It Happened in Our Town or Col. Green: Silent Film Star

In 1922, during the silent film era, there was some notable films produced that are recognizable even to this day. These include Nosferatu, Robin Hood, Oliver Twist, Häxan, and others. In addition, Clara Bow and Walt Disney made their film debuts this year.

There is, however, one film produced during this time that you may be completely unaware of. Premiering in February, 1922 at the Rialto Theatre located in the Green Opera House building, was a short film entitled "It Happened In Our Town." It featured local "actors" Miss Marie Jesberg and Mister Calvin Bleam and included scenes around town such as the Woodbury Station and Rialto crowds, the trolley "flying up Broad Street", a wedding at the Episcopal Church, and Woodbury High School girls in calisthenics, amongst others. Something I would of particularly enjoyed seeing (besides the great crowds patronizing our city) are the scenes featuring G. G. Green, his Gray Towers mansion, and sun parlor!!

This appears to be a classic example of what is known as itinerant filmaking and after thorough research I feel that this film has vanished from existence, never having been archived. Billington (1993), the current Librarian of Congress states, "Fewer than 20% of the features of the 1920s survive in complete form" and that's only considering feature films! I hope I am mistaken but unless someone has the reel stored in a Victorian house attic somewhere, chances are slim of ever feasting our eyes on actual moving images of vintage roaring twenties Woodbury. Perhaps it's lying in the stockpile of original artifacts still in the Green Opera House awaiting discovery... time will tell.

February 1922 Woodbury Daily Times Ad

Billington, J. H. (1993, September). Film preservation 1993: A study of the current state of american film preservation. Retrieved from http://www.loc.gov/film/study.html

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.

About woodbury station cafe. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.woodburystationcafe.com/about.html

Fahs, N. (2009, August 17). [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://preservationcarpentry.blogspot.com/2009/08/woodbury-train-station-part-ii.html