National Register Off Historic Places Inventory—Nomination Form
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FHR-8-300 (11-78) United States Department off the Interior Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service National Register off Historic Places Inventory—Nomination Form See instructions in How to Complete National Register Forms Type all entries—complete applicable sections__________________ 1. Name___________________ •^^^^•^^^^^^••••M^^^^^^B^^M^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^——^M——H^^HHH«^^^^^^___^^^^^__ / ft* <XA-"-.."--- * &-<vA| y rv*...£.-'.,. historic Van Vorst Park Historic DistrictVj&x-terrstern (f______ and/or common Portions of Wayne, Barrow, Bright Varick, Montgomery, , Monmouth, & street & number Mercer Sts. , Jersey Aver; Columbus Drive p^ for publication vicinity of state New Jersey code 034 county code 017 3. Classification Category Ownership Status Present Use X district public X occupied agriculture museum building(s) x private X unoccupied JX _ commercial park structure both work in progress -X _ educational X private residence site Public Acquisition Accessible entertainment .X _ religious object in process yes: restricted government scientific being considered yes: unrestricted _X_ industrial transportation no military other: 4. Owner of Property name Multiple Ownership street & number city, town vicinity of state courthouse, registry of deeds, etc. Registry of Deeds, Hudson County Administration Building street & number 595 Newark Avenue Jersey City city, town state NJ 6. Representation in Existing Surveys title Jersey City Cult.Resources Inventoiys this property___________ been determined eligible?SHOtl x* yes __ no *DOEforsome properties withinExtention date 198° (on-going) federal state county X local Jersey City Free Public Library, 472 Jersey Avenue depository for survey records city, town Jersey City state 7. Description Condition Check one Chech excellent __ deteriorated _£_ unaltered __ original site _JLcjoad& J *Qg__ ruins _JC_ altered __moved date __JL fair _ Describe the present and original {if known) physical appearance Justification for Extension The original Van Vorst Park Historic District (SR 08/02/78; NR 03/05/80) was based on a windshield survey conducted in 1976 by Henry-Russell Hitchcock at the request of an architectural consultant then under contract to the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency. The district was proposed with the goal of encouraging housing revitalization in this significant concentration of mid to late nineteenth century and early twentieth century row houses and tenements. Also included within its boundaries was a major industrial complex, the Joseph Dixon Crucible Company, and scattered other industrial buildings. Of primary consideration by the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency was that the district delineated was to be used as the basis for creation of a number of homeowner assistance programs. Also, the surveyors felt that the "probability" of rehabilitation, more likely in the concentrations of rowhouses in the core area around Van Vorst Park than in the tenement structures, more isolated rowhouses and the commercial and/or industrial properties, should be a factor in boundary determination. An examination of the boundaries of the district as originally delineated does not reveal a clear pattern of justification. Description of the Extension The Van Vorst Park District Extension includes all the buildings and groups of buildings that can logically be said to be part of this contiguous neighborhood. The extended boundaries follow the logical edges of the district, varying only to omit significant parcels of vacant land or incompatible building groups. The boundaries of the extended Van Vorst Historic District (inclusive of the original) are based as follows: Western Boundary: The western edge of the district is bordered by extensive new development, including the Montgomery Gateway Redevelopment Area. This project was a combination of demolition of substandard buildings, new townhouses, and rehabilitated tenement buildings. The boundary was drawn to include remaining buildings identical in character, style, and features to those included in the original district, as well as the rehabilitated buildings within Montgomery Gateway. To the extent possible, the boundary was drawn to exclude massed groupings of new townhouses. Northern Boundary; The original northern boundary runs east-west along Columbus Drive (called Railroad Avenue at the time of the original submission), from the Dixon Crucible complex to the rear lot lines of buildings facing Varick Street, thence along the rear lot lines of the houses fronting on the north side of Wayne Street to Jersey Avenue. At that point, the line once again extended to Columbus Drive, but only to the extent that it included corner buildings facing both sides of Jersey Avenue. At that point, the boundary turned again extending along the Wayne Street rear lot lines all the way to Grove Street; it was this segment of the boundary that bisected a major building with frontages on both Wayne Street and Columbus Drive. The northern boundary then moved south one block, and was extended through the middle of a block with vernacular Greek Revival brick houses facing Mercer Street included, while vernacular Greek Revival frame houses directly to their rear, but facing Wayne Street, were excluded. 