Weequahic Section Today


by Jule Spohn

 

I took a ride over on Elizabeth Avenue this morning heading to Weequahic Park to see if the Divident Hill Monument is still there. I haven't been over that way in over 30 years. Here's what it looks like today.

Of course the area has changed a lot. However, it is not as bad as I had expected to find. Coming up from the intersection of Clinton Avenue and Elizabeth Avenue the first thing that caught my eyesight was the green facade of the old Sears building. It is still standing, closed up, but looks to be in pretty good shape after all these years. Next block on the right is a small park with a flag pole and a monument to the Veterans which was placed there by the Jewish War Veterans sometime in the past. There is some graffiti on it and I will contact the city to have it taken off. Further down I spotted a closed up building which looked like it was some sort of a restaurant. It is at #306 Elizabeth Ave. When I got home and checked the phone book I found out that it is the old Weequahic Diner. Building still is in pretty good shape but closed up. Next I got to the park. Drove all around it. It is still in very good shape. You can tell that the city has been keeping it up. Found the gazebo on Divident Hill. From the distance it looks great, but when you get up close it is full of graffiti. I took some photo's of it, as well as the other buildings I just mentioned. If anyone wants copies of any of these let me know. Divident Hill was extremely important during the early history of Newark. It was there in 1667 that the founders of Newark, and some of the settlers in Elizabethtown drew up the boundary between Newark and Elizabethtown. This beautiful Greco-Roman pavilion was dedicated in 1916 - the 250 anniversary of the settlement of Newark. The hill it is located on is 80 feet above sea level and the first highest point from Newark Bay. It is on the Upper Road (Elizabeth Avenue) and opposite the road to Lyons's Farms (Lyons Avenue). Didn't have time to drive up and down the side streets (but I will in the future) but all of the streets and houses looked to have been kept up in their very beautiful conditions. I was happy to see that.

The one building I missed not seeing was the old TAVERN RESTAURANT on the corner of Elizabeth Avenue and Meeker Street. There is an apartment building there now. I didn't have time to drive up and down the side streets today, but I will in the future. Looking up and down the side streets I could see that almost all of the beautiful homes seen to have been well maintained. The area seems to be doing OK. Let's hear some comments from those of you who used to live in this area.

 


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