Historic District Expansion
After World War II and into the 1960s, Americans had a penchant for tearing down and building anew, spurred by a culture that was contemptuous of the out-of-date. This was also an era of large, "baby boomer" families and the burgeoning of suburban development. Luckily, most who came to Glen Ridge during this period were respectful of its architecture; nonetheless, we residents who are old enough to remember can point out an astonishing number of homes in town that went through painfully inappropriate renovations in that era, losing such things as their gingerbread and decorative moldings, their front and back porches and even their distinctive sidings in favor of makeshift aluminum and vinyl. Many of these excoriated houses became gaping eyesores and anomalies on the borough's streetscape.
Fortunately, the national bicentennial celebration changed all of this. In Glen Ridge, this milestone prompted the writing of a heritage book in which the town's wonderful architecture was featured. In turn, the book led to the formation of the Historical Society in 1977, which then began lobbying for the oldest section in town to be granted historic status on both the New Jersey Register of Historic Places and the National Register. As a result of its efforts, some 500 of the borough's homes in the immediate area of the train station were deemed historic sites in 1982.
The Historic Preservation
In 1989, the town was granted an extension of its historic district. Thus, the present district encompasses almost 80% of the borough, from Carteret Street in the south to Sunset Avenue in the north, and protects some 1,700 structures. Not only did the establishment of this larger historic district forestall the defacing of a significant number of residences, but it also served as a compelling lure to those with restoration dreams. So in the past 25 years, many architectural treasures have been brought back to splendor, raising property values and aesthetically enriching all of us in the process. Nonetheless, many who live outside the district have been left feeling like second-class citizens.
The good news is that these "outsiders" may soon be brought into the fold - provided their houses are 50-years-old or older. The town council has contracted with HJGA Consulting, Architecture and Historic Preservation, a company which specializes in preparing documents needed to achieve historic district status. These include a survey and photographs of all houses in the now excluded sections of town, as well detailed descriptions of the architectural style and general condition of all relevant dwellings. Should this effort prove successful, virtually the entire town will achieve the same recognition that many of us have enjoyed for the past several decades.
Glen Ridge's architectural heritage is incredibly rich. In fact, of all the towns in the State, this borough has the highest percentage of pre-World War II houses. Consequently, the people who choose to buy in Glen Ridge tend to share a commitment to preserving our unique houses. But the challenge is to fit a 21st-century family's lifestyle into an "older" home, yet keep within a realistic budget.
Therefore, it is the mission of the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) to help homeowners strike the right balance, while acting responsibly as history's caretaker. Its members, including three architects and a builder, own houses in town and understand the challenges of renovating older homes on a firsthand basis; thus they strive to make the review process as constructively helpful as possible. However, there are steps that homeowners can take to facilitate the review process when making changes to the exterior of a house that are visible from the street:
· Think historically"; be sensitive to what the original architect of your home might propose.
· For most projects, seek the HPC's informal advice well before making a formal application; this could potentially save time and expense. (For large projects, the HPC strongly recommends that applicants retain an architect to facilitate the review process.)
· Leave plenty of time for the HPC to review the project before work is set to begin, and provide enough information so that the HPC can respond in a timely manner.
Chairperson, Dan Murphy, also encourages residents to attend one of the HPC's monthly meetings in order to get a better sense of how the Commission functions. The calendar of all municipal meetings can be found at http://www.glenridgenj.org/calendar.htm
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