Linden Society for Historic Preservation

10/16/2026

LINDEN...IN OUR OWN BACKYARD

Don't forget, the long anticipated annual weekend has arrived, and even though Linden is one of the few Union County municipalities that doesn't participate in the Four Centuries in a Weekend program, there are still so many interesting places to visit this weekend around Union County right here in our own backyard.

Every historic site in Union County will be open to the public, free of charge, from noon to 5pm on both this Saturday and Sunday. These are the familiar sites that we drive past every day without paying much attention to, or if we do stop, they're usually closed. But this weekend, they'll all be open and fre, and you can visit as many as you can fit into each afternoon.

Now as I've said in the past, Linden has a wonderful history that should most certainly be featured as well and we are continuing to work toward that goal of one day being a participant in this long-running program. But until then, let's visit the rest of this historic county and learn the wonderful legacy if the history that took place...right here in our own backyard.

10/08/2026

LINDEN, IN OUR OWN BACKYARD

CitiVillage is the still-new apartment complex developed on the Linden-side of the 1100 block of East St. George Avenue. Featuring slightly more than 100 units, it is Linden's anchor in the effort to revitalize the East St. George Avenue corridor. The Edison is now taking shape on the Roselle-side of the very same block.

Named after the inventor who lit the village of Roselle with electric light, (remembering that the village was still part of Linden then) the new apartment complex being built by the same developer that built CitiVillage across the street, seems as if it is going to dwarf Linden's project. When completed next year, it will have nearly twice the number of units, and the framing already seems to tower over its Linden counterpart. I can't help but think it will evoke the feeling of standing next to a mega cruise ship, as the boxy architect rendering evokes, in my opinion.

The property lines were odd shaped and the avenue snakes and curves after it crosses the old Baltimore & Ohio railroad tracks, but the massive structure still seems to sit at a very strange angle, forming almost a wall of multi-story living place as one drives the avenue towards Elizabeth. Only as you approach more closely does the canyon slot that St. George Avenue has become, get revealed. What are your thoughts on the esthetics of this new project that will be a part of the very-changed neighborhood for a long time going forward.

10/02/2026

LINDEN...THEN AND NOW

Myles J. McManus Middle School opened for the 1949 academic school year as a grammar school to serve the booming population of post-WWII Linden. Built on property that was once part of the Sunnyfield Golf Course, here is a photo taken near the completion of construction some 77 years ago.

That same view today also shows construction, this time in the razing of one of the many homes of the original Cape Cod-style post-WWII development that followed not long after the school. A large mound of dirt excavated for the new replacement home that will have a basement footprint three to four times as large as the original home that stood on the property.

Two massive Pin Oak trees, the dominant species seen throughout Linden, have been cut back in the adjacent backyard, their girth hinting at an age far older than 77 years, yet by the first photo, we know this not to be the case. Pin Oaks are fast growing and have a shorter lifespan than some of their cousins in the Oak family.

What a different feel each photo evokes. One, when space and land were prevalent, the other showing our ever-growing modern-day crowded landscape. Which one do you prefer?

09/24/2026

LINDEN...THEN AND NOW

The corner of Elm Street and Wood Avenue has seen lots of change thru the years. They tell me a gas station was once on that corner, many years ago, but i have yet to locate a photo of such. My oldest memory of that corner is strictly that of ice cream, as the little building had various ice cream-selling incarnations over the decades, the most recent being Dairy Queen before it was razed.

It seemed a bit surprising to see that the new building is being constructed without a basement and rather just on a concrete slab, unlike most if the rest of Wood Avenue, but that does make for a much easier and less costly project. I have not heard what the plans are for this new structure, does anyone know what we have to look forward to?

09/16/2026

LINDEN...IN OUR OWN BACKYARD

This was a tough week marking the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of 9/11. Last week, I shared some of my personal experiences of having worked at Ground Zero and I can still say that after 25 years, I am still captivated by the seemingly never ending discussion, analysis, and new findings that continue to emerge from that horrible day's events.

WARNING: I'd like to share a video that I recently came across that gives the cockpit perspective of the hijackers flying the massive Boeing 757 that was United Flight 175, the second plane to strike the World Trade Center. Some people may find such a video disturbing to watch, so please do so only at your own volition.

If you do choose to watch, what you will be viewing is a high-resolution simulation of the final nine minutes of United 175. The cockpit perspective was faithfully recreated by simulation software using the actual radar telemetry gathered from the plane: all of Flight 175's vital data, the plane's speed, altitude, bearings, have all been accurately used to recreate this Point Of View. These values can be seen wildly fluctuating on the far right side of the video.

The recordings you will hear are the actual Air Traffic Control recordings from that fateful day. In my opinion, the primary Air Traffic Controller does a phenomenal job under the unyielding stress of such a difficult situation. While the hijackers took control of the aircraft at a near cruising altitude of 33,000 feet, they began a sharp descent as they banked and turned over central New Jersey.

