Village Green Preservation Society: Stick style

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Preservation Potentials: 159 Franklin Street

UPDATE JUNE 2013: CURRENTLY OFF MARKET

Attention: Victorian House Lovers, Steampunks, Anglophiles, and fellow appreciators of all things antique! I'm not sure old-house hunters outside the immediate area realize the unique architectural offerings Woodbury, NJ has in store. In some cases these houses will require a little creativity to restore them to their former glory, but most will have retained a large semblance of the magnificent days of English-inspired American architecture, for a fraction of the cost found in other areas.

Today's featured house is a 4 bedroom, 1 bath, well maintained place with a big backyard. It features a closed in heated porch, which I don't particularly see as a plus, as personally prefer an original open porch detail, but some people like the extra year round room it provides. Built circa 1900, this Victorian era home was most likely originally finished in a Stick style and although the siding has been updated and the porch closed in, it still retains some of its original charm. It even appears as if most of the original interior details have remained intact, albeit painted (see photo). Offered at ~~$85,000~~ $75,000, the house is conveniently located near the quickly revitalizing downtown area. See more photos and the full listing: HERE.

It is my opinion that reviving a once grand city is a community effort that largely starts at home. Vested homeowners that value the history and heritage of their house and who treat their home as an extension of the family and not just some place to crash, can and do make a difference. Preserve the past, to better the future!

Monday, March 12, 2012

Woodbury Railroad Station

Woodbury's only surviving railroad station located at the corner of Railroad Ave. and Cooper St., is an example of Eastern Stick style architecture. Built in 1883, it features a hipped roof with slate shingles and decorative "stick work" shown in the exposed porch rafters. The West Jersey run depot and subsequent Woodbury Station was Woodbury's epicenter for social and economic growth. Not only did G.G. Green's endeavors, both financial and personal, find their epicenter here, but it was the site of whistle stops by the likes of Teddy Roosevelt, W.H. Taft, Woodrow Wilson (both as Gov. of NJ, and as Presidential candidate) and many others (Fahs, 2009). The Woodbury Station also served Philadelphia commuters who established homes in Woodbury's new East Side District. Vegetables from surrounding farms, manufactured goods from nearby factories, and even locally made patent medicines were shipped to market through this distinguished station. By 1917 there was more than 139 daily trains passing thru the Woodbury Train Station ("About woodbury station," 2010).

In 1996, thanks to the Woodbury Olde-City Restoration Committee and a grant from the NJ Historic Trust the station was completely restored. Nev Fahs, a Woodbury resident, local history buff and preservation carpenter had the pleasure to work on the station during this time. Fahs (2009) remarks on the condition of the building before restoration: The roof sagged and leaked, windows were broken and long painted shut, and the structure on the first floor was in danger of collapse from fatigue, rot, and water damage. The roof line of the platform apron was as wavy as spaghetti. Its condition only hinted at the glory days when G.G. Green parked his [railroad] car there, or when it was one of the quaint stops of the Cape May line, carrying Philadelphians and others to the shore every summer.

Sixteen years on, and the building still looks great. It is a testament to the lasting nature of Historic Preservation and a fine example of successful Adaptive Reuse. The building now houses a popular New Orleans cuisine style restaurant, The Woodbury Station Café. For more details (and some great stories) on the restoration work perfomed on the station see Fahs' blog HERE.