Estate Area District Nomination

Background

The proposed Estate Area Historic District is primarily a turn-of the 20th century, suburban residential neighborhood that benefitted from the urban prosperity of the nearby metropolitan region. The district’s period of significance encompasses the years between 1885 and 1945 which represents the neighborhood’s greatest development, both in terms of quantity of properties developed as well as the quality of homes built.

The Estate Area is primarily defined by its prominent north-south ‘spine’ South Mountain Avenue, as well as the Township boundaries to the west and south; bounded by Hoburg Place to the north, Undercliff Road to the west, Briar Hill, and Stonebridge Roads to the south, Stonebridge Road and Eagle Rock Way to the east, and Melrose Place to the northeast. The district is generally located in the southwest corner of the township and encompasses portions of Briar Hill, Llewellyn, Lloyd, Ramsey, Stonebridge, and Undercliff Roads; Clinton Avenue, Eagle Rock Way, Gates, and South Mountain Avenues; Hoburg, Melrose, Warren, and Wayside Places; Locust, Undercliff, and West Brookwood Drives; Mulford Lane; South Mountain Terrace; Stonebridge Court; and Wilfred Street. The area measures approximately 283 square acres.

Scope

The Historic Survey of the Estate Area Historic District in the Township of Montclair was conducted in June of 2020 by Architectural Historians Joseph Schuchman and Scott Wieczorek of E2 Project Management (E2PM). The project was funded by a 2019 Certified Local Government Grant In Aid Program awarded by the NJ State Historic Preservation Office. A total of 308 tax lots were surveyed at an intensive level for the proposed Estate Area Historic District, with a recommended period of significance from 1885 to 1945. Of these, 34 properties are recommended as Key Contributing, 150 as Contributing, 127 as Non-Contributing, and 2 properties were surveyed but are not recommended for inclusion in the potential historic district. 

Maps

Estate Area Historic District Nomination Survey Boundaries

Proposed Estate Area Historic District and Property Statuses

Deliverables

Estate Area Intensive Level Survey Report(PDF, 124MB)