Subtitle: The Colonial Period to the Twentieth Century
Author: T. Robins Brown and Schuyler Warmflash
Photographs by Jim DelGiudice
Subject: Architecture/New Jersey and Mid-Atlantic Region
Cloth ISBN 0-8135-2867-4
Pages: 245 pp. 184 b&w illus.
Description: A lavishly illustrated architectural history of Bergen County, New Jersey
Winner of N.J. Historical Preservation Award
"The book is really a history of the county, told through architecture. More than 150 photographs plus maps and figures trace the days from the stone houses of Dutch settlers 300 years ago, to (real) colonials to the extravagant early-20th-century Crocker-McMillin mansion, known as Darlington in Mahwah (the county's first national historic landmark) and on to modern homes and buildings, including diners; this is New Jersey, after all."--New York Times (New Jersey section)
"While the book will most likely find its way to library shelves and schoolrooms, it would be valued by anyone with a love of old houses, an interest in architecture, or with a school-age child likely to come up with a project involving the county's history. . . . The photographs paint a picture of the intriguing architectural diversity of Bergen County. There are the familiar stone houses built by the early farmers, the churches built during the Federal period (1775 to 1850), historic cemeteries, the picturesque homes of the late 1800s, and the turn-of-the century mansions designed by important local architects. . . . The book presents a fascinating look at the evolution of the county."--The Record of Bergen County
"A long overdue tribute to New Jersey's important architectural legacy . . . Sweeping and intelligent treatment of our overlooked architectural treasures."--Robert D. Griffin, president, Bergen County Historical Society
Walk or drive through any of Bergen County's seventy communities and you will find telling reminders of a wonderfully rich and diverse architectural history--the legacy of three hundred years of settlement, growth, and change.
The Architecture of Bergen County, New Jersey presents an accessible overview of the county's architectural heritage and its historic structures. The volume explores the styles, trends, and events that influenced the design and setting of the region's buildings. More than 150 photos document Bergen County's architectural treasures, generating awareness and appreciation for these structures and their history.
The book is arranged chronologically, beginning with the arrival of European settlers in the seventeenth century and ending in the late twentieth century. Each chapter opens with a brief historical background and follows with a description and analysis of building types common to Bergen County for the period. Some structures, such as the Hermitage in Ho-Ho-Kus, the Vreeland House in Leonia, and the Bergen County Courthouse in Hackensack, are of regional, even national, significance.
The book also highlights delightful surprises. Examples include a large number of picturesque houses that were built from the designs published in mid-nineteenth century architectural pattern books, the home of an early African American newspaper publisher, and two homes in Paramus and Washington Township whose exterior walls are made of mud.
The Architecture of Bergen County, New Jersey demonstrates the close association between architectural development at the national and local levels, and shows how social, technological, and political changes occurring within the county have been reflected in the building types and styles of the area.
This volume is a project of the Bergen County Department of Parks, Division of Cultural and Historic Affairs, and the County Historic Preservation Advisory Board.
T. Robins Brown is the executive director of the Friends of the Hermitage in Ho-Ho-Kus in Bergen County. Schuyler Warmflash is a licensed professional engineer, architectural historian, and preservation advocate. James DelGiudice is a photographer and founder of the Specialized PhotoGraphic Design Company, and an adjunct assistant professor of photography at the County College of Morris.
