The State of Our State

Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center was an essential hospital in Plainfield NJ for over 125 years. It was founded in 1876, opened in 1881, and shuttered in 2008 due to a lack of profitability under its new owner, Solaris. The hospital was built on goodwill, originally founded after a local rail accident. Its closure was detrimental to the quality of life of people in the area. The local branch of the People's Organization for Progress saw this and rallied to save it to no avail. Its closure and eventual demolition is a slap to the face of not only the community but also the local people who helped build the hospital through charity and hard work over a century.

Although the School of Nursing is still present nearby and there is an urgent care run under the Muhlenberg name, the campus is now mostly demolished with the remaining buildings converted into housing. Some of the most historic buildings were demolished first in 2019. 200,000 people are still without a local hospital. The closest fully operational hospital with ER is now 30 minutes northeast of MRMC

The Abbey was built in 1904 for a founder of Bell Telephone Co. and his wife. It was modeled after Alnwick Castle, Northumberland England. After they left it was an inventor's workshop, and then a Lutheran church. Because of the amount of original detail, The Abbey is one of New Jersey's greatest and most valuable historic structures

In the time since my visit, the building has been purchased by Restoration Hardware. They are in the process of converting it into a showroom. I am inquisitive about their plans for the building and the results the project will yield. The building was recently restored to a degree for Mansion in May, 2015. Restoration Hardware has demolished additions to the building from an unspecified period as of 2022; seemingly striving for originality. It will be very impressive if they embrace the historical aspects of what they have.

This house sat empty on River Drive in Elmwood Park for years. It existed unnoticed in an enclave of trees for a decade or more. This was despite its location square between major highways on the most central road in the area. I made many trips starting in 2016. Signs of vandalism only started to appear after 2020. In early winter 2023, it was demolished to make way for a patch of land as unsuspecting as the house before it. Most people never knew it was there and never will. This is despite the original section dating to about 1900.

The Thomas Lamb-designed Paramount Theater is a structure many people know despite not realizing it. The marquee remains prominent on Broad Street in Newark, spelling out the name of the city. Unfortunately, the theater has been in an alarming condition for many years and the auditorium pictured caved in on itself after a snowstorm in 2021. The building has been fenced off and the future of its iconic marquee is uncertain. When my photograph was taken two years before the collapse, Zodiac signs painted in gold could be seen revealing themselves within the dome as the old top coat of red paint peeled away.

This train car is hidden away in the woods somewhere in New Jersey. This is a passenger car and is a pristine example of the type of experience riders would have had around the 1930s. I haven't visited in years and am unsure if it remains this immaculate. I have visited other train cars in New Jersey and none have been as interesting, historic, and impressive to me as this one.

The North Jersey Developmental Center was located in Totowa NJ. It opened in 1928 as the North Jersey Training School. In its final incarnation, it was a primarily facility for local people with developmental delays and cognitive disorders. This is very similar to its original purpose of serving the same populations and creating an in patient community setting. They also provided a work-study program that was active until closure. My first job was in Totowa and I often worked alongside people from the center. 

It was closed by the Christie administration in 2013. The buildings were demolished in quick succession in 2018 to make way for a data center. An urgent care style medical facility has recently been added to the former campus.

This is a central point in Kearny. This area is rife with development and change. One major change I've noticed is the replacement of the 1927 Wittpenn bridge. Another is the demolition of a disused historic building at the Hudson County Correctional Center; soon to be replaced by warehouses. I urgently hope to see more of the 1920s through 1950s structures in this area survive and get restored like the Pulaski Skyway is being currently. 

The industrial history in the Meadowlands and surrounding area is rich and an integral part of our state culture. Significant structures should be adaptively reused. We should take a hard look at what we have and think about how we can use it to the best of our ability. We need to assess if something needs to or should be destroyed, or if it can be adaptively reused for community and education.

This health resort and convent was a  residential facility for low-income elderly people at the end of its lifespan. The facility was founded by Father Joseph Joch in 1895 and utilized a system called the "Kneipp Water Cure." It was fed by water from the diamond spring and was the only facility of its kind on the east coast when fully operational. The Sisters of the sorrowful mother took up residence there shortly after its founding. It was sold and shuttered abruptly in 2021. A film was made here after its closing as senior housing but is yet to be released. As is done typically they went after the most historic structures first, starting with the chapel. The St. Francis Health Resort and Convent was one of the most historic structures in Denville and is entirely demolished at this point in 2023.

This apartment is frozen in time in the heart of a major New Jersey city. It was never updated before abandonment and is hidden away so well that it has yet to be vandalized. It features original built-in mirrors, skylights, and light fixtures. It is fairly large and was presumably used for boarding in the end based on its location.

This Jersey City church was opened around 1889. It was the site of oddities markets and other events for a period after its closing. I used to frequent the markets and they were marvelous. At some point, the church was deconsecrated while actively still being used for events. This revealed that underneath the unique and vibrant pink paint job was gorgeous original stencil work dating to when the church was erected. As of 2023 units are available for rent within the church. I know some of the units incorporate details of the church and I wonder if the original stencil work is visible to any residents.

St. Michaels Hospital in Newark NJ has been a city staple since 1871. Over the years there have been multiple additions to the building. The first of which was done in 1888 and designed by renowned city architect Jeremiah O'Rourke. This included a staircase addition as well as a renovation of the existing space. After this at least two more additions were made in the 1900s. 

This led to the abandonment of the entire original space and O'Rourke addition sometime before the 2010s. The vacant portion of the hospital has been under renovation for the past few years. The current status of the Chapel interior is unknown. The grand staircase is still visible through the windows and appears to be being preserved. The exterior of the building looks miles better since the start if this project. Local historians can only hope the same care is being given to the most unique features inside.

Resources:

https://www.fightbacknews.org/2008/07/muhlenberg.htm

http://tfpnj.blogspot.com/2020/03/muhlenburg-regional-medical-center.html

https://www.nj.com/njv_mark_diionno/2009/10/plainfield_feeling_the_pain_of.html

https://morristowngreen.com/2023/01/17/before-it-was-the-abbey-before-restoration-hardware-it-was-alnwick-hall-of-convent-nj/comment-page-1/

https://njparcels.com/property/0211/1202/21

http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/4603

http://tfpnj.blogspot.com/2018/12/north-jersey-training-school.html

https://gardenstatelegacy.com/files/Fountains_of_Youth_Moss_GSL2.pdf

https://jerseydigs.com/380-montgomery-street-jersey-city-development/

http://tfpnj.blogspot.com/2020/02/st-michaels-hospital.html