By: Dean P. Johnson, Follow South Jersey Editor-in-Chief
SALEM, N.J. – The Salem community was invited recently to revisit a local landmark that had been sitting in disrepair for years.
The JC Penny building on the corner of East Broadway and Walnut Street is being rehabbed into a community space where unique trades used in old house preservation will be taught.
The work is led by Stand Up For Salem (SUFS), a nonprofit organization first launched in 1988. SUFS goal is “to transform the city’s neighborhoods by fostering resident-based planning and volunteer- driven projects as an independent community development corporation,” according to their website.
Rehabilitation of the JC Penney building began in 2017 with an initial grant of $361,323 from the New Jersey Historic Trust. SUFS received an additional $630,000 from the trust in 2020.
“We see the future of this building as providing two services to our community,” SUFS’s website states. “The large open space will provide much needed services to youth and adults without career options or plans while also supporting historic preservation within our community and state.”
The building which was the very first J.C. Penney store in New Jersey, opening in 1924, maintains much of its charm in its rehabilitation. All the original tin panels on the ceiling and walls have been retained. The showcase window looking out onto Broadway will display examples of works and tools of the trades.
A new unique feature of the large open space is the benches along the corner window that are made from wood from the famous Salem Oak, once ranked as one of New Jersey’s largest white oaks, which stood in Salem for more than 500 years until June 6, 2019, when it suddenly crashed to the ground.
The preservation arts training center hopes to attract local students interested in learning a building preservation arts trade or people who are looking for retraining in a different field focusing on woodworking, ornamental plaster and masonry.
Renowned sculptor David Flaharty donated molds to be used for ornamental plasterwork training. Flaharty’s plasterwork can be seen in the American Wing period rooms at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Diplomatic Reception Suites at the U.S. Department of State as well as the White House.
“With this trade center, we are not only supporting preservation but also economically disadvantaged people who have thus far been unable to pursue a career path that could lead to financial stability,” the organization states on their website.
“We’re still building partnerships,” SUFS Board President Tom Smith said. Smith also said he’d like to see more minorities sign up for training. “There is a lack of minorities in the trades. We are providing training for family sustainable work.”
According to research by the University of New Hampshire, in the northeast region there is significant need for preservation craft trades because there are many older homes and historic buildings that are in disrepair. Fixing them requires specialized knowledge in carpentry, masonry, and plastering. There is currently a workforce shortage within the preservation specializations.
“We plan to offer certification programs for Habitat for Humanity as well as apprenticeship programs,” Smith said.
The open house was a way to give the local community a chance to see the progress that has been made with the space and a chance to remember the many years shopping there, Betsy McBride, SUFS Interim Executive Director said.
The event held on January 12, gave the community a chance to tour the building and enjoy a meal while listening to the Delaware based band Best Kept Soul.
SUFS plans to open the building for community group meetings by late spring and begin preservation craft training programs by summer.
For more information on Stand Up For Salem, click here.
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