Mired in Hackensack River muck, USS Ling makes list of most endangered NJ historic places

A Hackensack icon, the 2,500-ton USS Ling submarine, mired in the muck of the Hackensack River, landed on a foreboding top 10 list Tuesday morning.

The World War II-era submarine was announced as the area's sole entry on Preservation New Jersey's 10 Most Endangered Historic Places list for 2022. The nonprofit's annual list is designed to raise awareness of threats to the state's cultural and architectural heritage.

In the case of the USS Ling, the threats are significant and numerous, nonprofit officials said. Despite the physical and political obstacles, David Prieto, a Bergen County resident who is among those endeavoring to save the 312-foot submarine, said there is hope for its preservation.

"I do envision a future where the Ling remains where it is in Hackensack, integrated into the riverside," he said.

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A diesel-electric submarine named after a fish, the USS Ling is one of only five surviving Baleo-class submarines. It was built in the middle of World War II. Construction started in Philadelphia roughly a year after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Its service was brief, as the war ended just months after the Ling was commissioned. Still, the Ling lived on. It went into the Atlantic Reserve Fleet and stayed until 1960, when it began an 11-year run as a training vessel at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

From there, it became the centerpiece of the New Jersey Naval Museum on River Street. The submarine was staged as if ready for battle, complete with demilitarized torpedoes. Officers' uniforms were laid out in the tight sleeping quarters. Mess hall tables were marked with checkers and backgammon patterns.

Not currently floating, the USS Ling has been in trouble for decades. First, the vessel started listing after getting stuck in the silt of the shallow Hackensack River. Then, in 2012, severe flooding from Superstorm Sandy harmed the vessel and the gangplank that is needed to board it. More damage came in 2018, when vandals breached and flooded the hull.

The submarine has since been drained and is now secure due to the combined efforts in 2020 of the Louisville Naval Museum Inc. and the Submarine Memorial Association. The latter took possession of the USS Ling in 1972 and brought it to Hackensack the next January for full restoration, preservation and conversion into a museum.

The museum has been closed since 2016, when its lease was terminated by Stephen Borg, former publisher of The Record. Earlier in the year, the Hackensack Planning Board approved Borg's plan to subdivide the nearly 20-acre site adjacent to the river-bound vessel into four lots for redevelopment. Borg and city officials have all declined responsibility for the USS Ling.

Officials at Preservation New Jersey cited a need for its stabilization and restoration to connect future generations to military history of the 20th century. The USS Ling and the rest of the 10 Most Endangered list for 2022 were generated from nominations by the public, officials at the nonprofit said. They were highlighted in an effort to stir up creative solutions and selected based on criteria such as historic significance and architectural integrity.

Other locations on the 10 Most Endangered Historic Places in New Jersey list for 2022 include:

Anchor Cafe, Perth Amboy, Middlesex County

• "The Anchor Café is a 3-story brick and terra cotta structure with a steep slate roof and dormers built in 1905. A round tower with a conical roof gives it a commanding presence on the streetscape. The building is dripping with architectural terra cotta in the form of keystones, brackets, window molding, roof cresting and a large terra cotta plaque depicting an anchor."

• "These architectural details survive on the good will of their owners and with little oversight."

Caldwell Public Library, Caldwell, Essex County:

• "The Caldwell Public Library is a 1917 Classical Revival Carnegie library, designed by architect and Caldwell resident Lynn Grover Lockward. It is one of four Carnegie libraries in Essex County still in its original building."

• "The Borough is planning to demolish the Caldwell Public Library and redevelop the area as part of a Municipal Complex to include Borough Hall, the police department, a community center, and a health and human services facility."

Roebling Prestretcher Equipment and Buildings, Florence Township, Burlington County:

• "The Roebling wire rope prestretcher and its buildings are the last remaining industrial structures from the John A. Roebling’s Sons steel and wire mill, which operated in Roebling from 1905 to 1974. The company pioneered suspension bridge construction."

• "The EPA now argues that demolishing the two buildings and moving the equipment to a new building on the property will be most cost effective."

The Sandlass House, Highlands, Monmouth County:

• "The Sandlass House, located at the entrance to the Sandy Hook Unit of the Gateway National Recreation Area, is the only surviving building of a once extensive resort complex built as part of Sandy Hook’s Golden Age. Built in 1893, the House was part of the Highland Beach excursion resort which served as a community hub from 1888-1961."

• "The house is now under imminent threat of roof collapse due to lack of repairs and maintenance."

The Stockton Inn, Stockton, Hunterdon County:

• "The Stockton Inn sits near the site of taverns dating back to the 18th century. The Colligan family operated the Inn for several decades beginning in 1915 and it became a well-known establishment popular with creative locals and visitors for the next 80 years."

• "Today, the Inn sits vacant and deteriorating with weather-related roof damage. The extended closure of this landmark has created a 'dead zone' in the center of the active downtown."

St. Peter’s Grammar School, Jersey City, Hudson County:

• "St. Peter’s Parish School was built in 1861 as Jersey City’s first parochial school. In 1898, St. Peter’s Hall was constructed abutting the building. The buildings, together known as the School, function as one building. Constructed with Romanesque Revival and Italianate elements, the School boasts terra cotta ornamentation, corbeled brick arches, brownstone trim, and a cupola. The School operated for over 150 years, serving generations of immigrants. "

• "In 2019, Prep applied to the Jersey City Historic Preservation Commission to demolish the school and replace it with a parking lot. The application was unanimously denied, but Prep is currently appealing the denial."

First United Methodist Church, Bradley Beach, Monmouth County:

• "The First United Methodist Church is a Queen Anne-style masterpiece in the heart of Bradley Beach. The interior boasts magnificent woodwork, stained glass windows, and the original Jardine pipe organ."

• "On March 1, 2022, at a Town Hall meeting, architects retained by the Borough of Bradley Beach presented residents with three proposals for turning the Church into a community center and were met with objections from some residents and elected officials concerned with cost. It is likely to be decided by referendum later this year."

Cemeteries, statewide:

• "With 10 Most nominations in 2022 of cemeteries including Johnsons Cemetery (Camden), Dutch Reformed Church Graveyard (Belleville), Reton Cemetery (Fort Lee) and Doremus Cedar Grove Farm Burial Ground/Canfield Cemetery (Cedar Grove), Preservation New Jersey reiterates the urgency with which New Jersey state law must be changed to save these keys to our individual and statewide histories."

Underrepresented Histories, statewide:

• "New Jersey needs more funded research including local, county, and statewide context studies that match themes with specific sites, and at the same time, begin to break down the barriers that prevent sites from being listed on local, state, and national registers."

• "Preservation New Jersey urges municipalities, counties, and statewide bodies to apply for and develop resources to identify sites that tell underrepresented stories and push forward the national conversation around retooling the criteria and process for historic designation."

David Zimmer is a local reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: zimmer@northjersey.com

Twitter: @dzimmernews

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: USS Ling on 10 Most Endangered Historic Places list for 2022