By John Burton
RED BANK – The historic Thomas Fortune house will be spared the wrecking ball and preserved for posterity. But there is catch: the house will have to share its location with a large apartment complex.
A plan that would save the severely dilapidated historic structure on the borough’s West Side – the former home of noted late 19th and early 20th century African-American intellectual and writer Timothy Thomas Fortune, who named his home Maple Hall – and constructed as many as 32 apartments, was met largely with jubilation on Thursday, July 21 as the borough Zoning Board of Adjustment voted unanimously to approve the plan.
RED BANK – The historic Thomas Fortune house will be spared the wrecking ball and preserved for posterity. But there is catch: the house will have to share its location with a large apartment complex.
A plan that would save the severely dilapidated historic structure on the borough’s West Side – the former home of noted late 19th and early 20th century African-American intellectual and writer Timothy Thomas Fortune, who named his home Maple Hall – and constructed as many as 32 apartments, was met largely with jubilation on Thursday, July 21 as the borough Zoning Board of Adjustment voted unanimously to approve the plan.
“I am elated,” said Borough Councilman Edward Zipprich following the board’s vote.
“I’m overwhelmed. I’m overjoyed. There are no other words for it,” offered Gilda Rogers, a member of the borough Historic Preservation Commission and who co-chairs the T. Thomas Fortune House Project, a committee formed a few years ago to work on preserving the endangered historic structure.
“We were hoping for a savior,” Zipprich, who serves as the borough council’s liaison to the historic preservation commission, said about the house project’s efforts which included looking for some person or entity that might be willing to under take saving the building. “And we found him,” Zipprich said.
The preservationists “savior” in this case is real estate developer Roger Mumford. “First and foremost,” Zipprich continued, “he’s saving a national landmark in Red Bank.”
Mumford, who heads up Roger Mumford Homes, Bridge Avenue, is the principal in Fortune Square, LLC. His project would subdivide the slightly less than 1-acre lot at 94 Drs. James Parker Blvd. and build a four-story complex containing either 31 one-and two-bedroom apartments (with resident gym), or 32 units, minus the gym. The project is considerably higher in density than permitted by existing local ordinance, which permits 16 units per acre and given the size of the property under consideration amounts to 39 units per acre. In addition to the density, the project requires a number of other variances, for the building’s height, the number of stories and other relief from existing zoning.
Mumford plans to offset the project by taking a smaller portion of the property, which contains the badly deteriorated home and completely renovate and store it to its historically accurate condition. When completed, Mumford has promised to deed the house and property to a not-for-profit group which will operate the site as a cultural center, chartered with using the location for educational purposes, detailing Fortune’s life and work and African-American history. It will “feature voices that will celebrate American diversity” and have exhibits, art, and books to support its mission, said Mark Fitzsimmons, a Red Bank architect who co-chairs with Rogers the T. Thomas Fortune House Project.
“We were hoping for a savior,” Zipprich, who serves as the borough council’s liaison to the historic preservation commission, said about the house project’s efforts which included looking for some person or entity that might be willing to under take saving the building. “And we found him,” Zipprich said.
The preservationists “savior” in this case is real estate developer Roger Mumford. “First and foremost,” Zipprich continued, “he’s saving a national landmark in Red Bank.”Mumford, who heads up Roger Mumford Homes, Bridge Avenue, is the principal in Fortune Square, LLC. His project would subdivide the slightly less than 1-acre lot at 94 Drs. James Parker Blvd. and build a four-story complex containing either 31 one-and two-bedroom apartments (with resident gym), or 32 units, minus the gym. The project is considerably higher in density than permitted by existing local ordinance, which permits 16 units per acre and given the size of the property under consideration amounts to 39 units per acre. In addition to the density, the project requires a number of other variances, for the building’s height, the number of stories and other relief from existing zoning.
Mumford plans to offset the project by taking a smaller portion of the property, which contains the badly deteriorated home and completely renovate and store it to its historically accurate condition. When completed, Mumford has promised to deed the house and property to a not-for-profit group which will operate the site as a cultural center, chartered with using the location for educational purposes, detailing Fortune’s life and work and African-American history. It will “feature voices that will celebrate American diversity” and have exhibits, art, and books to support its mission, said Mark Fitzsimmons, a Red Bank architect who co-chairs with Rogers the T. Thomas Fortune House Project.
The site will also have a monument in front of the building explaining the site’s significance, Mumford said.
Mumford told the board he needed the residential project to be as substantial as it is because “There had to be an economic threshold we needed to meet,” to be able to afford to underwrite the substantial work required on the Fortune House.
Mumford said the restoration and accompanying site infrastructure work would cost roughly $2.5 million.
Mumford has a contract to purchase the structure and site from the Vaccarelli family. Members of the family have owned the location since they first immigrated to the area from their native Italy circa 1918, with family members having lived there and operated a bakery attached to the house.
Two years ago, Vaccarelli family members applied for a demolition permit and considered razing the structure. And last year, the family had rejected an offer for the property made by the state Department of Environmental Protection’s Green Acres program, used to purchase and preserve recreational and open space opportunities.
Mumford told the board he needed the residential project to be as substantial as it is because “There had to be an economic threshold we needed to meet,” to be able to afford to underwrite the substantial work required on the Fortune House.
