Residents Report City Purged Artifacts

On the Yahoo Asbury Park Group, a woman named Kathryn has listed artifacts recovered from the Palace Amusements, which were stored over the Public Works offices, she says have been destroyed. The space was cleaned out to make way for a wrestling or boxing gym.

From Asbury Radio to Kathryn -
Thank you so much for reporting this. How did you come by such a comprehensive list? I guess we shouldn't be surprised by anything like this. After all they keep jailing the city historian. By the way, someone referred to the Palace Amusements as being on the National Historic Register. According to Michael Calafati, the preservation architect who served on the city's Technical Review Committee (TRC), the Palace was not registered. The mistake is often made because the 1888 Carousel House was on the adjacent property. The bronze plaque was actually awarded to the Carousel and affixed to its wall. Despite impassioned protests by Calafati and city historian Werner Baumgartner, the Carousel was the first of that corner to be torn down as protestors sought an injunction.
Maureen Nevin

--- In AsburyPark@yahoogroups.com, Kathryn Bevacqua wrote:>>
Don't know about anything from the Casino, but here's a detailed list of what was lost. Also a few things that remain.
The list of destroyed items includes the following:
* Plywood murals from the Orient Express ride, painted by Ralph Lopez Sr.
* Plywood Twister ride wall mural, painted by Ralph Lopez, Jr.
* Murals and other art work from the Fun House including the Sleeping Beauty scene
* Mechanically animated hands of the Fun House giant
* Upper body of the giant (paint on plywood)
* Illuminated section of Fun House facade
* 27 murals from inside the Haunted Castle dark ride
* Virtually mint sign from the Asbury Park Rock 'N' Roll Museum
* Heavy plastic from the rooftop "FUNHOUSE" sign letters
* Papier mache tree from inside the Haunted Castle
* Turret from the roof of the Fun House mirror maze
* Spinning floor disc from Fun House walkway
* Exhibit descriptions from the walls of the Rock 'N' Roll Museum
* Metal sign, "Asbury Park Business District"
* Atari 1980 "Tempest" video game circuit board, s/n 0113098
* Atari Audio/Regulator II video game power supply
* 3 Skee Ball pull lever dime coin mechanisms on mounting plates
* Small Cabbage Patch style doll
* Midway 1975 "Gun Fight" video game circuit board, control panel, & coin door
* Pepsi bottle from ring toss game
* 6 red light fixtures from Casino carousel house roof
* 3 Bacchus Games "Morgana" fortune teller marquee signs (some broken)
* 6 bricks from exterior wall of Ernest Schnitzler's apartment (original owner of the Palace), painted green
* Atari 1974 "Qwak!" video rifle game plexiglass
* Gottlieb 1952 "Chinatown" pinball backglass
* Gottlieb 1953 "Poker Face" pinball backglass
* Unknown pitch & bat type arcade game backglass
* Ticket payout chart from electromechanical ("Pop-A-Ball" style) poker redemption game
* Two decorative wooden cutouts from doors of Orient Express ride
* Raised plastic letters "H," "O," "U," and "S" from "Fun House" sign left side of the big slide.
* Metal channel letter "S" from the exterior neon sign> * Tunnel of Love ghost chain mechanism> * Yellow incandescent lamps and a section of scalloped façade which was mounted next to the carousel> * Score unit from unknown electromechanical rifle game, likely manufactured by Midway MFG Co. Neon tubes from exterior Tillie mural (Theater side of the Palace):
1. Hair - left side - completely intact tube
2. Hair - right side - top edge
3. Left eyebrow - portion of top edge
4. Connector wire between eyebrows
5. Right eyebrow - top edge
6. Right eyebrow - bottom edge
7. Right eye - inner circle
8. Right eye - outer circle
9. Right eye - oval border (portion)
10. Left ear and curve over smile
11. Nose - center 1/3
12. Nose - right 1/3
13. Smile - left corner
Misc. Parts:
1. Glass housings (4)
2. Threaded mounts for tubing (6)
3. Insulator from left (Beach side) Tillie's chin hole
The Asbury Park Historical Society said the following items survived: * Ticket box, locked, with many Palace ride tickets visible inside through slot> * Rifle & base from unknown electromechanical gun game> * Box containing two buckets full of carousel rings> * Three-panel interior sign
Also surviving is a portion of the entryway to the Haunted Castle dark ride. Removed to storage by Save Tillie at the request of the Historical Society, the artifact was reclaimed by Save Tillie several years ago shortly before the Historical Society planned to destroy it. It is currently preserved in the care of a Save Tillie member.

