By: centraljersey.com
ROEBLING – "This way of life doesn’t exist anymore, and that’s why we’re here," said George Lengel, a third-generation Roebling resident, and a member of the board of directors at the Roebling Museum.
Mr. Lengel will be leading a walking tour of historic Roebling on Saturday.
Roebling pride oozes from Mr. Lengel, who will stop to share a story of life in the village with everyone he passes.
"It was just a great place to grow up. We all just got along," says Mr. Lengel, who proudly proclaims that he was born in the town of Roebling 69 years ago, but then adds whimsically that while his birth began here, the length and complications of the labor forced his parents to drive to Trenton to finish the task.
Mr. Lengel’s father was one of the few people who owned a car, since everything the workers needed could be found inside the village limits.
"It was all inclusive. There was a movie theater that seated 900 people and was centrally air-conditioned. Company supplied it."
Mr. Lengel also spoke about the large schoolhouse and the recreational activities that existed in the village, including tennis courts and a large baseball field complete with stadium seating. There were seven churches and 14 bars in and around the village that serviced its 3,500 residents, a ratio that Mr. Lengel describes as being "pure blue collar."
Families had to work at one of the factories in order to live in one of Roebling’s 767 houses, all of which are still standing today thanks to sturdy design and construction.
Rent for the houses varied from $5 a month for the smallest homes to $24.50 per month for the detached homes. These larger homes were often occupied by foreman and, as proof of their advanced architectural design, had sidewalks heated by hot water pipes to melt snow in the winter.
Charles Roebling, the town’s founder and third son of John Roebling, the founder of the Roebling steel mill, was responsible for the village’s look. He took great care in making sure each home had subtle architectural touches so that they would rise above just being standard living conditions for factory workers.
More than once, Mr. Lengel stopped to admire tiny, intricate piping on wooden railings.
"The company didn’t have to put this kind of detail on these houses," he adds, running his hands along the 106-year-old wood, "but they did."
He also has fond recollections about the way the Roebling family treated its workers even in the toughest times.
"If one of the workers died and left a wife with four or five kids, the Roebling family allowed them to stay. Roebling never abandoned a widow or children."
The first Roebling residents arrived in 1905 and were mostly eastern European immigrants.
Mr. Lengel’s grandparents, who were Hungarian on his father’s side and Romanian on his mother’s, were among them. At one point, he estimates that 60 of his relatives lived no more than a block or two away from him as a child, which made finding a wife difficult.
"I couldn’t marry anyone from town," Mr. Lengel admitted with a smile, "because I might be marrying a cousin."
His wife, Kathie, is originally from Burlington City and works at the museum with him.
Even though George Lengel only worked at the factory part time before becoming a teacher, he said Roebling is still the biggest part of his identity.
"These are my roots," he says. "Other than being away for college, I was never away from this place."
Mr. Lengel’s memories extend all the way back to a time when the Roeblings themselves still owned the village. He recalls a heavy emphasis on eastern European cultures, but says that the community atmosphere was unique in the way the cultures were able to interact without losing their fundamental values.
"You’ve heard of the ‘great American melting pot’? Here in Roebling we were the ‘great American stewpot.’ We were one meal, but we kept our individual flavors."
The walking tour Mr. Lengel gives is filled with musings and detailed knowledge of the village. Early in the tour, Mr. Lengel guides visitors past what once was the Roebling drug store, which has murals painted on its side of famous bridges that used Roebling cable, as well as one of founder Charles Roebling.
Local artist Morris Docktor painted the murals six years ago just prior to the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Roebling village.
Later, Mr. Lengel leads the tour past a cross-section of bridge-cable that was manufactured in Roebling. The 3-foot high circle of cable was mounted almost 30 years in front of the renovated library and is comprised of more than 24,000 individual wires that are tightly congested at its center.
Mr. Lengel ends the tour by walking through his old neighborhood, and as he passes his grandmother’s old home, he begins naming all the people who once lived near him.
"I used to know everyone on this block," he says without sadness in his voice before concluding: "You can see why I love this old town."
Mr. Lengel’s walking tour begins at the Roebling Museum this Saturday, Sept. 11 at 11 a.m.
Those interested are encouraged to reserve a spot by calling the museum at (609) 499-7200. For a complete list of upcoming events at the museum, visit its website at www.roeblingmuseum.org.

