PRESERVE
COMMUNITIES
PROGRAM:
2005 COMMUNITY APPLICATION
1. GENERAL
INSTRUCTIONS
Communities
must consult with
their State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) during development of
this
application and send
a copy of the completed application to the SHPO
when it is
submitted. (Not required for tribal submissions.)
X Check
this box to signify that you have done
so.
SHPO
names and addresses can
be found at www.ncshpo.org or by calling (202) 624-5465.
Applications
must be
submitted in hard copy and will not be returned. Please
provide two original copies of all
materials
and three to five related images as described on page 4.
Model application documents are available
at
www.PreserveAmerica.gov/communities.html. Submission well in advance of
one of
the quarterly
deadlines
(March 1, June
1, September 1, December 1) will
facilitate timely review.
Submit
applications to:
Sources of additional information:
Advisory Council on Historic Preservation Advisory Council on Historic Preservation
2. COMMUNITY
INFORMATION
All
communities, incorporated
or unincorporated, and federally recognized Indian tribes are eligible
to seek
designation as
Preserve
America Communities.
3. APPLICANT
INFORMATION
Application
for designation
can only be submitted by one of the following:
•
Mayor or equivalent elected
governing official of an incorporated community;
unincorporated community; or
•
Tribal governing official.
Applicant’s
Name __Edward H. Thompson III_____________________________________________Title
____Mayor__
Mailing
Address___2700 Allaire Road_____________________________________________________________________
PRESERVE
4.
DESIGNATION CRITERIA
AND REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION
A
community will qualify for
designation as a Preserve
America Community
if:
A.
The
community has supported (within the last three years) a
historic or cultural preservation project that promotes heritage
tourism or
otherwise fosters economic vitality. The project must have involved a
public-private
partnership between government
entities and at least one civic
association,
non-profit organization, or business enterprise. (Please
provide a written description
of a specific project, documenting how it fulfills these requirements.
Do not
exceed 500 words.)
The Township Committee
accomplishes this by
direct action, through the Environmental Advisory Committee,
and by
enabling
and fostering local
preservation efforts with partnerships, grants and
the
in-kind support
of the Public Works Department. The
town has also provided
legal services, political
support and
has
saved volunteer preservation efforts.
As example
funding its relocation to Board of Education property.
One of the last remaining one-room school
houses,
the volunteer restored building now serves not only as a local
tourist
stop but also as an education resource
for local schools.
The
Wall Township Seal has
four images
which give homage to historic sites of local, national and
international
significance located in the town. The
preservation of two sites represented on the Seal involves the Camp
Evans
Historic District. This unique time capsule of communications history began its international significant history in 1913 in the days of
spark-gap vacuum-tube based wireless. The last Army project left in 1999. The known history includes service
as the largest Trans-Atlantic High-powered Wireless Station in the Marconi Corporation Imperial Chain,
the WWI Naval Trans-Atlantic Communications center, the first campus of the King’s College, WW2 service as
the Signal Corps Radar Laboratory, the birth place of space communications and radar astronomy in 1946,
a site Senator Joseph McCarthy visited to find suspected communists, a pre-NASA communications and weather
satellite design, testing and tracking center, the birth place of satellite hurricane tracking, cold-war defense research,
and a President Regan era “Star-wars” research site.
These sites with all this history would be lost were it not for the efforts and enabling support of
B.
The
governing body of the community has recently adopted a
resolution indicating its commitment to the preservation of its
heritage
assets. (Please
include a
signed and dated copy of the resolution.)
2. March 9, 2005 - WWII Living
Memorial Resolution
3. December 10, 2003 - Old Schoolhouse
Transfer Resolution
4. March 28, 2001 - Camp
Evans Transfer of Historic Surplus
Property Resolution
C.
The
community meets at least five of the criteria outlined below
(with at least one from each specified
category).
(Please
check the criteria below under
which you are seeking Preserve
Community designation. For each criterion, please provide a written
description
of
no
more than 250
words explaining how your community meets the criterion.)
X An
ongoing, publicly available inventory of historic properties.
The Old Wall Historical Society inventoried and documented the graves in all cemeteries within the town. These
documents are on file available in the Wall Public Library and Monmouth County Historical Association Library.
