James Street Commons Historic District

The James Street Commons Historic District is a historic district located in Newark, Essex County, New Jersey, United States. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 9, 1978, for its significance in architecture, art, community planning and development, education, industry, and social history. There was a small boundary increase on September 22, 1983.

History and description

When first surveyed in 1977 for landmark status, the district had 425 structures. Since then about 170 historic buildings in the district have been demolished, or about 40% of the district's urban fabric. When buildings are demolished, the predominant land use becomes surface parking. Rutgers University, Edison ParkFast, St. Michael's Hospital, and the New Jersey Institute of Technology are the main owners of surface parking lots and structures within the district. In 2020, the actions of NJIT president Joel Bloom with demolition of the nationally landmarked Warren Street School resulted in the historic district being listed among the ten most endangered historic places in New Jersey.

Contributing properties

Washington Park (Newark) aka Harriet Tubman Square

American Insurance Company Building

Newark Public Library

Newark Museum

St. Michael's Hospital

Pro-Cathedral of Saint Patrick

Notable people

Guy Sterling - James Street resident, author, and reporter

Clement Alexander Price - American historian

Jeremiah O'Rourke - Irish-American architect at 45 Burnet Street

Seth Boyden - demolished workshop was in the neighborhood

George Westinghouse - demolished factory was just outside the district

John Cotton Dana - founder of the Newark Public Library and Newark Museum

Peter Ballantine - Scottish-American industrialist

Elvin W. Crane - politician and relative of author Stephen Crane

Edward Weston - chemist and engineer, competitor with Thomas Edison

Louis Bamberger - businessman and philanthropist, property owner in the area

See also

National Register of Historic Places listings in Essex County, New Jersey

References

External links

Geography of Essex County, New Jersey

Geography of Newark, New Jersey

National Register of Historic Places in Newark, New Jersey

Historic districts in Essex County, New Jersey

Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in New Jersey

New Jersey Register of Historic Places