Unearthing Mill Hill Treasure

Modern day pioneers reinvent the rich history of downtown Trenton

By: Devon Cadwell Bazata

"Richard
Staff photo by Mark Czajkowski
Richard Loatman enjoys entertaining friends in the backyard garden of the restored Mill Hill home he designed with his partner, David Abers.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

   Richard Loatman’s adventure with his historic property began
in 1985 when he spotted an ad in the local newspaper announcing the auction
of homes earmarked by the City of Trenton for urban renewal.
   With a $100 bid and perhaps only a glimmer of an idea about
the path his purchase would lead him down, he became one of the last to participate
in a federal homestead act in Old Mill Hill, a National Historic District located
in downtown Trenton.
   Old Mill Hill’s history dates back to 1679 when a group of
Quaker settlers built Trenton’s first grist mill on the Assunpink Creek. During
the Revolutionary War, it was the site of the Second Battle of Trenton. In
the 17th and 18th centuries, Mill Hill became home to the first of many factories,
which, during the 19th century, established Trenton as a world leader in the
manufacture and export of iron, steel, pottery and rubber.
   During that time, Mill Hill became one of the most desirable
places to live. But, by the middle of the 20th century the area had started
to fall into disrepair.
   By the 1960s and 70s, the city had boarded up many of the
homes in an effort to discourage anyone from inhabiting the abandoned properties.
The first move toward restoring the once charming urban neighborhood came in
1964 when Mayor Arthur Holland and his wife, Betty, moved into Mill Hill.
   Over the years, the area has been restored one home at a
time to its former glory. The home Mr. Loatman shares with his partner, David
Abers, is among the beautifully restored properties of Mill Hill.
   An accomplished composer, choral conductor, music educator
and freelance producer/director, Mr. Loatman has taken as much care in restoring
the exterior of his home and creating its modern interior space, as he does
in placing spaces between the notes he uses to create original music.
   To hear him tell it, the dream house he and Mr. Abers have
renovated is the result of a little bit of luck and a lot of hard work. "All
the old woodwork was so destroyed, if I had been able to keep the Victorian
elements, I would have," explained Mr. Loatman at a recent interview in his
home.
   "We had to do the front according to historic code," he continued,
"but because nothing on the interior was salvageable, I decided to go with
a New York loft look."
   The front of the house is brick, covered with stucco. The
city’s historic code suggested the stucco be removed, but Mr. Loatman expressed
concern for the old brick and the damage that would be done to it during the
removal process.
   After researching other options, he gained approval to paint
the exterior with a glue and paint mixture, using the historically correct
color of red. This avoided the problem of peeling paint. As it has aged, it
bonded with the stucco. Today, the exterior of the house looks as it would
have when it was built in 1865.
   On the inside of the house, the first order of business was
to rip down walls, and strip the layers of wood and plaster. "Once it all started
to go, the house began to lean in," Mr. Loatman said, noting with a pause while
shaking his head, "it all was very scary." Mr. Loatman and architect John Kemp
deemed the damage inside the house — caused by fires and issues surrounding
the property’s long-term neglect — had rendered it beyond repair. The
solution, according to Mr. Loatman, was to gut the house and start from scratch.
The focal point of the house is now the spiral staircase, which winds its way
up from the first to the second and third floors around three enormous support
beams. Bolted together and anchored in three feet of cement under the basement
floor, the beams extend up to the ceiling of the third floor. The entire structure
is based on this central axis.

"Richard
Richard Loatman gutted his Mill Hill home (above) prior to building the spiral staircase (below, left).

Staff photo by Mark Czajkowski

   "He is an ingenious man," Mr. Loatman says of his architect,
"after taking out all of the interior walls, doorways and other structures,
he let the house settle down a few inches, and put the main beam on a crank."
Little by little as the house settled, Mr. Kemp would simply turn the crank,
raising the house up about a half inch at a time.
   "You couldn’t do anything sudden because the wood was so
dry it would split. It was solidly handled all along; they just don’t make
them like this anymore," Mr. Loatman said.

"The
The spiral staircase is the focal point among books and fine collectibles.

Staff photo by Mark Czajkowski

   The house has had its share of near disasters during the
restoration project, but all were averted by the careful attention of those
involved in the restoration process. One such incident occurred after a 14-foot
trench had been dug along the side of the house in order to install Bilco doors
for easier access into the basement. When the digging was finished, the construction
crew discovered that the house was not built on a foundation, but on hard rock
which didn’t extend the length of the trench. "So we almost lost the whole
side of the house because there was nothing there to support it after all of
the earth had been dug out," Mr. Loatman explained with a note of amazement
in his voice.
   The crew had to quickly build supports to hold the house
up, and then build the stairs and do the cement work in order to install the
doors. "I came home from work one day and they (the construction crew) said,
‘You should be glad you still have a house.’ "
   "My house is considerably different from the way that others
have decided to restore their homes," Mr. Loatman admits. "But it’s mine, for
good or for bad — even the mistakes I have made, it’s exactly what I wanted."
   The process has been a slow one though. For every change
he wanted to make, he had to justify with the City of Trenton what was to be
done. Waiting on decisions, permits and other elements in the approval process,
he says, "Weeks turned into months, months into years in some cases."
   Through hearsay he has learned about the history of the house.
Both he and Mr. Abers have heard stories from many of the participants who
visit the house on the annual Old Mill Hill Home and Garden Tour. With an average
of between 300-500 people walking through the house during a five-hour period,
the event is something, he says. Joined by friends stationed throughout the
house on the tour day, Mr. Loatman and Mr. Abers look forward to the event
each year. "The same people come every year and they remember everything, and
notice all of the changes that have been made since the last tour," Mr. Loatman
said.

"Richard
Richard Loatman

Staff photo by Mark Czajkowski

   One of the newer features of the house is the glass block wall
in the kitchen area. Extending from floor to ceiling, it allows natural light
to fill the room and provides a unique transition into the house from the backyard.
   Throughout the home, windows are lined with shelves of neatly
arranged blue glass bottles and vases. The theme is echoed on the walls of
the windowless first floor bathroom with a clever trompe l’oeil painting of
shelves of blue glass a friend created.
   As the house has evolved, both Mr. Loatman and Mr. Abers
have been able to fine-tune many of the elements that define its character.
There are many more projects the partners have in mind, but all in due time.
"For most people, the builder builds the house, they may do a little re-painting,
a little changing. That’s not the case with this kind of deal, you are literally
making the house as you are going along."
   In a backyard that once contained a junk car and graffiti-laden
shed, there now stands a manicured garden with towering trees and a winding
flagstone path. A breeze blowing in from the Delaware River gently lifts a
wind chime, nudging it to life. The melody drifts out of the yard onto Jackson
Street and mingles with the crisp sound of American and Confederate flags fluttering
in the wind.
   It is clear that the history of Old Mill Hill continues to
be made by modern day pioneers, who are dedicated to preserving the rich heritage
of their neighborhood, while at the same time moving it into the 21st century.
A former editor of The Packet Magazine, Devon Cadwell Bazata is a frequent
contributor to the magazine and is a fan of Central Jersey’s arts and home
design.