Here are some of the interesting aspects that I observed when watching this video. At around the 5:45 mark, Linden's Tremley Point and the Rahway River come into view thru the port or left side window. Astoundingly, the plane was descending thru 12,000 feet elevation as it passes Linden. This is in stark contrast to commercial aircraft on approach to Newark Liberty Airport that residents of Linden typically see overhead every day.

Under normal circumstances, commercial jets will use a 3% descending glidepath on their approach to Newark Liberty Airport, and usually have an altitude of 2,000 to 1,500 feet as they pass over Linden. Ascending aircraft that just took off from Newark may pass overhead Linden at up to 3,000 feet altitude. United 175 was very high and plummeting quickly, it must have been a terrifying descent for those onboard.

Another uncomfortable realization is the fact that those seated on the left side of the plane may possibly have caught a glimpse in the distance of the already smoking North Tower that had just been impacted by the first plane, American Flight 11.

Because of the prevailing easterly winds, as the hijackers steered the plane toward their intended target, they had to compensate for the crosswinds acting on the plane. This compensation takes place at the final seconds before impact, as the plane had to bank left, resulting in the eventual slightly-angled high-speed impact into the South Tower.

Not wanting to dwell on the morbid, we can take some solace in that every investigation yields the identical result, that all of the passengers met a near instantaneous demise, with insufficient time to feel pain or even register exactly what, in fact, did occur.

We know with certainty that the hijackers were basically living among us prior to 9/11. The FBI investigation revealed that at least one of the 9/11 hijackers spent his final night alive hanging out at the former Nardone's Go-Go bar on Route 1 North in Elizabeth, barely a mile or so past the Linden border.

Collectively, we were caught badly off guard that fateful day twenty-five years ago. Let us pray that we have learned from the nightmare experience and that such events will never be repeated. And that we all, never forget.

Here is the link to the simulation video.

9/11, United Airlines Flight 175 Full Simulation ...

09/11/2026

LINDEN...NEVER FORGET.

Twenty-five years. Roughly a third of the average American male's life expectancy, which is currently 76.5 years. My own dad died at 76 years, seven months. You can't get much closer to the peak of the Bell Curve than that.

This is precisely why today's anniversary of the events of 9/11 seem slightly difficult to fully comprehend. Roughly one-third of our lives have been lived since that fateful day, and yet it seems so hauntingly recent, so slightly removed from the current days.

Numerous personal stories have emerged from that day, some I've shared on social media, and others still waiting. That goes for photos as well, as I always tried to discreetly capture images of my experiences at both Ground Zero and the Fresh Kills Landfill in the immediate time frame after the 9/11 attacks.

As a career Linden firefighter with thirteen-years experience under my belt at the time of the attacks, I was willing, able, and eager to assist at Ground Zero when I made my way to Lower Manhattan with two fellow brother Linden firefighters in the aftermath of 9/11. What ensued was more akin to the bucket brigade firefighting technique of the previous century, where buckets filled with water would be handed person to person in an attempt to extinguish flames. At Ground Zero, we did the opposite, lifting debris and passing it hand to hand to be systematically removed from the pile, all the while listening for hoped-for sounds of trapped victims, yet realistically realizing the unlikeliness of that prospect.

After working an exhausting near full-day on the pile that was once the North Tower, I received heartfelt thanks for my service by members of the FDNY, but politely asked not to return, as they were desperately trying to regain control and accountability of who was actually working there, whereas in the early time frame after the incident, this was completely lacking.

As I walked away from the horror, filthy and carrying my now contaminated turnout gear, crowds of New Yorkers spontaneously erupted into thankful applause solely for the fact that I was a firefighter who had volunteered to assist at Ground Zero.

Not knowing the quickest way back to my car parked in Jersey City, I was directed to the waterfront of the Hudson River where a pair of police officers manning a small police boat gave me a personal ride-for-one across the river, depositing me near the famous neon Colgate sign, not far from my car.

When I returned to Linden, much to my utter surprise, there was hell to pay. I received a brutal admonishment from my immediate supervisor on the fire department, with threats of disciplinary charges, suspension, and even termination; quite a contrast from the heartfelt thanks of a few hours previous. In a defiant badge-of-courage sort of way, I welcomed the nearsighted verbal lashing from this boss who would eventually go on to become Chief of the entire department and would remain a career-long thorn in my side.

While at Ground Zero, we assisted with the removal of Ladder 18, a rig that responded from the Fort Pitt firehouse in the Lower Eastside. Fort Pitt was a Revolutionary War redoubt that sat on a natural 60' hill that would subsequently be leveled and one day home to a firehouse built on the very locale.

