2015 Ten Most Endangered Historic Sites in NJ

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.

Several challenges face properties on this year’s endangered sites list, including neglect and deferred maintenance, threats incurred by proposed gas pipelines, stalled adaptive reuse proposals, and lack of adequate historic preservation funding as proposed by the Governor’s Budget for FY 2016.  Although the economy continues to improve, the impacts to historic properties and places vary: some areas of the state are slow to recover and to find new and exciting uses for vacant and underutilized historic resources, and other areas have too great of development pressures resulting in threats of demolition of the historic resource.  The list, therefore, brings forth the balancing act between preservation and development and the value of incorporating history and historic preservation in redevelopment plans for neighborhoods, towns and cities throughout the state.

As we acknowledge each year, selections to the 10 Most Endangered Historic Places list are based on the likelihood that historic buildings and places can be brought back to useful and productive life. PNJ 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 assets to New Jersey’s communities.