A profile on the former Mali Estate caretaker, Stefan "Steve" Babin

Published on 31 May, 1940 a profile on the former Mali Estate caretaker ... the map in this post showing his property was from 1924 [click images to read larger ]

Making history!

 Thanks to all who came out to hear the Meadowbrook Neighborhood History Poster Tour and to help clean-up this section of the Green Brook.  And a friendly reminder, click the images to view them larger!

And Happy 203rd Birthday to John Taylor Johnston!! Here is a short video history about him that I found on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SU9g8SIn2G8

See you Saturday!!

 See you Saturday at 10am!

Historic Poster Tour and Clean-Up Activity is a GO!!!

Friendly Reminder, we are confirmed this Saturday April 8th 10am, at the corner of Farragut Rd. and Brook Ave, (the green open space) for a "Historical Poster-Tour" followed by a Clean-Up Activity of the section of the Green Brook that flows past our neighborhood.

We have been generously provided gloves, trash-bags, and "grabbers" by the Borough to assist with the clean-up activity. We hope to see you this Saturday April 8th at 10am to see and hear about this section of the neighborhood and brook from the 1890s as it has evolved until today and help give it a nice Spring Cleaning. (As we're now into "April Showers bring May flowers, new Rain Date is Saturday April 15th, 10am)

And if you can't join this one, stay tuned there is another day May 6th!!
Venue: Community Center at 614 Greenbrook Rd

Happy Anniversary Meadowbrook

November 15, 1936 - Happy 86th Anniversary Meadowbrook - and just a short 30 years later from the Grand Opening the final house will sell in 1966 on Wells Road, a naming tribute to Meadowbrook Inc president George E. T. Wells who passed in 1947.

More details on the neighborhood opening can be found here

https://tinyurl.com/MeadowbrookOpenHouse

Meadowbrook History Map

Click legend/layers on the left to see various details
If you're on a laptop, after clicking an icon, click the preview to see the full image
https://tinyurl.com/MeadowbrookMap

Find us over on Facebook at:  
Meadowbrook Neighborhood History - North Plainfield, NJ

Or Instagram at: 
meadowbrookhistory_npnj

Happy Arbor Day - Trick-Or-Treat!

Arbor Day was 6 months ago today but also only a short 6 months away from today! Start your spring planning for April 28th 2023 and dream all winter long about what you can plant in our historic neighborhood. Did you know this year in April 2022 the Arbor Day Foundation celebrated 50 years? Infact, some of the trees in our neighborhood are twice that old! Here are some article snippets talking about the grand majestic trees of our neighborhood and how their valuable timbers were priced into the home's value.

I've also measured some suspected original trees because Mr. Wells and Meadowbrook Inc actually planted many of our trees when the neighborhood was newly built as you'll see in the notated 1947 aerial photo. Using the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) method which relies on a simple formula that uses the tree diameter at breast height (DBH) and Growth Factor per species of tree I've come up with some amazing discoverys.

Many of the large maples and sycamores that line the street are approximately 90-95 years old, which makes sense if the neighborhood is at most 85 years old (1936) that in the 1947 map photo we're viewing many young plantings but can definitely see the outlines of much older specimens that would have been part of the Netherwood / Johnston / Mali Estate.

The oldest Oak I measured estimates to be ~260-330 years old!

There is a 1935 article stating that, where Watchung Square Mall is today, they found a 254 year old Oak, so this wouldn't be an oddity to fast forward and find protected today in our neighborhood. Sadly that Oak tree in 1935 was deemed rotten and cut down, which is part of the natural cycle, but also important for safety of our neighborhood, people and homes, so sometimes we need to take trees down - but to be good stewards while we're here we should be ready to replant any* kind of new tree.

If you have

• an old tree in your yard, I'd love to come measure it and calculate the approximate age
• tree measurement questions where you live or want to discuss tree types to plant in the spring
• talk general tree placement, colors, options, expected growth, heights, sun requirements, etc.
• please don't hestitate to reach out

*please also don't plant these species: bradford pears, norway maple, tree of heaven; and if the birds plant one of those, remove it, for the sake of the Garden State

Various about the Gate House

 Various images of the Gate House, 150 years old :-)

Check this out

 Very neat post about the Johnston & Mali NYC home.

http://daytoninmanhattan.blogspot.com/2017/08/the-lost-john-taylor-johnston-mansion-8.html