Historic Preservation

RE-ENACTING HISTORY – Re-enactors portraying General George Washington and Generals Nathanael Greene and John Sullivan at the “Conference on Horseback” January 4 in Kingston. Several hundred people gathered along Church Street in Kingston on January 4 to witness an event that has not been seen in 249 years. It was on January 3, 1777, on a hill in Kingston in …

GRANT RECEIVED – Pictured, from left to right, (front), Josephine Taranto, Preservation Planner for Somerset County’s Department of Engineering and Planning; Jane Kiernan, Treasurer of the Franklin Inn – Van Liew Homestead Association; Nancy Hohnstine, Trustee of the Franklin Inn – Van Liew Homestead Association; Barbara ten Broeke, President of the Franklin Inn – Van Liew Homestead Association; Suzanne Ochse, …

PLANNING THE PARTY – Historic Commissioner Bob LaCorte talks about the ideas being formed for the Township’s celebration of the 250th anniversary of the country’s founding. The newly minted chairman of the as-yet-unnamed committee to plan the Township’s commemoration of the country’s 250th anniversary recently gave a few sneak peeks into early planning of the event. Bob LaCorte, who was …

MAKING HIS CASE – Archbishop Antony of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the United States, left, tells the Historic Preservation Advisory Commission why the church needs to sell the Ukrainian Cultural Center and 18 acres on Davidson Avenue. Financial concerns led officials of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the United States to decide to sell the Ukrainian Cultural Center to …

PLAN DETAILS – Daniel Miola, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church engineer, explains the project to the Historic Preservation Advisory Commission on April 1. A plan to widen the driveway at the Ukrainian Reformed Church on Easton Avenue and add more parking spaces received a conditional Certificate of Appropriateness from the Historic Preservation Advisory Commission at its April 1 meeting. But that’s …

PROPOSED BUILDING – An artist’s rendering of the proposed multi-purpose building at the Rutgers Prep campus on Easton Avenue. Representatives from Rutgers Preparatory School on Easton Avenue have begun seeking the round of necessary approvals for a proposed new multi-purpose building. Their first appearance was at the May 7 Historic Preservation Advisory Commission meeting, where they gave commissioners an advanced …

With construction on the McDonald’s replacement location in Rutgers Plaza well underway, engineers for the project received on May 7 a thumbs-up to remove branding elements from the current restaurant in Village Plaza. A representative of the engineering company, Excellence Engineering, appeared before the township Historic Preservation Advisory Commission for its approval of the plan. The Historic Commission’s Certificate of …

PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT – An artist’s rendering of the proposed 4-story, 200-apartment building targeted for the former K-Mart building in Rutgers Plaza. The developer of a proposed 4-story apartment building targeted for Rutgers Plaza was told by the township Historic Preservation Advisory Commission to “soften up” their building’s styling at the April 2 Commission meeting. Representatives from Levin Properties appeared before …

MAKING THE CASE – Township Manager Robert Vornlocker told the Open Space Advisory Committee on February 20 that the Meadows Foundation needs help in paying some of its bills. The Open Space Committee on February 20 voted to recommend that some of its money be used to help the cash-strapped Meadows Foundation pay some of its bills. The recommendation will …

The Howe House in Colonial Park is one of four historic sites receiving nearly $1 million through Somerset County’s Historic Preservation Grant Program. Organizations received grant money for the stabilization, rehabilitation, restoration, and/or preservation of historic sites. The funds were made possible by the Somerset County Board of County Commissioners through the Somerset County Open Space, Recreation, Farmland and Historic Preservation …