I've lived in New Jersey for more than 40 years, but I'll never be a real New Jersey girl. I grew up in Pennsylvania where there was lots of snow, one traffic light in town, and 90 kids in my grade--from kindergarten through graduation. I didn't know anything about The Shore, or baked ziti, or Chanukah until I came to Jersey. But, I've come to love all of that and much more--especially the history. I now know about the Jersey Dutch, strawberry baskets, railroad suburbs, the bridge that saved a nation, and so much more. I've learned that to tell the local stories about regular people I need to read wills, estate files, census records, pension applications, letters, tombstones, newspapers, and anything else I can find. So, that's some of what I want to share with you!

Sunday, August 10, 2014

Towns neglect their houses

Which of these houses are owned by municipalities?
Which of these houses would you want in your neighborhood?

The Zabriskie-Schedler house in Ridgewood and the Naugle house in Fair Lawn are both owned by the towns and left in dilapidated condition.  Some basic homeowner maintenance should be provided these treasures.  How much does it cost to trim bushes, clean gutters, keep ivy from growing on a house?  Demolition by neglect is a time-honored way to avoid facing the responsibility of maintaining a building and of making a decision.  If a house is let to go too far, then the question, with a shrug of the shoulders is, "how can we afford to fix this house up?"  So if one of these houses is in your neighborhood, speak to the town.  If they own the property, ask the Council why the town does not have to meet its own property maintenance standards.  Ridgewood has just identified 6 abandoned properties in the Village--they didn't mention the one they've abandoned.


RIDGEWOOD: Groups fighting to save house--OWNED BY THE VILLAGE

FAIR LAWN: To Fix Historic House--OWNED BY THE TOWN



DETROIT: 10 reasons for historic failures


BLOOMFIELD:  House is declared an endangered historic site 


Fair Lawn to fix historic Naugle House
Fair Lawn to fix historic Naugle House
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