Mumford said the restoration and accompanying site infrastructure work would cost roughly $2.5 million.
Mumford has a contract to purchase the structure and site from the Vaccarelli family. Members of the family have owned the location since they first immigrated to the area from their native Italy circa 1918, with family members having lived there and operated a bakery attached to the house.
Two years ago, Vaccarelli family members applied for a demolition permit and considered razing the structure. And last year, the family had rejected an offer for the property made by the state Department of Environmental Protection’s Green Acres program, used to purchase and preserve recreational and open space opportunities.
“They’re not sentimental about things,” was how Mumford characterized the family. Mumford believed even if the Vaccarellis didn’t demolish it, given its continuing deteriorating state it was only a short time before construction officials demanded the building be bulldozed as a public safety hazard.
The building dates back to 1870, designed in the French master style of architecture, and has been named to both the state and National Register of Historic Places. It has remained unoccupied for nearly 10 years, having been a victim of vandals, overcome by mold and water damage, and overrun by animals, making it a risk to even enter it at this point, Mumford told the board and audience.
“I’ve never seen something in this condition, frankly,” Mumford said. “This building needs to be completely reconstructed.”
The Fortune House received the dubious distinction from Preservation New Jersey, being named in 2007 as one of the 10 most endangered historic sites in the state. It is also one of only two nationally recognized historic sites in the state directly associated with African-American history.
And when the Vaccarellis approached him about purchasing the location, Mumford said he saw an opportunity here. Since then it’s become “a little bit of a labor of love for me,” Mumford said.
The T. Thomas Fortune House Project had been working on fundraising hoping to be able to eventually purchase the site. “The fundraising was successful raising some thousands of dollars,” however, falling well short of the estimated $3 million members believed was necessary to purchase and restore the building, Rogers said.
The building dates back to 1870, designed in the French master style of architecture, and has been named to both the state and National Register of Historic Places. It has remained unoccupied for nearly 10 years, having been a victim of vandals, overcome by mold and water damage, and overrun by animals, making it a risk to even enter it at this point, Mumford told the board and audience.
“I’ve never seen something in this condition, frankly,” Mumford said. “This building needs to be completely reconstructed.”
The Fortune House received the dubious distinction from Preservation New Jersey, being named in 2007 as one of the 10 most endangered historic sites in the state. It is also one of only two nationally recognized historic sites in the state directly associated with African-American history.
And when the Vaccarellis approached him about purchasing the location, Mumford said he saw an opportunity here. Since then it’s become “a little bit of a labor of love for me,” Mumford said.
The T. Thomas Fortune House Project had been working on fundraising hoping to be able to eventually purchase the site. “The fundraising was successful raising some thousands of dollars,” however, falling well short of the estimated $3 million members believed was necessary to purchase and restore the building, Rogers said.
“You all have the opportunity tonight to impact your grandchildren and their grandchildren,” by preserving this historical resource, Walter Greason, a Monmouth University history professor, told the board.
“We need to save this house,” stressed Mary Gilligan, a South Street resident and a local historic preservation activist in long standing. “If it means putting a few apartments in the back, wonderful.”
But borough Historic Preservation Commission member Charles Nickerson provided a dissenting perspective. “I fear we’re establishing a dangerous precedent,” by linking preservation efforts to commercial development. “I really like to challenge the people of Red Bank, the town fathers of Red Bank, to take a look at what we’re doing here,” he said. “I almost think we’re treating this as a second class historic property,” he added, wishing a nonprofit model was in the offing.
Timothy Thomas Fortune (1856-1928) was born into slavery in Florida. “So, Fortune had great insight into the struggles of African-Americans,” Rogers said.
He rose to prominence as a publisher of newspapers aimed at an African-American audience, as an editor and author. He was an early activist for civil rights as well as for social justice and founded the National Afro American League, one of the earliest civil rights organizations, according to Rogers.
He was a contemporary and friend of such better known names as W.E.B Du Bois – with Fortune giving Du Bois his first professional writing job – and Booker T. Washington, who visited Fortune at Maple Hall.
Fortune lived in Red Bank from 1901 to 1915.
“We need to save this house,” stressed Mary Gilligan, a South Street resident and a local historic preservation activist in long standing. “If it means putting a few apartments in the back, wonderful.”
But borough Historic Preservation Commission member Charles Nickerson provided a dissenting perspective. “I fear we’re establishing a dangerous precedent,” by linking preservation efforts to commercial development. “I really like to challenge the people of Red Bank, the town fathers of Red Bank, to take a look at what we’re doing here,” he said. “I almost think we’re treating this as a second class historic property,” he added, wishing a nonprofit model was in the offing.
Timothy Thomas Fortune (1856-1928) was born into slavery in Florida. “So, Fortune had great insight into the struggles of African-Americans,” Rogers said.
He rose to prominence as a publisher of newspapers aimed at an African-American audience, as an editor and author. He was an early activist for civil rights as well as for social justice and founded the National Afro American League, one of the earliest civil rights organizations, according to Rogers.
He was a contemporary and friend of such better known names as W.E.B Du Bois – with Fortune giving Du Bois his first professional writing job – and Booker T. Washington, who visited Fortune at Maple Hall.
Fortune lived in Red Bank from 1901 to 1915.
