Resources

This is an unedited recording of Preservation NJ's April 15, 2024 presentation by RevolutionNJ, followed by Q&A from the audience. The commemoration of the 250th is an opportunity to bring together people from all walks of life to explore America’s Revolutionary history and New Jersey’s important role in it. RevolutionNJ's working groups, consisting of volunteers that reflect the diverse professions, expertise, and people of the state, will create programs and initiatives that help people engage with the Revolutionary era in all its complexity and show how the diverse people, events, places, and ideas of that time are still relevant today. The goal is to commemorate the 250th in a way that resonates with the tapestry that makes up New Jersey – and our nation. See more at: https://www.revnj.org/. This event is an installment of PNJ's free, virtual series, "Q&A with PNJ," which seeks to highlight voices across New Jersey’s historic preservation community and bring their knowledge and expertise on a wide variety of historic preservation topics to the public. See more at: https://www.preservationnj.org.

This is an unedited recording of Preservation NJ's February 28, 2024 presentation with Kate Marcopul of the NJ State Historic Preservation Office and Glenn Ceponis of the NJ Historic Trust. Each provided an overview of the functions of their offices, followed by Q&A from the audience. This event is an installment of PNJ's free, virtual series, "Q&A with PNJ," which seeks to highlight voices across New Jersey’s historic preservation community and bring their knowledge and expertise on a wide variety of historic preservation topics to the public. See more at: https://www.preservationnj.org.

This is an unedited recording of Preservation NJ's January 16, 2024 "Talks with Our Ten Most" discussing the T. Thomas Fortune House in Red Bank with Journalist, Author & Playwright, Producer, Director, Historian, Educator - and T. Thomas Fortune House Executive Director - Gilda Rogers. The T. Thomas Fortune House was listed as a PNJ "Ten Most Endangered" site in 2007. The mission of the T. Thomas Fortune Foundation is to preserve and further the civil rights and social justice legacy of T. Thomas Fortune through community outreach, education, the arts and public programming. See more, and plan your visit, at: https://www.tthomasfortuneculturalcenter.org/. PNJ's free, virtual series, "Talks with Our Ten Most," allows us to share updates -- and lessons learned -- from past PNJ Ten Most Endangered Sites. See more at: https://www.preservationnj.org/10-most. Hosted by Melissa Ziobro of the PNJ Board of Directors.

This is an unedited recording of Preservation NJ's October 11, 2023 "Talks with Our Ten Most" discussing the Anchor Cafe (and the terra cotta industry more broadly) in Perth Amboy with Mark Nonestied, Division Head, Middlesex County Division of Historic Sites and History Services. The Anchor Café on New Brunswick Avenue is a 3-story brick and terra cotta structure with a steep slate roof and dormers that was built in 1905. It was listed as a PNJ "Ten Most Endangered" site in 2022. PNJ's free, virtual series, "Talks with Our Ten Most," allows us to share updates -- and lessons learned -- from past PNJ Ten Most Endangered Sites. See more at: https://www.preservationnj.org/10-most. Hosted by Melissa Ziobro of the PNJ Board of Directors.

This is an unedited recording of Preservation NJ's August 10, 2023 unscripted conversation with Sandy Hook Foundation President, Pete Izzo, and Shawn Welch, a retired Army engineer officer and Co-Chair of the Secretary of the Interior's Fort Hancock Federal Advisory Committee. This virtual event was a part of PNJ's series, "Talks with Our Ten Most," where we share updates -- and lessons learned -- from past PNJ Ten Most Endangered Sites. Sandy Hook, specifically Fort Hancock, was listed in 1995. See more at: https://www.preservationnj.org/10-most. Fort Hancock and Sandy Hook Proving Ground National Historic Landmark are home to several batteries and historic Army buildings, the oldest surviving lighthouse in the U.S., and a former United States Life-Saving Service station building which bears witness to the maritime history of this peninsula. Since 1895, Fort Hancock was one of the places vital to American defense up to the nuclear age. For more on Sandy Hook history, see: https://www.nps.gov/gate/learn/historyculture/index.htm. The Sandy Hook Foundation is the official friends group to the National Park Service at Sandy Hook, New Jersey, a unit of Gateway National Recreation Area. Established in 1989, the Foundation has funded cultural, educational, environmental, and conservation programs and has helped restore and preserve historic structures of the Sandy Hook Lighthouse and Fort Hancock — both National Historic Landmarks. For more on the Sandy Hook Foundation, see: https://www.sandyhooknj.org/. Hosted by Melissa Ziobro of the PNJ Board of Directors.

