Four Central Jersey landmarks among NJ's 10 most endangered historic places in 2023

Four Central Jersey landmarks are on Preservation New Jersey's annual list of the 10 Most Endangered Historic Places in New Jersey that are in danger of being lost.

Several challenges face properties on this year’s endangered sites list, including neglect and deferred maintenance, threats from redevelopment and new construction, difficulties in raising preservation funding, and the need for creative adaptive reuse proposals.

The list, generated from nominations by the public, are based on three criteria:

• Historic significance and architectural integrity;

• The critical nature of the threat;

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

Grace Episcopal Church, Plainfield

After decades of declining attendance and income, deteriorating building conditions, and the inability to pay for repairs to its 130-year-old church, the Episcopal Church of Plainfield decided in 2020 to sell the building and find another worship space.

That led to discussions of demolition and redevelopment of the church building that was constructed in 1892.

Last fall, the Plainfield City Council voted to direct the Planning Board to prepare a redevelopment plan for the property intended to preserve the historic aspects of the Gothic Revival-style church.

The current zoning for Grace Church permits mixed-use structures, apartments, townhouses, child care, retail, personal service, office, art studio, art gallery, museum, restaurant, tavern, bank, health and fitness club, banquet hall, parking lot, laundromat, nursing home, adult day care facility, assisted living facility, funeral home, house of worship, fraternal organization and open space.

According to Preservation New Jersey, Grace Church is a well-preserved example of Gothic Revival ecclesiastical architecture. Its most significant feature is the square tower with a parapet and conical side tower and features a 47-bell carillon. The church also has stained glass windows from Tiffany, Connick Studios, and Heaton, Butler & Bayne.

Preservation New Jersey included the church on its list of endangered places to support the exploration of ways to adaptively reuse or if needed, sensitive redevelopment of the church to preserve its architecture.

Old Fire House, Sayreville

Sayreville’s first firehouse and first borough hall was built in 1909 and was used as a fire station and by the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary until 2018 when a broken pipe caused the shutdown of the building.

But, according to Preservation New Jersey, the damage was not repaired, and, for financial reasons, the building was left vacant and sealed to avoid further damage.

Preservation New Jersey laments the trend of historic emergency services buildings being lost. Modern emergency equipment can no longer fit in the old buildings so communities often re-locate stations or demolishing historic stations and constructing new ones.

This, Preservation New Jersey says, has created a preservation crisis as these significant buildings of a community’s past are being abandoned or disappearing.

The Sayreville Historical Society is working with borough officials to preserve the building.

Taylor's Mill, Readington

Taylor's Mill is a stone grist mill on the southwest corner of Taylor's Mill Road and Rockaway Road on the Readington-Tewksbury border. It is one of the last surviving pre-Revolutionary War mills, built in 1760 by Col. John Taylor who owned and ran the mill. Taylor, an Englishman by birth, served in the Revolution as a member of the 4th Hunterdon Militia and eventually achieved the rank of general.

This mill played an important role as a grain supplier for Washington’s Continental Army,

The ruins are threatened by years of deferred maintenance. During a snowstorm in early 2022, a portion of the Taylor’s Mill ruin was damaged by a vehicle accident.

With continued lack of funding and support for the site, the future of the Taylor Mill ruins remains unknown.

Raritan River Railroad Freight Station, Milltown

The Milltown Historical Society and the Raritan River Railroad Historical Society have rekindled efforts to move and restore the borough's only train station, the last existing Raritan River Railroad station.

"It's still in great shape, considering it’s been neglected for 30 years," said James Reid, treasurer of the Milltown Historical Society and former owner of Frosty Air Automotive in Milltown. "At this point, if something’s not done, we’re going to lose it."

The train station, which is the second at the site, was built in 1916, said Ken Durrua, vice president of the Raritan River Railroad Historical Society, which is also the Raritan River chapter of the National Railway Historical Society.

"It was originally built as a passenger station and was used for passenger service until 1937," said Durrua, who grew up in Sayreville. "Railroads began to suffer in the 1930s and ‘40s with the advent of cars, buses and trucks. The passenger service was eliminated, and the station was moved and lifted up to a height for a freight loading dock. From 1938 it was used as a freight station until it was completely closed in 1980 upon Conrail taking over the railroad."

The Raritan River Railroad Freight Station is a one-story, utilitarian wood framed-structure, typical of station construction in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Raritan River Railroad had 12 miles of tracks and stations stretching across South Amboy, South River, Milltown, and New Brunswick. The owner of property adjacent to the station saved it from the wrecking ball when he purchased the building for use as a storage facility but it has fallen into disrepair.

Preservation New Jersey supports the efforts of the Milltown Historical Society and the Raritan River Railroad Historical Society to restore the station.

Other Most Endangered Historic Places in New Jersey

• Joseph Murray Farmhouse and Barn, Middletown;

• Samuel P. Paul House and Native American Encampment, Paulsboro;

• The Washington Theatre, Washington, Warren County;

• The Eagle Tavern, Trenton;

• The Community of St. John Baptist – Convent & Retreat House, Mendham;

• George V. Hecker Carriage House, West Orange.

Preservation New Jersey

Founded in 1978, Preservation New Jersey is a nonprofit organization with the mission of preserving historic neighborhoods and sites. The organization also 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.

Email: mdeak@mycentraljersey.com

Mike Deak is a reporter for mycentraljersey.com. To get unlimited access to his articles on Somerset and Hunterdon counties, please subscribe or activate your digital account.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: NJ's 10 most endangered historic places named for 2023