In the subsequent days and weeks following the tragedy, as operations became more organized, crews from the Linden Fire Department were asked to salvage equipment from the many destroyed FDNY apparatus. As they were brought to the Fresh Kills Landfill, we were asked to go thru each rig with a fine tooth comb, tearing them apart with hydraulic rescue tools while searching for human remains, personal property (wallets, shoes, belongings) and any FDNY tools and equipment that may have been salvageable, protected within the compartments of the destroyed fire engines. This was all performed proudly on a volunteer basis by nearly every member of the LFD.

Ironically, my crew worked on Ladder 18, the very same piece of apparatus I had first seen pulled from the debris in the immediate aftermath. Today, Ladder 18 is on permanent display at Mott's Military Museum, located in a suburb of Columbus, Ohio. The museum supposedly contains the largest collection of 9/11 related artifacts outside of Lower Manhattan. I have yet to visit there, but one day hope to see Ladder 18 yet again, completing yet another circle of sorts.

Never forget.

09/03/2026

LINDEN...IN OUR OWN BACKYARD

The name of our modest organization is the Linden Society for Historic Preservation. Simply translated, that would imply a group that tries to save important things. Yet ironically, since the day I was born, all I find myself doing is ranting about loss and change. This week, two important local developments have come to light and I'm not happy about either of them. Hold on, I feel a rant coming.

Some of the oldest photos I have of myself, are me being pushed around New York's World's Fair in a stroller. To this day, I lament how a Disney World-esque attraction could have been built and disappear so quickly. I have no direct memories of the grounds, but cherish those photos.

Similarly, I rode the train to Manhattan's Pennsylvania Railroad Station like all travellers fron Linden did in those days, arguably the grandest train station on the planet, and that soon incredulously vanished shortly thereafter, in order to make way for the modern cramped Penn Station that today I traverse regularly thru the crowds, smells, and the unfortunate homeless.

When I was still young, they took down the Singer Tower, once the tallest building in the world, arguably the most beautiful skyscraper ever constructed, and the corporate headquarters of the company that made neighboring Elizabeth a manufacturing giant and provided jobs to so many Linden residents as well. Gone in a flash.

Locally in the immediate area, that trend would never stop. In the early 1970's, it was Walt's 42nd Street, Linden's most popular eatery...gone. Next, the Wood House, arguably Linden's most historic building where George Washington was believed to have visited...gone.

And it continued into my adulthood. In 2008, my beloved General Motors Assembly Plant...scrapped and sold to China. In 2015, our beloved landmark Big Stash's...under the wrecking ball, replaced by a parking lot. And for me personally, the unthinkable in 2020, when Spirito's shuttered its doors for the final time.

Another historic building in Linden would fall in 2022 in the Goethals Park Complex. The familiar double-truss roofed warehouse that so many passed daily on Route 278 on their way to Bayway or Staten Island, built in 1917 as one of the country's largest buildings dedicated solely to the construction of aircraft, razed to make room for the new FedEx Depot. And the kicker was that the historic building's footprint didn't even overlap with the new gigantic structure, as where it once stood is nothing more than part of their new parking lot.

So there's no shortage of loss, change, and lack of historic preservation around here. And now I'll share the latest stories that have me downright livid.

Those who know me, know I'm a big music fan, especially when it comes to the guitar. One of my favorites of all-time, was Les Paul, who spent most of his life as a resident of New Jersey. A personal hero of mine, he is the lone member of both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the National Inventors Hall of Fame. He pioneered the solid-body electric guitar and introduced multi-track recording techniques that are a staple of everything we hear today.

Les was almost at the level of friend, certainly a good personal acquaintance of mine, as I often attended his regular Monday evening jam sessions at the Iridium Club in Manhattan. I attended his gala 75th birthday party, hanging out with the likes of the guys in Aerosmith, as we celebrated with a guitar-shaped birthday cake into the wee hours of the morning. I was very bummed to learn of Les' passing in 2015 at the age of 94, mainly because it seemed that Les would go on forever.

Les Paul lived in Mahwah for more than 60 years. His 6,300 square foot residence was more than just a beautifully designed mid-century modern home, it was his studio, his think-tank, his laboratory for a man devoted to music and the guitar. This man-cave sanctuary of sorts was where he raised his children, where he broadcast live radio and television events accompanied by his wife Mary Ford, where he entertained A-list guests ranging from Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, and Eddie Van Halen.

Being that he outlived both of his wives, when Les passed, his estate, which included his New Jersey home, was bequeathed to the Les Paul Foundation that was established to continue his work and efforts. The rumor was that his residence would one day become a museum to honor the man's legacy, much in the same way that Thomas Edison's labs have been preserved in West Orange.

Instead, the house and seven acres was left to decay and remained unoccupied since his death. In July, unbeknownst to even Les' surviving son Gene Paul, who is now 82-years old and has no say as to the functioning of the Les Paul Foundation, the house and property were quietly sold for a million dollars. Last week, the new owners had it bulldozed to make room for their own new Bergen County McMansion. So much for New Jersey's newest museum, there's not even a sign or plaque left behind. How typically New Jersey of the entire situation.

