What We Do

SOUTH ORANGE HISTORICAL AND PRESERVATION SOCIETY P.O. Box 61 South Orange, NJ 07079 973-762-9555

What We Do

We strive to:

Provide programs to disseminate historical, preservation and architectural information.
Support preservation activities within the Village of South Orange.
Support the recognition of landmark buildings and historic neighborhoods.
Promote adaptive reuse of significant historic structures rather than abandonment or demolition.

2007 - 2008 programs/organizational activities are:

SOHPS Celebrates South Orange Day with MSSO
Participation in the “Starbucks Care” volunteer clean-up program at SOMS on September 15, 2007
Participation in the Seton Hall SHU500 "VOLUNTEER EVENT at SOMS Middle School Sept. 21. 2007
Sponsoring an exhibit of the Old Stone House model and related materials at the South Orange Public Library, with an opening reception on October 13.
Presentation of our annual Preservation award to New Jersey Transit for restoration of the South Orange train station in 2008
Continued Updates to the SOHPS Photo Gallery
SOHPS 2008 Annual Membership Meeting May 2008

2006 - 2007 programs/organizational activities are:

2005

1986 to September 18, 2004

Researched history in detail
Prepared and acquired listing on the State and National Registers of Historic Places
Provided matching grant to prepare Preservation Plan by David Abramson, preservation architect
Secured grant for $154,943 for building stabilization and plan of restoration from New Jersey Historic Trust; Village match was $80,000, our portion is $104,000 but grant now turned over to Village to award contracts
New grant to be secured to develop practical uses for the building
Visited other restored historic houses (Durrand Heddon House, Maplewood; Grover Cleveland Museum, Cedar Grove) to determine potential and lessons learned for Old Stone House

Thomas Foose Performing Arts Collection

Received the Thomas Foose Performing Arts Library with c. 4000 books, periodicals, playbills and other related items from the mid nineteenth century, worth $75,000
Granted space by the Village and South Orange Library to house collection in the Connett Library Building
Collection needs to be organized and prepared for display and public use

South Orange Movie, “Once Upon a Gaslight” produced by Nancy Heins-Glaser

Support with historical research, photographs and review for historical accuracy
Contributions to Sound Bytes & Bagel Bites

Tony Smith Sculpture

South Orange Fire Station

Supported the effort to raise the funds for Ulana Zakalak, historic preservationist, to prepare the successful nomination for the SO Fire Station to the State and National Registers of Historic Places
Supported the Village to apply successfully for grant money from the New Jersey Historic Trust for recent restoration

South Orange Train Station

Local source of review for New Jersey Transit’s rehabilitation of train trestle and station
Sponsored a presentation on the long term rehabilitation program by David Koenig, NJ Transit’s historic preservationist, and resident of South Orange

Mountain Train Station

Wrote letter to NJ Transit objecting to their replacing authentic roofing tile with a man-made substitute

Irvington Avenue restoration project

Provided research and information for Village to win funding from the State of New Jersey for the Irvington Avenue project

West South Orange Ave. Revitalization

Shoprite

Review, encouragement and support for improvement to Main Street South Orange and Village

South Orange Village Hall

Historic photo display by John Overall and Tom Ricciardi
Researched history of Village Hall for centenary (100 year anniversary)
Organized and researched information for the historic local photographs in Village Hall. Wrote introductions and captions.

Baird Community Center

Provide ongoing support for dissemination of its history including lectures by Andy Brady
Sponsored historic color selection of exterior paint by professional colorist
Provide ongoing support and advice for its maintenance and restoration

Historic Commission

Members sat on ad-hoc Village committee, researched commissions in neighboring communities and made recommendations to the Village
Anticipate working with Montrose Park Historic District Society

South Orange Village Centennial

A major player in the Village wide event, preparing displays and disseminating historical information

FUND RAISERS

Sale of T-shirts with pictures of various significant historical sites
Sale of 1904 Maps of South Orange
Sale of 1877 Maps of South Orange; Out of print but scan by John Overall for new printing complete
Sale of Post Cards
Sale of Article “How to Research Your Historic House”

Historic House Tours
Pot-luck Dinners and Wine & Cheese Receptions with members, friends, neighbors, other associations, Village government officials and others to provide updates on SOHPS activities and status of plans for the Old Stone House
Various presentations to community organizations such as the local TV Channel, the Newcomers Club, the Rotary Club
Various newspaper & magazine articles
Old Stone House Day, 3^rd Sunday in September
Authentic sit-down Victorian dinner party including presentation on stained glass by Jimmy Ma and tour of Victorian home of David Gassman
Presentation by Ulysses Deitz of the Newark Museum on historic interiors
Concert by Lew Hollander, folk singer
Viewing of early cut of “Once Upon a Gaslight”, the movie rich with the history of South Orange by Nancy Heins-Glaser
Presentation and house tour of art and artifacts of the Marquesas Islands by historian David Gassman
Presentation on the plans for South Orange’s downtown development by Bill Calabrese
Presentation on the history of the South Orange Firehouse
Tour of St Andrew’s and Holy Communion Church
Played colonial children’s games in the park
Presentation on historical house painting color presentation by professional colorist, John Crosby Freeman