Well, vanishing is sort of what the past does. Somewhere in the fight between those who would preserve everything and those who would tear down anything we manage to keep a little of it. I don't mean to sound apathetic about it, but you really can't preserve everything. What I hate to see is when truly unique historic structures are allowed to fall apart. But take the subject of Atsion, for example: the state has already preserved Batsto, and that is pretty representative of the small furnace/forge towns of the colonial pines. Would the preservation of Atsion add anything else to that picture? I'm not taking the contrary view; I don't know the answer. My emotional reaction is to hate to lose any of it, but then on the other hand the practical side sees little money available to expand the number of sites that are staffed and maintained.
Mark and Jay:
I knew that NJN had been working on the program and would feature it last evening, but I was just too busy to watch it. However, since I work in a field closely related to historic preservation, I do have my opinions!
There are a multitude of reasons why New Jersey—both its government and its citizenry—has not more fully embraced historic preservation. First and foremost, the academic community of this state does not take New Jersey history seriously. And because our institutes of learning do not, neither do our politicians. I have several friends who teach on the undergrade and grad level in state universities and they are almost continuously belittled and denegrated because they undertake teaching state and local history. One is preparing to retire next year and he knows of no one who will take his place, so that university will likely drop New Jersey history from its curriculum altogether! You can attend schools in other states and enter a degree program and curriculum based solely on that state’s history!! I don’t think we will EVER see that in New Jersey!
The legislature has repeatedly failed to pass a bill granting a tax credit to residents who restore historic houses as their primary residence. The state government has shifted the Historic Preservation Office around time and time again. At the moment, the office is part of DEP and it consistently fails to receive the funding necessary to properly operate the office. Presently, the office is down at least five people and the hiring freeze precludes the acting director from replacing personnel who retired or left to take other positions. Likewise, the state government fails to provide adequate funding for its parks and historic sites, leaving many properties in a dangerous state of rotting wood, peeling paint, and deteriorating roof fabric.
Regarding Mark’s question about Atsion versus Batsto, I want to see the Atsion mansion restore because it best represents the home of an ironmaster, unlike the Batsto mansion, which Wharton modified to the point of being almost unrecognizable as the home of iron furnace owner. Despite Batsto’s claim to fame as an iron producing center, very little survives from its iron age other than the store, post office, gristmill and a house or two. Virtually everything else dates to the Victorian era of Joseph Wharton. So, yes, restoring the Atsion mansion would mean a great deal to those who maintain an interest in bog iron production. As much as I enjoyed the story of Batsto as a child when my father would drive me there (frequently), we must face facts that the current Batsto does NOT at all represent a “small furnace/forge towns of the colonial pines.” Of course, with the way the state has left many buildings return to nature, neither does Atsion!!
The primary question here is whether we can convince the academic and political leadership of this state that New Jersey history in all of its manifestations, including historic preservation, is a serious subject and should receive a stable source of funding year in and year out! It comes down to priorities and being more fiscally responsible about our history!
I have now stepped down from my soapbox, so you can stow it under the park bench for use another day!!
Best regards,
Jerseyman
