Ralph Berrios said that his crew will salvage as much of the historic building materials as possible on behalf of Greater Bible Way Temple’s future building project on the site.
Effectively, the Historic Preservation Office says in its letter that of at least 20 places with a “fleeting association with Dr. King” in the Garden State, the Walnut Street house may just be a minor part of his link to New Jersey, in comparison to other properties.
A two-story row house, which local activists want to preserve as a key waypoint in King’s early development, is on the verge of collapse in the face of indecision by local and state officials.
The August Wilson House will include a restoration of the two-room apartment the Wilson family occupied, plus artists’ studios and gallery space, with a focus on arts education.
Church preservation is a recurrent battleground for historic preservationists, who argue that neighborhood religious structures are an integral part of a community’s built environment.