The Old Wall Historical Society Archive has addition information and recent updates on file. The archive is located at
the Allgor-Barkalow Homestead,
X A community-supported museum, interpretive facility, archive, or local history records collection (private or public).
scheduled
school group
visits. The Old Wall Historical
society
operates the Allgor-Barkalow Homestead and
Blansingburg schoolhouse
museums. The homestead is filled with
exhibits of period artifacts, the Allgor
general store, Post Office and
historic photos. An Archive,
genealogical library, issues of local newspapers,
and many old town
records are
housed in the homestead. The society has
restored the school to its 1855
appearance. Every
primary student in the town school
system visits as a class trip during second and fourth grades.
At
X Active
citizen volunteer involvement, such as a docent or guide program for
interpretation of
local history and culture, or volunteer participation in improving the
condition of heritage assets
within the community.
The members of the
Environmental Committee are all volunteers. The
members of the Old Wall Historical Society
preserved and
maintain
the Allgor-Barkalow Homestead and the Blansingburg
Schoolhouse with
considerable
volunteer labor. Members
are available each Sunday to interpret local history and period culture
in the
homestead
and school. A recent matching
grant from the Monmouth County Commission enabled structural repairs to
the
homestead
second floor which had
suffered from time and many school group visits.
The
volunteers of
InfoAge have returned to service two 1914
Marconi Station cottages, a WW2 sentry
post and
a utility shed. Currently
work
is ongoing on the 1957 TIROS weather satellite ground control and
tracking
building,
and the 1957 60-foot diameter TIROS satellite antenna. This
antenna
and the satellite control center are historic as a
NOAA site where
satellite
hurricane tracking was born on April 10, 1960.
These
will become a space science and meteorology
education
center. InfoAge has been given grants from
NASA, the Harris Corporation
and the
Wall Kiwanis Club to further the
preservation work
and reuse the site as a tourist destination and education center.
During weekends volunteers are improving
the
condition of the Marconi Hotel, administration annex, and
post
telephone exchange. Distant InfoAge
members have traveled from
to volunteer. Virtual Volunteers have
contributed considerable content to the 1000+ page InfoAge website.
curriculum or special outreach activities.
The homestead is filled with
exhibits of period artifacts, the Allgor general store, Post Office and
historic photos.
The society has
restored the schoolhouse to its 1855 appearance. Every
primary student in the town school
system
visits as a class trip during
second and fourth grades as outreach activities to give the students a
taste of 1855 life.
To prepare for the
schoolhouse visit the 2nd grade teachers have lession plans,
work-sheets and coloring books
provided by the Society. When the
classes visit the volunteer society members have a complete 1855 school
day schedule with old time chalk slates for the students to do their
period lessions on.
They
supply suspenders
for the boys, pinafores for the girls and aprons for the
teachers. For recess, the all the items necessary and
instructions are provided
to play 1875 games. Their lunch is provided in a period metal
lunch box.
Category
2: Protecting
Historic Resources
preservation activities within the community.
The Environment Advisory Committee is charged with leading historic preservation by town ordnance 16-4. The Advisory Committee and the Township Committee accomplish much work by enabling, encouraging and supporting the preservation efforts of citizens and not-for-profits. As example, the work of the Old Wall Historical Society and InfoAge whose volunteers have done much to preserve and interpret the towns history. The Committee has given numerous persons, families and small business awards and recognition for historic preservation efforts. The Advisory Committee has come to the aid of the efforts of the volunteer organizations when needed. As example: when the efforts to save Camp Evans were threaten by local Army BRAC officials refusing to replace the sanitary sewer system removed as an environmental precaution the Committee helped the town and Infoage elevate the issue to Congressman Chris Smith, Preservation-NJ and the area news networks. The negative press resulted in the local BRAC officials entering in a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to replace the sewer lines within the historic district. In March of 2004 when the BRAC office threatened to auction the historic district Congressman Smith insisted the National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP) be allowed to participate in the negotiations. NTHP counsel Ms. Betsy Merritt and Township Attorney Mr. Roger McLaughlin convinced the Pentagon BRAC officials a long and protracted struggle lay ahead in the press and in the court if an acceptable compromise could not be reached.
