Library Looks Back on 100 Years of 'Endangered' Graydon

Despite Graydon Pool's designation as an endangered historic site, the Ridgewood Public Library will honor its 100 years of village service Saturday.

Concluding a week when the village's natural-bottomed pool was named to a list of 10 most endangered state historic sites by Preservation New Jersey, the library will host a presentation on Graydon Park's centennial.

Village historians Peggy Norris and Joe Suplicki will weave through Samuel Graydon's gifts to the village, the previous dams setup on the Ho-Ho-Kus Brook and how Linwood Park became Graydon Pool, among other facts.

The historical celebration comes at a time when the tranquil pool has been a lightning rod for controversy. As Graydon has recently operated in the red, Village Council has moved toward issuing a request for proposal to seek possible updates to the pool. Members of the Preserve Graydon Coalition (which nominated Graydon for PNJ consideration) and other residents fear an RFP moves the pool toward a concrete finish. Additionally, residents recently elected to council—Bernadette Walsh and Tom Riche—were endorsed by Preserve Graydon. 

The pool joins nine other libraries, high schools, diners and other various facilities highlighted by Preservation New Jersey, a nonprofit that has issued an endangered list since 1978.

"As we acknowledge each year, selections to the '10 Most Endangered Historic Sites' list are based on the likelihood that solutions can be found and historic buildings and places can be brought back to useful and productive life," according to a Preservation NJ Statement. "Proudly, PNJ points to many properties previously listed among the '10 Most Endangered' that have now been saved, preserved and brought new life."

To be included, a site must meet three criteria:  

• Historic significance and architectural integrity;
• The critical nature of the threat identified; and
• The likelihood that inclusion on the list would have a positive impact on efforts to protect the site. 

Norris acknowledges the list's significance.

"The list highlights historical resources and landscapes we have and causes us to think about our future," she said.

Ridgewood isn't a stranger to the list, as the Pease Library was targeted a decade ago. Although attention from Preservation NJ doesn't elicit any direct action, Norris said communities sometimes rally around the sites.

"For Pease, it raised people's awareness of the site, and the choices we as a town were facing," she said.

If Pease is an indicator on Ridgewood's reaction, Graydon should be in good hands. Recently, the Bolger Foundation was honored for its restoration work at the historic library.

However, Saturday isn't a time to debate the Graydon of tomorrow, Norris said.

"The purpose is celebrate our parks and is not a forum for the future of our parks... Obviously, the library has no position on what moves forward," she said. "Yet, it is important to look at the history and take that into account for whatever decisions the village makes in the future."

 Norris and Suplicki will also give histories of all village-owned parks—not just Graydon.

"Joe and I went to visit all the parks. It was interesting as we have lots of spaces and a lot of nice wild areas. It takes a little time to go through them all, but they are quite a resource and people are not as familiar with them as they are with Vets or Graydon," Norris said.

The library's historian said she hadn't seen all 12 parks before, and this gave her a chance to. For her, Grove Park—with its 30 acres of woodlands—King's Pond, and Pleasant Park were nice surprises as "the three parks are great natural areas with great walking trails."

In their talk, they'll provide the origins and amenities the village parks provide. Norris and Suplicki restricted their work to village-owned parks, although Ridgewood has other county, board of education and PSE&G properties that serve as recreation areas.

On Saturday, Graydon, like other centenarians, will have a birthday cake to celebrate its special day.

The event at the Ridgewood Public Library starts at 10 a.m.