In case you can't see the comment on this blog, here it is again:
Wernerized has left a new comment on your post "Residents Report City Purged Artifacts": I can understand that the city might not have been able to care for all these objects, but couldn't they at least have donated them to a non-profit that would have, or even sell them for money to collectors - at least these items would still be in existence. Since the time the Mayfair theatre was taken down, this historical architecture and artifacts of this town have suffered due to its insensitive political leaders.

Asbury Park's Historian - In His Own Words

Thought you might find this comment, in Historian Werner Baumgartner's own words posted on Yahoo, an interesting perspective:
I read with great interest the recent articles in the Tri-City News and Coaster regarding the Elk's Lodge (Charms) demolition and the state of redevelopment,preservation etc. There was a time when the City acknowledged the official position of City Historian whose responsibilities included advising the governing body and boards on preservation, planning and heritage economics. The City Historian attended all meetings, sat on committees, traveled to conferences and training seminars on a State and National level at his own expense. All to bring state of the art information and experience into all processes to make Asbury park a better place and not lose its identity in the while looking to the future.
The City received positive media attention as a result of the Historian's efforts, changed some internal practices for the better and generally started to adopt a better image of its own history.
Then a New City Manager came to power, a New Council took office and all the gains were erased, history was scoffed at, the Historian's recommendations were ignored, the Historical Society was taken over by a council member, the Official City Historian was exiled.
Developers started to decide what was best for the City, SoHo meets South Beach they said. No need for wide streets, the circuit, the Albion, the Casino, the Palace, the 1888 Carousel House, public spaces.....No need for timetables or performence bonds they said... Trust us... 3000+Condos and a shopping mall on the Boardalk. Out with the old in with the new.
Curious how the media now laments the loss of Asbury Park's character and architectural icons and claims there was no one advocating for the City's preservation.
Werner

Partners Have Asbestos Permit on Historic Charms Building

A City code official confirmed today that owners of the historic Charms Building, pictured here across from the newer Wesley Grove condos, hold a permit for asbestos abatement. The process is a requirement whether it's a prelude to repair or demolition of the building.
The permit was extended today to 12/31/09.

Code officials did an inspection nearly three months ago. "We've been citing it for awhile," the official said. Calling the building at 401 Monroe Avenue a "hazardous structure," he said, after years of neglect restoration would only be possible at an "astronomical cost."

Separately another City official noted that any building can be renovated, it's just a question of money. He added that the loss of tax revenue to the City is also a serious consideration. The City's Historical Society placed the building on its endangered list and called for the City Council to move to preserve it. Deputy Mayor John Loffredo has vowed publicly on a number of occasions that he would find a way to restore and preserve, the 1914-circa building, which was built to house an Elks Lodge and later accommodated the candy company's offices.


The City has lost a significant number of ratables since the master developer, Asbury Partners, began buying up properties and leveling the structures on them, known as improvements for tax purposes, in order to appeal and lower their property taxes, starting from the time it signed the Waterfront Redevelopment Agreement (WRA) with the City in 2002.

It was unclear what interests if any iStar Financial, Asbury Partners' lender which plans to offer at auction the master developer's $70 million-dollar interest in the partnership on December 15th, might have in the landmark building or cleared property.
Also pictured above are a series of blighted buildings on Cookman Avenue leading into the downtown.