 March/April 2000 (XXXVIII 2) |
any Friends are aware of the continuing situation of the attempted removal of the wall around the burial ground behind Burlington Meeting House Conference Center (NJ). The approximately 200-year-old wall had begun to crumble, and out of concern for public safety we decided it should be taken down before someone was injured. An application for demolition was denied by the Historic Preservation Commission of the City of Burlington, but the commission noted that it could not speak to safety issues. We sought the approval of city construction officials and were advised that we had a dangerous situation which should be demolished as soon as possible.
When most of the north wall had been removed, representatives of the Historic Preservation Commission along with the City Attorney came and asked that we stop the work. In the spirit of good fellowship we called off the demolition to allow time to figure out this difficult complication. Six months later, we have not moved much further.
The Historic Preservation Commission does not agree to the loss of the wall. Although it is patched and crumbling, they insist that we keep the last 98 feet of the north wall standing. We have been directed to place temporary buttresses which must be replaced by permanent buttresses within six months. The only option offered to us is to historically reconstruct the wall.
Rebuilding the wall would cost about $250,000, according to an estimate. The cost of permanent buttresses could be $15,000. We have already spent $6,500 for the demolition and $5,000 for legal and engineering fees. PYM General Secretary Thomas Jeavons has approved of the steps we have taken. We do not find it feasible to spend a great amount of money on a wall. We have advised the historic commission that it is not our mission to provide a wall when there is so much need in this world. We have contributed a great deal to the historic community of this city, but feel that this is beyond what we can do.
At this time, we have placed temporary buttresses along the wall and are looking into funding for any further work we might do. We have asked the city to assist us in finding matching funds that will allow us to apply for a grant from the New Jersey Historic Trust.
Everyone involved with the Meeting House is sorry to lose the wall; it added charm and privacy to the burial ground. The safety of our visitors and our neighbors had to be our primary concern and will continue to be the most important aspect of this situation.
Barbara L. Hayes
Westfield Meeting (NJ)
Director of Burlington Meeting House
Last modified: Wednesday, February 18, 2004 at 08:19 AM