By Jennifer L. Warren
NEWBURGH – The images of houses flooded the front screen situated inside of 113 Liberty Street. Some were made of wood. Many were modest, one level structures. Still others were dubbed “Laborer Cottages.” Another was a popular bread factory. And then there was the one known to have several rooms rented out to various families by a local doctor.
“Each of these houses is very humble,” explained Marissa Marvelli, a guest speaker and historic preservationist leading the discussion Sunday afternoon. “However, they are so important- the only physical parts of history people who were living in them have to tell their stories.”
Part of the Archtober Newburgh Festival, which includes over 20 free events honoring architecture preservation and design in historic Newburgh, Marvelli’s hour long, chock-filled of information presentation, revealed the culmination of her extensive research on the re-examination of the boundaries of the East End Historic District. Specifically, she meticulously delved into “the adjacent blocks with humbler urban, vernacular houses,” encompassing Carter and Carpenter Street north of Broadway as well as West Parmenter and Washington Streets south of Broadway. Offered as an optional walking tour venue before the talk, these were three mid-late 19th Century neighborhoods, characterized primarily by low-income, immigrant-based populations, and free black owners, excluded from Newburgh’s revered Historic District.
Focusing on 649 properties- including 187 single-family homes and 88 vacant or parking lot parcels- that encompass over 200 years of significant Newburgh immigrant history, Marvelli not only aspired to reveal the full scope of the beautiful-authentic architecture representative of the breadth of the proud immigrant Newburgh population in those days, but so too engage guests in a conversation on ways of honoring those spaces today.
“Walking Liberty Street, it’s easy to see why this is the Historic District, but these places should be worthy as well,” said Marvelli.
Those sections included a trio of neighborhoods whose architecture was a part of the pre-Civil War era. They were places like: the Alsdorf-Decker Houses, the William and Charlotte Johnson House on 228 Washington Street; Reverend Dr. Thompson of the history-laden Zion Church who rented out homes to many families, helping build up Washington Street; the David and Caroline Carter House on 253 Ann Street; and the home built for Henry, the Black gardener and Mary Bowles, a locale he resided at until his death in 1878. Each one contained priceless stories of populations of people often overlooked but whose contributions profoundly shaped the fabric of the City of Newburgh.
According to Marvelli, not only do these landmark spaces tell those integral tales, but they add other priceless pieces to a community. Making them part of a Historic District can: preserve affordability and a sense of place, support small businesses, promote human scale neighborhoods, as well as offset debilitating and contagious neglect among other things. Invited to offer their own opinions on the subject, many in the room shared Marvelli’s interest in and passion for this topic.
“Yes, it should be a part of the Newburgh Historic District,” uttered one response about the buildings’ still very relevant purpose. “The research has been done to show its worth.”
Another woman expressed how not all Black residences should be assumed to have slave connections.
Marvelli added how many Historic District buildings seem to favor brick- a material many of these homes (several made from wood) do not possess as well as how the “condition of the neighborhoods” is often prioritized in the Historic District inclusion process. However, she added the ideal timing of the revealing of the research, as it coincides with the transformative work being done for the upcoming Colored Burial Ground Historical Marker Installation at Newburgh’s Courthouse on 300 Broadway on Sunday, October 13, adds to its significance.
Whether these homes are included as part of the Historic District in the future or not remains uncertain; however, Marvelli’s intriguing and engaging work certainly sparked interest, conversation and perhaps more future developments as word continues to spread about this enlightening research.
“I don’t think this is just about these buildings-homes becoming a part of the Historic District as much as it’s about sharing the research with one another now,” said another guest in the audience. “It’s important people know about these places and what was going on in them, particularly the youth, so it becomes a part of the history for the City.”