The Environmental Advisory Committee has taken on activities the volunteer organizations had not time or volunteer power to accomplish. Examples are creating and publishing the Historic Site Inventory in 1993 and leading the year long 150th Wall Township Anniversary Celebration in 2001.
■ An
adopted community-wide historic preservation plan that is being
implemented.
The community adopted the NPS
approved
Preservation
and Architectural Plan for the Camp Evans
historic district. This is a major undertaking which demostrates
a dedication to Preserving American
many communities would not even consider. The State of New
Jersey manages the Allaire Park.
The Old Wall Historical Society manages the Allgor-Barkalow homestead
and Blansingburg schoolhouse.
The community dedication to
historic preservation has shown excellent results without a formal plan.
■ A
historic preservation review ordinance and volunteer or
professional staff to implement it.
The community activitists and
volunteer organizations have taken action to protect historic
properties when
threatened. The town purchased the Allgor-Barkalow
homestead to save it from demolition, the town moved the Blansingburg
schoolhouse when it was offered by a private owner in place of
demolition, and the town supported
the preservation of Camp Evans. When faced with
demolition by neglect and removal of sewer service the
town objected to threats to
auction the Camp Evans historic district. The Township
Committee,
the Environmental Advisory Committee engaged the NJ SHPO,
PreservationNJ, Congressman Chris Smith,
and the National Trust for Historic Preservation to fight with the Army BRAC office to make sure the
historic buildings were transfered in safe and usable condition.
Category
3: Promoting
Historic Assets
promotional material as a walking/driving trail or tour itinerary, map of historic resources, etc.
The Old Wall Historical Society and InfoAge promote Wall history in various ways. Old Wall has brochures, regular Journals, historic map reproductions, and offers blankets with selected historic site sewn in. They have published a guide to historic homes and a coloring book of 20 historic sites within the town complete with descriptions, study questions and driving directions to each site. Each township student is given a coloring book in 2nd grade. Students who visit each site to answer the questions receive a certificate.
InfoAge
has submitted
historic focus articles to the local press and over forty have been
published. InfoAge has brochures, a website with over 1000 pages and has
sponsored special events. As example on
the Saturday, August 13, 2005
InfoAge and State
Assemblyman Steve Corodemus dedicated
X A
regularly scheduled heritage observance or event.
Besides the celebration
of Veterans Day at
Town Hall there are a number of regular scheduled heritage
observances
and
events. The Old Wall Historical
Society
celebrates Wall’s Founders Day, sponsor an annual
Civil War Encampment
and an antique show and sale.
InfoAge and the
Ocean-Monmouth Amateur Radio Club
celebrate International Marconi Day
and
observe the Project Diana anniversary in public events. Marconi
established the Wireless station that
was expanded into
at
that radio and radar was shown capable of breaking
the
bounds of earth’s atmosphere.
X ■ A
historic preservation awards or recognition program.
has recognized each home over 125
years old with a certificate and a plaque. Each student who
completes the
historical coloring book, visits each historic site and answers the
questions
is awarded a certificate from the society.
The Environmental Advisory
Committee has given numerous persons, families and small business
awards and
recognition for historic preservation efforts.
D.
Submit
three to five images that show people using and enjoying
your historic cultural and natural resources (CD with
digital images
with a
resolution of 300 dpi or greater, 4" x 6" color photographs, or
slides) and provide caption and credit
information for each.
5. ADDITIONAL
SUPPORTING
MATERIAL
Letter of endorsement from New Jersey's 11th District - Assemblyman Steve Corodemus
Letter of endorsement from 4th Sistrict Congressman Chris Smith to arrive separately.
Documenting
participation in
other nationwide preservation programs is encouraged. (Please
let us know
if your
community
is a Certified Local Government, a
program, a recipient of Transportation Enhancements funding
for
historic preservation, etc.)
Camp
Evans was named a Save America's Treasures site in 1999. Given
the first transfer did not occur until
August of 2004 Wall/InfoAge were not eligible to apply for any grant
programs.
Wall Township Newsletter - We Can Do it! - Spring/Summer 2005
6. RELEASE
AUTHORIZATION
Signatures
must be
original and in ink.
Signature
________________________________________________________________
Date
__________________________
PRESERVE