaltered examples of a once common housing type in Elizabeth. Now vacant, for sale, and facing threats from development, this local landmark provides an opportunity to show the value of our historic and architectural resources and their ability to be put to new uses.

As always, selections to the 2016 10 Most Endangered list are based on three criteria:

• historic significance and architectural integrity,

• the critical nature of the threat identified, and

• the likelihood that inclusion on the list will have a positive impact on efforts to protect the resource

Founded in 1978, Preservation New Jersey is a nonprofit organization that helps homeowners, organizations, public officials and citizen advocates working to preserve the historic neighborhoods and sites that are important to our communities. Preservation New Jersey produces this annual list of New Jersey's 10 Most Endangered Historic Places in addition to other advocacy programs; provides educational workshops; publishes an interactive website; serves as a resource for technical assistance and general advice for the public; and addresses legislation and public policies that impact New Jersey's historic places and communities.

Visit Preservation New Jersey’s websites at www.preservationnj.org for more information regarding the organization and the 10 Most Endangered program. For details about National Preservation Month, visit the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s website at www.preservationnation.org.

Contact: Preservation New Jersey

Margaret M. Hickey, AIA

info@preservationnj.org

609-392-6409