This is an unedited recording of Preservation NJ's July 13, 2023 unscripted conversation with Brianne Van Vorst of Liberty Stained Glass Conservation, LLC. Topics covered include how stained glass was historically manufactured, how stained glass ages, how to approach repairs, and more. See more about Brianne's work at: https://www.libertysgc.com/. This event is an installment of PNJ's free, virtual series, "Q&A with PNJ," which seeks to highlight voices across New Jersey’s historic preservation community and bring their knowledge and expertise on a wide variety of historic preservation topics to the public. See more at: https://www.preservationnj.org.

This is an unedited recording of Preservation NJ's February 22, 2023 unscripted conversation with Fred Carl and Mike Ruane of the InfoAge Science and History Museums at the Camp Evans National Historic Landmark. This virtual event was the first in PNJ's new series, "Talks with Our Ten Most," where we share updates -- and lessons learned -- from past PNJ Ten Most Endangered Sites. Camp Evans was listed in 2002. See more at: https://www.preservationnj.org/10-most. The site opened in the early 1900s as a Marconi wireless station, served as a Navy and RCA communications lab during WWI, and was known as the Army’s Camp Evans laboratory from WWII until 1997 -- when the Army left the property. Camp Evans innovations helped to win WWII, to revolutionize communications, and to usher in the space age. The once endangered site is now a thriving non-profit with over 40,000 square feet of largely hands-on exhibits spread over a dozen buildings and covering all manner of military and science history. See more at: https://www.infoage.org/. Hosted by Melissa Ziobro of the PNJ Board of Directors.

This is an unedited recording of Preservation NJ's April 6, 2023 unscripted conversation with Ruby Simmons of the Shady Rest Golf Club. The Shady Rest Golf & Country Club is the oldest African-American golf clubhouse in the United States of America. It has added significance as the home course of John Shippen, the first African American golf professional to play in a U.S. Open. See more at: http://preserveshadyrest.org/history-shady-rest.html. This event is an installment of PNJ's free, virtual series, "Talks with Our Ten Most," where we share updates -- and lessons learned -- from past PNJ Ten Most Endangered Sites. Shady Rest was listed in 2008. See more at: https://www.preservationnj.org/10-most. Please note that our speaker experienced some technical issues due to bad weather. Hosted by Melissa Ziobro of the PNJ Board of Directors.

This is an unedited recording of Preservation NJ's June 22, 2023 unscripted conversation with Nancy Patterson of the East Point Lighthouse. The video opens with Nancy discussing the history of the lighthouse. This fully restored and furnished active lighthouse was built in 1849 and is situated on the picturesque Southern Bayshore in Cumberland County. It functions as a year round museum, thanks to the work of the Maurice River Historical Society. The site, however, continues to be in peril due to rising waters nearby. See more at: https://eastpointlight.com/. This event is an installment of PNJ's free, virtual series, "Talks with Our Ten Most," where we share updates -- and lessons learned -- from past PNJ Ten Most Endangered Sites. East Point Lighthouse was listed in 2019. See more at: https://www.preservationnj.org/10-most. Hosted by PNJ Executive Director Kelly Ruffel, with support from Melissa Ziobro of the Board of Directors.

Founded in 1978, Preservation New Jersey is a statewide nonprofit organization that promotes the economic vitality, sustainability, and heritage of New Jersey’s diverse communities through advocacy and education. Preservation New Jersey produces this annual list of New Jersey’s 10 Most Endangered Historic Places in addition to other advocacy programs; provides educational workshops; publishes a quarterly newsletter; organizes the New Jersey Historic Preservation Awards, 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. Visit Preservation New Jersey’s website at www.preservationnj.org for more information regarding the organization and the 10 Most Endangered program. For details about national Preservation Month, visit the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s website at www.preservationnation.org.

