Preservation Alliance of Spring Lake

The Following Article Appeared in the March 21, 2022 Edition of the Coast Star Newspaper

GETTING TO KNOW

THE PRESERVATION ALLIANCE OF SPRING LAKE

by Joseph Rizzo, President

     The Preservation Alliance of Spring Lake’s Mission Statement is, “To foster appreciation and proactive planning for the preservation of Spring Lake’s unique architectural, cultural and natural significance.” Though it has actively pursued this mission for over 23 years, for many Spring Lakers, much of what the PASL does is behind the scenes work that may go unnoticed, even forgotten. For example, there are four major Spring Lake projects in which the Alliance played a major role, with which most Spring Lakers should be quite familiar.

Dismayed at seeing the demolition of Spring Lake’s grand Monmouth Hotel, as well as some of its oldest historic homes and impressive estate properties like Heilner’s estate,  “Seawood,” a few residents decided to take a more hands-on approach to saving Spring Lake’s architectural heritage. In 1998 they founded the Preservation Alliance of Spring Lake. One of the Alliance’s earliest projects was inspired by the poor condition of the rustic wooden bridge in Devine Park at Mercer Avenue. In response, several of the Alliance’s founding members compiled historic photos of the original bridge to develop the scaled drawings the Borough’s skilled public works staff would use to faithfully replicate its design.

The PASL also played an important role in the reconstruction of the severely damaged west side of the historic Ocean Avenue Gates at Spring Lake’s northern entry. Alliance members attended Monmouth County Community Block Grant meetings to present the dire need for the project, and assisted the Borough in submitting and successfully obtaining the grant for its funding.

Alliance members were also instrumental in design improvements for the proposed exterior restorations to the east wing of Borough Hall. While attending council meetings during which the project was reviewed, they convinced the Mayor and Council to have the design revised so that its façade would again more closely mirror its original appearance.

Among PASL’s most important contributions to Spring Lake was its leadership and support of the Borough’s project to save, restore and expand the Frederick A. Duggan Memorial First Aid Squad Building, located at 313 Washington Avenue. Built in 1930 as one of the first such facilities of this type in the country, the Alliance’s concern was that it would eventually be replaced by a larger, modern facility that could accommodate today’s much bigger vehicles. Recognizing its unique historical significance, the early leaders of the Alliance were dedicated to saving this wonderful Tudor Revival treasure, and continuing its useful service to the community. Their efforts began over 20 years ago when they did all the research and hard work necessary to have the building placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Besides doing the research associated with its history, original design, and current condition of the building, the Alliance eventually gained the Mayor and Council’s agreement to submit an application for an historic restoration grant from The New Jersey Historic Trust. The Trust eventually awarded a total of $572,000 in grants for the project. Importantly, to limit the project’s tax impact, the Alliance was successful in raising practically all the matching funds required from private citizens and organizations, as well as an additional historic preservation grant from private citizens and organizations, as well as an additional historic preservation grant from the Monmouth County Historical Commission.

PASL members worked hand-in-hand with representatives of the Trust, Borough officials, preservation architect Robert Cassway, as well as with several interested local organizations, to establish the project’s goals and objectives and to develop the space program that would guide its design. These members remained involved throughout the design process and the bidding and construction phases of the project. Alliance members also played an especially important role in furnishing the facility and in creating its historical exhibits of Spring Lake’s past. Completed in 2015, the building is now fully code compliant with handicap access, a new elevator and accessible rest rooms, modern mechanical and electrical systems, lighting, alarms, and internet access.. It provides the public with a convenient downtown visitors’ center and houses the office of the Chamber of Commerce. It also serves as a popular community center with office and multipurpose meeting rooms for several local organizations and clubs, and a convenient location for some of the Spring Lake Library’s special programs. It provides a convenient venue for a variety of classes and popular special events, such as Clayton’s wonderful Christmas Holiday Train Exhibit.

The Alliance continues to do the hard work necessary to advance its mission to preserve as much of Spring Lake’s historic properties and environments as possible. Its Annual Awards Program, which is hosted at the Spring Lake Community House, is an important way in which the organization draws greater awareness and support from Spring Lake’s residents by presenting and celebrating the inspiring efforts of property owners who have saved and successfully restored their Pre-War sites. These award winning projects are often highlighted in the Alliance’s newsletters, which are mailed to all Spring Lake property owners. These newsletters are the Alliance’s most effective way to connect with the community. They contain a broad range of articles, including subjects such as the history of Spring Lake’s development and research information and presentations regarding the Borough’s unusually large number of unique historical architectural styles. They also regularly include interviews with residents who have completed significant preservation projects, as well as the content of the Alliance's proposed Preservation Ordinance. You can access many of the Alliance’s previous newsletters from its website at http://preservationspringlake.com.

The organization regularly meets on the third Thursday of the month, at 7:00 PM in the Duggan Building. It obtains most of the funds required to support its work from membership dues and occasional donations, and is looking to significantly increase membership. If you’re a Spring Laker who feels the services the Alliance provides are worthy of your support, please consider joining. You can do this through the Alliance’s website, by calling its membership chairman, Bob Drasheff at 201-208-7650, emailing him at robertkdrasheff@icloud.com, or by mail at The Preservation Alliance of Spring Lake, P.O. Box 9, Spring Lake, NJ 07762.