One of structures to be moved to Barbara Boggs Sigmund Park.
By: Jennifer Potash
Writers Block, the experimental urban garden, was shuttered this weekend following an auction that sold off most of the whimsical follies.
Writers Block, a set of small structures, open lawn and rows of corn and sunflowers, bloomed in a vacant lot slated for a luxury townhouse development off Paul Robeson Place. Palmer Square, which owns the site, gave its blessing to the project, which began in July. The structures will be removed by Nov. 12.
There are no plans to bring back Writers Block next summer although officials in Morris County has expressed interest in holding a similar project, said Hope Van Cleaf, events coordinator for Writers Block. "I don’t know if that will happen," she said. "This was such a Princeton thing and what was great about it was people could walk downtown and suddenly be in the middle of a wonderful garden."
The follies, structures no larger than 120 square feet, were designed by teams consisting or a local architect, writer and a builder.
Most of the follies and a water tower were sold on Saturday, although a few remain on the market, Ms. Van Cleaf said.
The four follies that did not sell may be purchased by contacting the architects that designed the structures, Ms. Van Cleaf said. The four follies still for sale are the Fran Lebowitz folly designed by M.J. Sagan and Raynor Woodworking; Paul Muldoon’s folly designed by Richardson Smith Architects and Integrated Construction; Peter Singer’s folly by Peter Wasem and builders Tay River Homesmiths and Tindall Ranson; and the Cornel West folly by architects Sharon McHugh and John Nastasi and builders from The Stevens Institute.
Some winning bids fell well short of the proposed opening bids, which ranged from $2,000 to $20,000, Ms. Van Cleaf said. She declined to give the specific amounts of the winning bids.
The auction was aimed at recovering the costs of the follies and any surplus money donated to a charity of the team’s choice.
Princeton Borough resident Polly Burlingham was able to secure the "Hands Together" folly for the Barbara Boggs Sigmund Park off Hamilton Avenue. Ms. Burlingham, a master gardener who volunteers her time to keep the park in top shape, won the folly with a $4,000 bid, Ms. Van Cleaf said.
Ms. Burlingham launched a fund-raising campaign to bid on the folly that was created by Paul Sigmund, the late mayor’s husband and a professor at Princeton University, and architect John James Rivera. The cedar wood structure features a lattice-like element opening toward the sky with an opening at the floor with four bamboo shoots.
The fund-raising campaign drew interest, but it failed to muster the estimated $17,000 bid for "Hands Together," Ms. Burlingham said.
Ms. Burlingham has revived the campaign to cover the $4,000 cost of the folly plus an additional $1,600 for moving and installing the structure in the park.
"I’m so excited about it," she said. "I guess it was meant to be."
After discussing the matter with borough officials, Ms. Burlingham said anyone who would like to donate to the folly’s costs may send a check made out to The Borough of Princeton to her residence at 28 Scott Lane, Princeton, NJ 08540. Ms. Burlingham said she will turn over all the checks to the borough. The donations may be tax-deductible, she said.
Borough Engineer Carl Peters had examined the structure and found it appropriate for passive uses in the park.