Learning to climb the steps, February 2015.
My son learned to the climb stairs of our 1925-built, South Orange home this past February on a cold, gray afternoon.
He was halfway to the second floor when I realized he can not be the first baby to learn stairs in our new-to-us, 90-year-old home. How many children learned here before him?
The question was more rhetorical in nature but seemed perfect for social media.
So, I posted an Instagram with this sentiment and within hours it returned a photo of three young girls posing in front our home’s stairs in the 1970s. They grew up here (we have a mutual friend) and they look completely at home in what was then, their house.
The same steps in the 1970s
I love thinking about those who lived in our home before us and also about its physical history. Which bedroom was intended to be the master? Why are the bedrooms on the second floor connected in a Jack and Jill sort of manner? And the most important question, at least for me…what did the study look like before it was enclosed with paneling?
There’s so much history to learn and even more house quirks to solve, and it was my curiosity about local history that inspired me to visit the New Jersey room at the South Orange Library to begin digging up the past.
The resources available to South Orange and Maplewood residents are largely the same, they simply exist in different locations.
If you live in South Orange, visit the Local History Room at the South Orange Public Library where you will find city directories that can help you identify who lived in your home, historic atlases that often include the name of the land owner, publications about historic properties, real estate listings that date back to 1960, and in-person access to ancestry.com. Also, if your home is in the Montrose Park Historic District, the archive includes backdated house tour brochures, as well. Connect with a reference librarian when you arrive — they are well-versed in the archive’s resources and can point you in the right direction.
There are several online resources, as well, if you are interested in learning about the area’s general history.
Both the South Orange Public Library’s local history site (www.sopl.org/mediawiki/index.
Additional resources include the South Orange Historical & Preservation Society (sohps.org), the Montrose Park Historic District Association (mphda.org) in South Orange, and the Durand-Hedden House & Garden Association (www.durandhedden.org) in Maplewood.
The Grasmere Local History Room at the Hilton Library Branch, Maplewood Memorial Library
With such growing interest in Maplewood’s local history, The Maplewood Historic Preservation Commission is now hosting monthly open houses at the Grasmere Local History Room at the Hilton Library Branch. There you will find a multitude of resources including historic atlases, real estate listings, historic memorabilia, as well as publications about historic places.
“The Maplewood Historic Preservation Commission is dedicated to helping residents understand and appreciate the wonderful architecture of our community,” explains Ginny Kurshan, Chair of the Maplewood Historic Preservation Commission. “If you want to learn more, please join us at an Open House at the Grasmere Local History Room. We are there one Saturday each month, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m., and we are happy to help you learn more about the town and your house. Dates are published on the Township’s website and the Commission’s website (historicmaplewood.com).”
One Maplewood resident is enthusiastic about learning more after clues to her home’s history came falling from behind her kitchen cabinet.
Lisa Moser explains, “We were in the demolition phase of renovating our kitchen when I came home to find these historic articles dating back to the 1940s. Our contractor left them for me — can you imagine if they’d been thrown away?”
Among the articles is The Trailblazer, the official newspaper of Troop 24 from Maplewood, NJ.
“The publication paints a much different youth experience than we see today; it’s very fascinating,” says Moser. In addition to two winter overnight hikes spend at Schenectos Lodge in the Reservation, one in January and the other in February, the troop was also required to attend an all-troop Day Hike – regardless of weather, on Washington’s Birthday.
“Our house was built in 1914 and it needs many updates and the renovation process can be overwhelming, but finding these articles makes me adore our home even more,” explains Lisa. “It’s housed so many families over the years, and I love this connection to those who have been here before us. This experience has inspired me to learn more — now I want to know the ancestry and architectural story of our home. It’s been the perfect motivation, I can’t wait to get started.”
Future articles will follow these individuals as they undertake their own research process.
Click on any image below to see a slideshow of photographs related to house history research in Maplewood and South Orange.