Speaker: Stephanie Hoagland November 11, 2021 at 1PM via Zoom About the Session Grassroots efforts can be a powerful tool in preserving the architectural history of a community. But is it always enough? At the turn of the 21 st century, the future for Wildwood was looking rosy. With over 300 mid-century modern motels situated along a six-mile long barrier island near the southern tip of New Jersey, the Wildwoods were finally being recognized as the largest collection of Doo Wop motels in the country. In an effort to stand out from the competition, the owners of these motels had evolved a unique style that incorporated angular elements, space-age imagery, and tropical themes. The name was borrowed from the 1950s vocal style and owners used it in a bid to get families to choose their motel on streets lined with choices on both sides. After almost thirty years of preservation by neglect caused by the loss of tourists to polluted beaches, an economic downturn, and years of bad press, the Wildwoods were finally experiencing a renaissance and resurgence of popularity. Wildwood’s collection of 1950s and 60s architecture had even attracted academic and media attention from many different sources including covers on national magazines. With the large number of historic motels as a foundation, Wildwood staked its economic development on a Doo Wop flavor. Beginning in the summer of 2001, the Doo Wop Preservation League, a non-profit organization created to foster awareness and appreciation of the unique architecture of the Wildwoods, began working towards a National Register Historic District nomination for the island. Local support was garnered though community discussions and presentations to motel owners regarding the benefits of historic preservation. The town even put out a book of guidelines entitled “How to Doo Wop” in an effort to assist business and motel owners in redesigning their signage, structures, and even furnishings to fit into the theme of the town. In short order the Wildwoods became a victim of their own success. With a large number of “Mom and Pop” motels, no chain stores, and its beachside location, the Wildwoods had a distinct “sense of place” and an authentic identity. Its unique character quickly attracted developers eager to cash-in on the island’s new-found popularity. Modern, innocuous condos, clad in vinyl siding, began popping up all over the island. At three to six stories high, many of these new condos were not to scale and dwarfed the motels they surrounded. With faux-Victorian features and contemporary designs, they didn’t fit in with the architectural style of the motels and, stylistically, they could be anywhere. Perhaps their biggest impact was the large number of motels lost to the wrecking ball to make room for new development. Between the years 2001 and 2006 almost 100 motels had been demolished. Unfortunately, this wholesale demolition has stalled the acceptance of the Wildwood Historic District Nomination as the boundaries have had to be repeatedly re-drawn as the number of contributing buildings was reduced. Poised for preservation success, how did this grassroots movement fail? About the Speaker Stephanie M. Hoagland is a Principal and Architectural Conservator with Jablonski Building Conservation Inc. where she’s been employed since 2003. Ms. Hoagland has worked on a variety of conservation projects throughout the United States and Canada including finishes investigations, conditions assessments, and hands-on conservation treatments. Some of her favorite projects have involved the preservation of vernacular art and architecture including the preservation of Civil War graffiti at Historic Blenheim in Fairfax, VA and cemetery restoration projects across the country. She has a Master of Science in Historic Preservation from Columbia University with a concentration on materials conservation. She is a Fellow and past Chair of the Architectural Specialty Group for the American Institute for Conservation and is a Recognized Professional with the Association for Preservation Technology. Stephanie was first introduced to the architecture of the Wildwoods when she interned for the Doo Wop Preservation League in the Summer of 2001. She then completed her graduate school thesis on the Conservation of 1950s and 60s Concrete Motels in the Wildwoods. After graduation she worked at ARCH 2 in Metuchen, New Jersey where she assisted in the completion the nomination forms for the Wildwood Shore Resort Historic District and the Motels of the Wildwoods Multiple Property Listing. About Q&A with PNJ Q&A with PNJ is a project of Preservation New Jersey that seeks to highlight voices across New Jersey’s historic preservation community and bring their knowledge and expertise on a wide variety of historic preservation topics to the public. This session will run approximately one hour and include time for Q&A from the Audience. –

In recognition of National Preservation Month, Preservation New Jersey (PNJ) announced its annual list of the 10 Most Endangered Historic Places in New Jersey at a virtual press conference at 11:00 AM on Tuesday, May 18th 2021. PNJ was joined by the advocates for this year’s endangered historic places via a ZOOM rally to support New Jersey’s threatened cultural and architectural heritage. The 10 Most Endangered Historic Places program spotlights irreplaceable historic, architectural, cultural, and archeological resources in New Jersey that are in imminent danger of being lost. The act of listing these resources acknowledges their importance to the heritage of New Jersey and draws attention to the predicaments that endanger their survival and the survival of historic resources statewide. The list, generated from nominations by the public, aims to attract new perspectives and ideas to sites in desperate need of creative solutions. Selections to the 10 Most Endangered list are based on three criteria: historic significance and architectural integrity, the critical nature of the threat identified, and the likelihood that inclusion on the list will have a positive impact on efforts to protect the resource. Several challenges face properties on this year’s endangered sites list, including neglect and deferred maintenance, threats incurred by redevelopment and new construction, difficulties raising adequate historic preservation funding, and the need for creative adaptive reuse proposals. Two of the sites on this year’s list are entire municipalities, highlighting the immense variation in the local tools available for preservation in New Jersey’s cities and municipalities. The list also includes two religious sites that provide important histories of New Jersey’s African American communities, and point to the challenges faced by congregations since the 2018 New Jersey Supreme Court decision to prevent New Jersey Historic Trust grants to religious structures. Preservation New Jersey proudly points to many properties previously listed among the 10 Most Endangered that have now been saved and preserved or rehabilitated and have once again become character-defining and economy-boosting assets to New Jersey’s communities. As we announce this year’s list, we are encouraged by stories like the Wallisch Homestead, included on the 2012 10 Most List and the Krueger-Scott Mansion, now ‘Makerhood’ which was included on the 2011 10 Most List and recently hosted Preservation New Jersey’s Virtual Annual Meeting. Advocates for these sites and many more across the state have moved mountains since their listing on the 10 Most List and continue to leverage the publicity and attention brought by the listing to bring these resources back to useful and productive life. Although PNJ’s 10 Most Endangered Properties list is published once per year, the fight for the preservation of our historic and cultural resources is daily. This year, in addition to our 10 Most Announcement, we have added several educational programs to our summer schedule to further support current and former 10 Most site advocates as they work to preserve the sites. The first two sessions in June will focus on ‘Communicating the Value of Preservation’ and an ‘Introduction to Public Relations for Historic Sites.’ We are fortunate that this year’s 10 Most Endangered Historic Places Program is being supported by the following sponsors: HMR Architects, Kreilick Conservation, The Litt Law Firm, Architectural Window Corporation, Quadrille, Harrison-Hamnett and Mills + Schnoering Architects.

