Can and should Libby's iconic Paterson grill be saved? See what some officials had to say

Libby's, an iconic Paterson grill that closed in 2020, is teetering on the brink of destruction.

State officials may still intervene to save it, as the New Jersey Historic Preservation Office has put the pending sale of the city-owned riverside property under review "to ensure preservation of the property’s significant historic features.”

Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh's camp, meanwhile, says the site is too new and too far removed from the nexus of the Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park to warrant preservation.

Mark Auerbach, the former city historian in neighboring Passaic, said historic preservation can be tricky. Reviews for sites such as Libby's are often warranted, but keeping things in perspective is key, as "you can't save everything," he said.

When it comes to Libby's, there is a "sentimental value more than a physical value," he added.

Auerbach said that among the first things historic preservation officials would examine is the structure itself.

The National Register of Historic Places criteria for evaluation offer four main paths to a historical designation, for example. Two are an association with historical events or people. The third, and most popular in neighboring Bergen County, are sites that are characteristic of period-specific architecture. The fourth are sites that yield information that enlightens our knowledge of history.

The last one is where Libby's fits in, said David Soo, a historic preservation activist and former Paterson zoning board chairman. Libby's was one of the earlier adopters of the Hot Texas Wiener, a distinct style of hot dog marketed to factory workers and sports spectators in the early 20th century. Its story is one of the fabric of Paterson, a working-class city that thrived on a blend of labor and recreation, Soo said.

Story continues below photo gallery.

"Libby's is part of the cultural landscape," he said. "It's about the bigger picture."

Libby's famous sign above its entryway dates the establishment to 1936, but original owner William Pappas said he started the restaurant, lunchroom and refreshment stand on McBride Avenue in 1927, according to a 1938 report in The Paterson Evening News. Before then, the riverside plot just above the Great Falls was used for canoe storage. A boat shop stood in the parking lot. Hinchliffe Stadium had yet to be built.

Libby's was not the first Paterson restaurant to sell a Hot Texas Wiener, nor was it the second. It was nonetheless a key cog in the history of the local food.

Libby's was a small stand Pappas named for his girlfriend that became "a very big name," former Falls View Grill owner Chris Betts said in a 1994 interview kept by the Library of Congress.

According to Betts and others, Pappas learned the hot dog trade from John Patrellis, the Greek-born originator of the Paterson Hot Texas Wiener. The name Texas (hot) wiener predates Patrellis' first alleged sales. It was used in Pennsylvania newspaper ads in 1918 to describe large hot dogs. However, Patrellis put a spin on the Texas wiener circa 1920 by adding a spicy red sauce that was almost a combination of Greek spaghetti sauce and chili. Eventually, it became traditional to eat Hot Texas Wieners "all the way" with onions, mustard and the spicy sauce.

The first Paterson spot to feature the food was Patrellis' New System Texas Wiener Shop on Paterson Street, where Pappas allegedly worked. Patrellis in 1939 opened the Olympic Grill and leased it to Chris, George, and William Betts, who later co-opened the Falls View Grill at the intersection of Market and Spruce streets with Paul Agrusti. Agrusti had worked for Pappas, as did the founders of Johnny and Hanges on River Street.

In its later years, Libby remained a go-to eatery. Endorsements from rap stars Fetty Wap and Action Bronson toward its end showed that Libby's name still had cachet, but times had nonetheless changed. For every few online comments saying how much people loved Libby's after it announced its closure, there was one saying the food just hadn't been the same.

Sal Washah, who registered the high bid of $850,000 during a recent auction of the city-owned property, told Paterson Press he wants to tear down the building and construct a new four-story restaurant overlooking the Passaic River. Officials with the New Jersey Historic Preservation Office could still block the sale or restrict development rights, Paterson Press reported.

Soo, who alerted the state to the city’s Libby’s auction and is running for Paterson's 5th Ward council seat, said arguments for Libby's destruction are rationalizations. He said local officials erred by failing to report the auction to the Historic Preservation Office given its placement in the national and state historic district that covers the Great Falls industrial works envisioned by Alexander Hamilton.

Separate from the Historic Preservation Office review, the Libby's sale still requires City Council approval. Still, the mayor's office has said Libby’s is not considered a protected asset by the city.

It post-dates Hamilton's Society for the Establishment of Useful Manufactures by more than a century, and even that connection may not offer much protection. The Van Houten House in Westside Park, Paterson's oldest house with a place on the National Register of Historic Places, remains abandoned and unprotected under city ownership amid a possible transfer to Passaic County.

Remembering Paterson's hot dog joints

According to the Paterson Museum, these were hot dog eateries that operated in Paterson.

• The Original New System Texas Weiner, 225 Paterson St. - established in 1920.

• Original Texas Hot Weiner Lunch, 107 Washington St. - established in 1922.

• Libby’s Lunch, 98 McBride Ave. - relocated in 1967.

• Falls View, 2-14 Spruce St. - established in 1938/1944.

• Olympic Grill, 145 McBride Ave. - established in 1939.

• Johnny and Hanges, River Street and First Avenue - established in 1939.

• R&N Grill, 991 Madison Ave. - established in 1948.

• Teddy’s, 693 Market St. - established in 1954.

• The Plaza, 560 Main St. - established in 1961.

• M&R Sandwich, 121 Main St. - established in 1966.

• The Flame Restaurant, 1130 McBride Ave. - established in 1968.

• The Colonial Grill, 464 Chamberlain Ave. - established in 1972.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: 'Can't save everything': Can Libby's iconic Paterson grill be saved?