8. Significance Period Areas of Significance— Check and justify below prehistoric archeoloav-nrehistoric community olannina landscape architecture _X_ religion 1400-1499 archeology-historic conservation law science 1500-1599 agriculture economics literature sculpture 1600-1699 X- architecture education military social/ 1700-1799 art engineering music humanitarian A 1800-1899 commerce exploration/settlement philosophy theater X 1900- communications x industry politics/government transportation invention other (specify) ~ — — Specific dates Builder/Architect Statement of Significance (in one paragraph) NOTE: This nomination is for the purpose of extending the boundaries of the existing Van Vorst Park National Register historic district. Thus, its significance in terms of developmental history and architecture are covered in the original nomination. Further, because of the nature of this extension, that is, adjustments to almost all boundaries of the districts, the significance of housing types, and their corollaries within the existing district, will be discussed on a streetscape basis, identified by City Block Number and cross streets. The extension of the Van Vorst Park historic district includes approximately 115 contributing and pivotal structures of the type found in the existing Van Vorst Park district: late Victorian vernacular rowhouses (Italian Renaissance Revival and Greek Revival). As with the existing district, the character of the extension area is basically residential, although, again as with the original there are occasional institutional or industrial buildings interspersed throughout. Block 202; (1) South side Wayne Street, between Grove and Henderson Streets -- (partial), (2) East side of Grove Street between Wayne and Mercer Streets (partial). (1) This block consists primarily of original single family homes, mostly in a Greek Revival vernacular style which, although some structures have been artificially sided, is still evident. Some of these structures date from prior to 1850, and are thus among the earliest houses extant in Jersey City. Their corollaries in the existing district are found on almost all blocks between Grove Street and Barrow Street, where, as in this block, they are now interspersed among later brick structures. (2) The corner building on this block is a four story apartment building erected c.1915. Grove Street was a major cross street in downtown Jersey City and was thus more prone to regeneration than side streets. This type of building - the early twentieth century apartment building - is found throughout the existing district. Major examples are at 87-89 Wayne Street and at the northeastern corner of York and Barrow Streets, facing Van Vorst Park. The existing district abuts this building on its southerly side. Block 269; (1) West side of Barrow Street between Bright and Grand Streets, (2) south side of Bright Street, between Barrow and Jersey Avenue, (3) east side of Jersey Avenue between Bright and Grand Streets. (1) These row houses in the vernacular Greek Revival style are similar to those U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1981 0 - 330-1*56 9. Major Bibliographical References_________ Atlas of Hudson County, NJ, Vol. I, Jersey City: G.M. Hopkins Co.: Philadelphia, 1908 Atlas of Jersey City, N.J. G.W. Bromley & Co., Philadelphia, 1887. Combined Atlas of NJ & Hudson County. G.M. Hopkins Co., Phila. 1873.(con't) 10. Geographical Data Acreage of nominated property _____/ / acres Quadrangle name Jersey City, NJ-NY Quadrangle scale 1:24000 UMT References A I li 8l IslSiOliiQiOl I4i5l0i8lli2i0l I5l8i0l8i6i0l I4i5l0i7l8i0iol Zone Easting Northing Zone Easting Northing C I li 8| |5|8 tO|8i2iO| |4|5|0|7|4|2,0| p|l|8|- |5|8|0|4|4| 0| |4|5|0|7|4|4|0| E I li 8l I5l8i0l0i4i0l I4i5l0i7l6i0i0l F 11,81 I5i7i9l9.4i0i I4i5l0i7|8i0i0| Gl . I I I . I . I I , I i I i i I Hi . I I I i I i i I 1,1,1,11 Verbal boundary description and justification NOTE: Because of the fragmented nature of the extension to an existing district, the following is an inclusive boundary of the revised Van Vorst District, (continued)__________ ______ _____________________ List all states and counties for properties overlapping state or county boundaries NA state code county code state code county code 11. Form Prepared By name/title Charles Wyatt and