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The Newark Preservation & Landmarks Committee Saving a City's Heritage |
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NPLC's
Own History Highlights
Year by Year 1973 Committee founded by Donald Dust and others First meeting Nov. 26
1974 Committee
becomes nonprofit corporation
1975 First Recognition Awards James Street houses saved First general members join
1976 First newsletters, greeting cards, and tour guides issued First church tour First nominations sponsored First staff hired Plume
House restored by trainees
1977 James Street Commons on N.J. Register NPLC's first office - 35 James St First
protest on demolitions
Period lamposts are installed in the James Street Commons Historic District
1978 James Street on National Register Campaigns to save St. James Roman Catholic Church, Public Service auditorium and Broad Street brownstones First City preservation ordinance Lloyd
Houses bought by NPLC
1979 Exhibit on churches at library Old-house parts depot begun St. James Church razed First
Lincoln Park July Fest
1980 James Street rehabilitations begun
1981 William Ashby's "Tales Without Hate" published P.S.
auditorium razed
1982 Committee reorganized as all-volunteer group Last staff leaves Campaigns
to save Mulberry Street markets and Gibraltar Building
1983 Lincoln Park on N.J. Register Campaigns
to save Krueger Mansion and stop Branch Brook Park auto race
1984 Lincoln Park on National Register Campaigns to save Bleeker Street and Walnut Street houses Office
moves to 868 Broad St
1985 New Register nominations by architectural consultant Ulana Zakalak Lloyd Houses sold First survey of downtown landmarks City
gives $1 million to Krueger Mansion
1986 Campaign
to save University Heights churches
1987 Campaign to shift planned arts center out of James Street district Office moves to Newark Museum's Polhemus House
1988 Mt. Pleasant Cemetery on National Register New City landmark ordinance adopted First NPLC plaques installed NPLC
aids State survey of black historic sites
Dryden mausoleum in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery is visited during an NPLC tour
1989 Arts center site moved east of Broad Street Jackson
Street bridge steam engine goes to Museum
1990 Forest Hill on National Register Metropolitan Baptist Church (originally Oheb Shalom Synagogue) on N.J. Register Lloyd Houses razed First City Landmarks Commission appointed First N.J. Historic Trust grants to Newark sites
1991 William Ashby dies State bars Metropolitan demolition
1992 Donald Dust dies NPLC co-sponsors Metropolitan study Bethany Baptist Church lost First honorary NPLC trustee, D.J. Henderson, named Campaign
to save South Park Church
1993 First Donald Dust award; N.J. Historical Society acquires Essex Club Apartments open
in old Tiffany factory
1994 First Borglum statues on National Register NPLC campaign against elevated downtown railway City landmark ordinance strengthened NPLC's first cash grants to three
sites
1995 Greater Newark Conservancy acquires Metropolitan Ballantine House reopens after renovation Dust Collection of documents created at Library NPLC
co-sponsors Branch Brook Park map
1996 New edition of "Tales Without Hate" published NPLC co-sponsors Old First Ward exhibit Campaign to save Stephen Crane birthplace North
Broad Street row houses on National Register
1997 Retired teacher Lillian Nowicke bequest to NPLC Aaron Burr memorial opens at Broad National Bank Crane site bulldozed Downtown
skyscrapers on state "Endangered" list
1998 Riverbank Park on National Register NPLC anniversary exhibit at Newark Public Library New
note cards published
Former Newark Museum Director Samuel Miller speaks at NPLC's 25th anniversary
1999 Riverbank
Park and Four Corners District both on State Register.
2000 Four
Corners on National Register; grant from New Jersey for Settlers' Monument
repair; part-time executive director hired.
2001 Settlers'
Monument removed to foundry; "My School, My Community" program
begins for schoolchildren at N.J. Historical Society.
2002 Old
Essex Jail on "Endangered" list; public programs featuring
"Churchscape" photos and "Stone Voices" video.