June 8, 2021 at 7PM via Zoom Register: Here Q&A with PNJ: Communicating the Value of Historic Preservation will provide attendees with helpful information as they advocate for preservation and connect with various stakeholders. Rypkema will provide examples of the economic impact of preservation from his ample research and professional experience working in preservation across the United States. About the Speaker: Donovan D. Rypkema is principal of PlaceEconomics, a Washington, D.C.-based real estate and economic development-consulting firm. The work of the firm is at the nexus of historic preservation and economics. He has undertaken assignments for public and non-profit sector clients in 49 US states. He also teaches a course on the economics of historic preservation at the University of Pennsylvania where he received the 2008 G. Holmes Perkins Award for Distinguished Teaching. Rypkema was educated at Columbia University receiving a Master of Science degree in Historic Preservation. He is author of several publications including Community Initiated Development, The Economics of Rehabilitation, and the Feasibility Assessment Manual for Reusing Historic Buildings. Rypkema’s book, The Economics of Historic Preservation: A Community Leader’s Guide is widely used by preservationists nationwide and has been translated in to Russian and Korean. Rypkema has worked with such groups as the Urban Land Institute, the Mayors’ Institute on City Design, the American Planning Association, Smart Growth America, the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the International Downtown Association. Federal Government clients have included the U.S. Army, the Department of State, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Interior, and the Advisory Council for Historic Preservation for whom he prepared a report entitled Measuring Economic Impacts of Historic Preservation. In the fall of 2012 Rypkema received the Louise du Pont Crowninshield Award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The Crowninshield Award is the nation’s highest preservation honor and awarded for lifetime contribution to historic preservation in the United States. — Q&A with PNJ is a project of Preservation New Jersey that seeks to highlight voices across New Jersey’s historic preservation community and bring their knowledge and expertise on a wide variety of historic preservation topics to the public. This session will run approximately forty-five minutes and include time for Q&A from the Audience. This program is a Q&A with PNJ: Summer of 10 Most Program meant to provide education opportunities to 10 Most site advocates and members of the preservation community. The 10 Most Announcement and Summer of 10 Most Series is sponsored by: HMR Architects, Kreilick Conservation, The Litt Law Firm, Architectural Window Corporation, Quadrille, Harrison-Hamnett, and Mills + Schnoering Architects.

June 22nd at 7PM via Zoom Register: Here Learn the keys to success in public relations to help generate media attention for your advocacy work and historic site/district/Historic Preservation Commission. Maria will cover the basics of press releases, press kits, photos and descriptions to have on-hand, and developing your press list among other topics. — About the Speaker: Maria Boyes is a journalist who has written for newspapers across the country and penned a column in the NJ Courier News for several years. As a member of Preservation New Jersey’s Marketing Committee and Chair of the Westfield Historic Preservation Commission, Maria values historic architecture. She and her husband, Jim, live in a Victorian where they spend their free time, when not working on their home, volunteering for various organizations within their community. — Q&A with PNJ is a project of Preservation New Jersey that seeks to highlight voices across New Jersey’s historic preservation community and bring their knowledge and expertise on a wide variety of historic preservation topics to the public. This session will run approximately one hour and include time for Q&A from the Audience. This program is a Q&A with PNJ: Summer of 10 Most Program meant to provide education opportunities to 10 Most site advocates and members of the preservation community. The 10 Most Announcement and Summer of 10 Most Series is sponsored by: HMR Architects, Kreilick Conservation, The Litt Law Firm, Architectural Window Corporation, Quadrille, Harrison-Hamnett, and Mills + Schnoering Architects.