Those who know me, realize that another of my fervant interests is Paleontology and the study of dinosaurs, another hobby going back to the earliest days of my youth. So, if the loss of Les Paul's home didn't rile me up enough, yesterday I received word that the Academy of Natural Science in Philadelphia, the nation's oldest natural history museum that has been open two years shy of two centuries, the museum that was the first in the world to display a reassembled dinosaur skeleton that was found in New Jersey mind you, and is our official State Fossil, Hadrosaurus foulkii, the museum that has been my personal favorite since my father took me there as a young lad...will be closing its doors forever at the end of this month! Are you kidding me? Am I dreaming? What is going on in our culture? Is there any hope? Thoughts? Thanks for letting me vent.

08/28/2026

LINDEN...THEN AND NOW

So, I happened across an antique shop recently where the proprietor specialized in historic maps. I perused through some of his offerings and became fixated on a hand-colored map that was published shortly after the Civil War. I immediately knew it was just that because Union County is shown and was the final County established in the state in 1857, and Linden is shown in its original entirety shortly after its 1861 establishment. He allowed me to take a few photographs of the map thru its protective plastic cover and they are clear enough to share here.

Linden is rather indistinct, being bisected by one railroad line, Pennsylvania Railroad's line that is today's most heavily used Northeast Corridor, and bordered by another, the Jersey Central's line that is today NJ Transit's Raritan Valley Line serving Cranford.(you can see where the two railroad lines cross in downtown Elizabeth, at the engineering marvel of the day, the brownstone arches on Broad Street.)

Of course at the time of this map's publishing, Cranford and Roselle had yet to exist, although the villages of Craneville and Milford are shown on the map and would become the hub of each of those eventual towns. Linden's primary marked village is Wheatsheaf, sitting on the primary road thru Linden, today's St. George Avenue.

Linden extends all the way north to the raulroad tracks encompassing all of what is today's Roselle. Linden also extends to the Rahway River, so everything that is east of the Rahway River in today's Cranford, once was part of Linden, including the Colonial era Droescher Mill.

It's always interesting to study old maps, as they often lend some insight into how things became the way they currently are. Does anyone reading this own a very old map showing the Linden area?

08/20/2026

LINDEN...THEN AND NOW

Photos of the many great Linden diners are still hard to come by. (If you know of any, please share them in the comments.) I stumbled across this photo of The Linden House Diner taken from the first floor window of Linden High School across the street. It was taken in 1974, ten years after the Linden House was built and first opened.

Growing up in Sunnyside, the Linden House Diner was my go-to eatery. My entire family had countless meals there, be it breakfast, lunch, or dinner; my sister and I always fighting to choose that third song after putting a quarter in the tabletop jukebox.

As I got older, especially after earning my driver's license, the always-open 24-hour schedule began to come more into play and my buddies and I were regulars. I miss those days a lot, prepared quality late-night food in Linden, or anywhere for that matter, is hard to come by in these post-covid days.

Recreating that same perspective of the photo isn't really possible some 56 years later. A now old tree obscures the same view, although the high school's flagpole still stands in the same place. Moving a few steps to the left gives the view of today's eatery...Kitchen 27.

I'm a fan of Kitchen 27 and glad that they are keeping the restaurant tradition going on the same corner, but it will never feel quite the same as the old days when you knew The Linden House was always open and always an option. What are your favorite diner memories in Linden?

08/14/2026

LINDEN...THEN AND NOW

One of the biggest changes on North Wood Avenue is the loss of the Plaza Theater. Taken from the corner of Knopf Street back in the spring of 1975, this photo shows a typical crowded evening at the theater, a long line to see Tommy, the movie based on the album recorded by the band, The Who. While the marquee is a bit too blurry to readily view, it can be deciphered to read the all-star cast's names...Ann Margaret, Elton John, and Roger Daltrey.

The theater is long gone now, replaced by the Raymond Wood Bauer Promenade, an outdoor amphitheater and small park area where the theater used to be. Lots of changes thru the half century between photos, just the experience of going to the movies is so vastly different. Today, Linden still has the luxury of having its own movie theaters, the massive AMC Aviation Plaza Complex that offers far more choices, but in far less intimacy of an old theater like the Plaza.

Our culture and Social Media in particular, provides the modern venue for endless debate about the way Linden used to be, versus the way it is today. And of course, it's not just Linden, the identical debate rages about our State and how it has changed, let alone our Nation, and how it has changed as well, and even the world for that matter. Time and memory will always provide the basis for such a debate. Pertaining to this one little plot of land located on North Wood Avenue, what are your thoughts on the result of 51 years of change?