As Skillman Village rises, questions loom over fate of buildings

37 structures identified on former NPDC campus as worthy of preservation

By: Kara Fitzpatrick
   MONTGOMERY — As planning for the future of the former North Princeton Developmental Center continues to take shape, decisions regarding which on-site structures have the potential for adaptive reuse will be at the forefront — whether those decisions are made by the township or its redevelopment partners.
   While careful not to describe the effort — dubbed Skillman Village — as a restoration project, township officials have identified 37 structures, as well as an on-site cemetery, that are "not to be demolished at this time."
   "It is recognized that not all of these buildings and structures are likely to be re-used or preserved," the site concept plan says. The concept plan, which was made public last month, explains the guiding principles and design parameters that should be considered while developing the 250-acre property, which the township is slated to purchase from the state.
   "Additional input is expected and invited from prospective redevelopers as to the historical significance" and the "feasibility" of preserving them, the concept plan continues.
   Although most residents are familiar with the current status of the site’s buildings — for the most part, they are decaying — many of those structures bear significant history.
   Van Harlingen Historical Society President Brad Fay said he hopes that history can be intertwined with the site as a redevelopment plan is crafted.
   Mr. Fay said he is especially hopeful about the prospects for preservation. "The concept plan is very compatible with preservation," he said. "I see it as a place where preservation and commercial development go hand in hand."
   In a memo to Mayor Louise Wilson last spring, the Van Harlingen Historical Society identified 20 structures that it believes are worthy of preservation. Four structures — Maplewood, Smalley Hall, Meadowside and Fairview — were listed under a "highest priority" category.
   The four structures are included in the 37 structures "not to be demolished," as recommended by the concept plan.
   According to the memo, the historical society cites three "major considerations" that must be factored into the process of deciding what buildings to preserve — historical and architectural significance, condition and cost to repair, and potential for economically viable reuse.
   One of the four high priorities is the Maplewood House — built in 1845, more than a half century before the establishment of the State Village for Epileptics on the site in 1898.
   As New Jersey acquired land for the State Village for Epileptics, which was open to provide live-in treatment for those with epilepsy, a number of farms were acquired — the first of which was the 187-acre Maplewood property. The farm included the 20-room Maplewood House, which was the earliest home for residents of the state village.
   The state village was established to provide treatment for those with epilepsy — a disease that was thought at the time to be a form of mental illness. Because doctors believed it to be detrimental for those with epilepsy to live in close quarters with those suffering from other mental illnesses, the New Jersey Legislature approved the establishment of the State Village for Epileptics. At the village, patients worked on the surrounding farms, attended school and social events, and received vocational training.
   "There is no doubt" of Maplewood’s historical importance, Mr. Fay said. But, he added, "in one sense, (the buildings) are all important."
   Township officials and historians are not the only ones who wish to see new life breathed into the Maplewood House, which is included on both the state and national registers of historic places.
   Because of the importance the township has played in the history of the treatment of the seizure-causing disease, the Epilepsy Foundation of New Jersey has been working for years to create a museum in the Maplewood House on the NPDC campus.
   Other priorities identified by the Van Harlingen Historical Society and listed by the township as structures not to be demolished include Meadowside and Fairview — both of which are farmhouses that also preceded the development of the state village. As with Maplewood, Meadowside and Fairview are the original homesteads located on two separate tracts that were purchased in 1899 and 1913, respectively.
   Another priority identified by the Van Harlingen Historical Society is Smalley Hall — erected in the early 1900s, after the creation of the state village.
   With the ability to seat 1,000 people, Smalley was created as a village hub and had myriad uses. It was there that the patients would attend church services, as well as social and theatrical events.
   There are several other buildings that possess both historical value and potential for adaptive re-use but, after years of neglect, the status — and prospective viability — of most of the structures remains up in the air.
   A survey commissioned by the township and completed in 2001 by Bovis Lend Lease concluded that a significant number of buildings are "structurally viable" for adaptive re-use.
   But Mr. Fay said the historical society would like to see an updated report on the site conducted by a qualified preservation architect. "Whether it is done by the township or future redevelopers is going to depend on the timing," Mr. Fay said.
   Mr. Fay said such a report is necessary to take full advantage of the site’s potential. In addition, he said, federal tax credits exist that assist in economically viable preservation projects. Such a report would likely be a prerequisite for qualifying for those tax benefits, Mr. Fay said.
   According to the concept plan, Skillman Village will include open-space features, municipal, civic, cultural and educational resources, age-restricted housing, retail uses and a conference center.
   A public hearing on the concept plan is slated to take place before the Planning Board on Monday. A redevelopment plan will come later in the process.
   Mr. Fay said, "Certainly, the vast majority of buildings that are important" are included in the concept plan’s list of 37 structures not be demolished immediately.
   Mr. Fay said restoring the charm of the site could only work to the township’s benefit. "Many commercial ideas are going to be more successful if we can create a destination site," he said. Due to the erosion of a sense of place in the United States, Mr. Fay said he believes people are hungry for surroundings with abundant character.
   The village has a "totally one-of-a-kind sense of place, which is hard to reproduce if you were to start from scratch," he said.