2003 Settlers'
Monument returned to Fairmount Cemetery; Weequahic Park on National
Register; NPLC Web site begun; tour marks James Street Commons 25th
anniversary.
2004 Restored Settlers' Monument rededicated in Fairmount Cemetery; Military Park and 10 blocks listed on National Register; City's official city map shows all historic sites; NPLC office moves to North Reformed Church.
Members of Descendants of the Founders of New Jersey gather in 2004 during rededication ceremony for the Settlers' Monument in Fairmount Cemetery after its restoration by Landmarks Committee.
2005 Museum agrees to save 1859 Polhemus House; Kenney Hospital heritage celebrated; Author joins tour of "Philip Roth's Newark"; Historian Charles Cummings dies.
Descendants and admirers of Dr. John Kenney join the celebration of the hospital he founded in 1927 to serve Newark's African-Americans. The building, now New Salem Baptist Church, was put on the National Register by NPLC.
2006 Sydenham House bought and restored; State limits Museum expansion plan; City Landmarks Commission purged; Historic firehouse razed despite protests.
The city's demolition of this century-old firehouse on Mulberry Street near the new sports arena in the summer of 2006 spurred efforts by Landmarks Committee to save other historic fire stations. The razing drew protests from preservationists.
Highlights
of NPLC's Second Quarter Century Created
the Four Corners Historic District, covering 26 blocks around Broad and Market
streets, and succeeded in putting the area on the New Jersey and National
Registers of Historic Places. Helped
obtain Register status for Congregation Ahavas Sholom, on Broadway, the last
original functioning synagogue in Newark. Developed a Weequahic Historic District, encompassing the entire county park
and the neighborhood west of it; also won a State grant to put the Military Park
Commons Historic District on the Registers. Sought
cooperation between Newark Public Schools and the State to conduct a citywide
survey of historic school buildings. Worked
to commemorate Newark's only African-American hospital, now occupied by a church
on West Kinney Street.
Now a church, this building on West Kinney Street once housed Newark's first African-American Hospital. It was put on the National Register by NPLC Received
a $100,000 grant from the State to save the Settlers' Monument in Fairmount
Cemetery, arranged for removal and foundry restoration of the deteriorated zinc
monument, and worked with the City for its return and rededication in 2004.
Officials of NPLC and the Polich Art Works in upstate New York gather by the restored Settlers' monument before its return to Fairmount Cemetery in Newark Developed
an educational pilot project, "My School, My Community," to show
children the history around them. It was conducted by the N.J. Historical
Society in two elementary schools.
Pupils from two city schools display models and pictures of their neighborhoods at an NPLC-sponsored program at the New Jersey Historical Society Sponsored
or co-sponsored bus and walking tours of churches, cemeteries, parks, varied
landmarks, historic districts and WPA sites. Provided
plaques for St. Lucy's Church, Riverbank Park, and the Forest Hill Historic
District, and arranged for a replacement marker for a Civil War army encampment
site in Branch Brook Park. Nominated
local sites for a statewide Women's Heritage Trail. Campaigned
to strengthen the City's Historic Preservation Commission, which was set up in
1990 at the urging of NPLC. Worked
to help save the remains of South Park Church, the Murphy Varnish factory, old
Essex County Jail, Polhemus House, Sydenham House, Jersey Central Station, Krueger-Scott Mansion,
Gutzon Borglum sculptures and old
City Subway cars. Watched
ongoing restoration of the city's oldest synagogue building, on Prince Street,
and of Riverbank Park -- two once-doomed sites saved by NPLC's past
efforts. Also saw local sites qualify for state grants after NPLC had put
them on the Registers.
Riverbank Park in the Ironbound, saved by NPLC and other groups from destruction for a baseball stadium, has been rehabilitated by Essex County Prepared
photographic records of local cemetery monuments. Hired
a part-time executive director, first employee since 1985.
NPLC has campaigned to save vacant firehouses, including the oldest in Newark - the former Engine 10 on Astor Street.
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