The Jersey City news., 1898-12-23
IN OLD NEWARK.
Northern Liberties Inn an
Ancient Orange Street
Landmark.
DESIRABL ES7REET CORNERS
Favorite Locations for Mer-
chants of the Day Some
Land Values.

says the Newark Sunday Cali"
seem to have had certain local points
within their borders at which traffic Was
greater than elsewhere, or where the old
townsmen gathered naturally to discuss
town matters on the public streets. New
ark was no exception TO this peculiarly.
The four corners at Broad and Market
streets were the rallying point for the
downtown folk, and the neighborhood of
Clay street for uptown people. Naturally
Orange and Broad streets made q sort Of
midway rendezvous for cur townsmen in
that vicinity. If the streets were not a
desirable place, by reason of cold or in
clement weather, there was the cosy shell
ter of the old Northern Liberties Hotel,
afterward the North Ward Hotel, at the
intersection of Broad and Washington
streets, where a hotel has always well
coined Newarkers since early in the CEN
fury with good cheer and hospitabIe shell
ter.
There still stands, at the southwest cor
ner of Broad and Orange streets. an Old
building, a relic of those early days, and
which was contemporaneous with the
Northern Liberties Inn. 1t mas been IA
miliar. if not greatly admired landmark
structure today is an eyesore to some Of
our progressive citizens. and yet it forms
an interesting study for the antiquarian.
The building is characterized as a rookegy
BY some recent writer's, and this con-
temptuous title will probably accord with
public opinion generally upon this subject
The dwelling and store combined has mad
numero1s occupants of various occupa-
tcns since its erection, at the opening OF
the nineteenth century Nearly CEN
tury ago 1t was the gable-roofed mansion
of Isaac Faitoute, one Of Newark's wor-
thy and prosperous citizens; and although
the building has changed but little since
that time, II was then regarded as a
rather pretentious sort of edifice. Some
half century ago the front of the lower
floor was slightly modified for store p1lr-
poses, by building out an extension, coy
ering the ground that up to that tsnse.
formed a little front yard. For n4ny
years of this century the ground floor
has been used for general or grocery
stores. Faitoute & Lee kept store there
as far back as 1s2s and one Of the Lee
family had a grocery store in the same
premises thirty years later.
Of the antiquity and popularity of
these Broad and Orange street corners
for store purposes we have ample proof
from old records. The following am
aouncement is one TO the purpose
New Store Moses Faitoute, William
Lee and Moses Hedden have formed the
firm Of Faitoute, Lee & Co. at the store
formerly occupied by James Vanderpcos,
corner Broad and Orange strets. lpas
was in 1912. and even this old firlza had its
predecessor in the person OF James Van
derpool. And in the same year Israel
Beach & Son kept store on one OF these
corners. Now our wortay postmaster.
David p. Bragaw. Keeps Up this line OF
business succession on the southeast cor
ners of these two streets.
Next south Of the corner building first
described were two other dilapidatea rel
les OF old times until quite recently. They
have been replaced by modern brick srruc-
tures. forming two cornnodious and
handsome stores. OF this location, tra-
aition has it that fort or military head
a1farters was established here during the
war of 1872. and it is said that pris-
oner named Eagles escaped from tais
Mace at that time, but was sisot and
killed while running up Orange street l5V
o. singular coincidence. we find tnaf a
sprt of military succession occurs IN this
locality. as there was afterwards what
we now call the old arrory building,
hut little removed from the headqiar-
tiers of 1872. in old Newark.
About 81, 600 PER front foot was paid a
few wears since for this land, upon wilica
the rev buildings now stand, and il Is
said that in 1850 feet Of ground here
was offered for $500 The advance in the
price of land in this Immediate locality
is far in the lead of the advance Of
modern improvements. as any citizen who
gianccs about him will testify
Another ancient specimen of arehi-
lecture which until recently offended the
eyes OF progressive citizens, and attract
ed the attention of the antiquarian was
the dilapidated old stone building on the
corner of High and Orange streets This
ranked among the most venerable struc-
lures in the city. Although its age, at
the time of its demolition, to make room
for a more modern and useful pile, can
not be definitely fixed, it is perfectly safe
to place It's birth well back into the.
eighteenth century. It was one Of the
many in Newark for which the old patri-
otic citizen claimed the distinction Of
having sheltered General Washington for
one night at least. 1t is, perhaps as
we'll in the case of a very old dwelling
in our town. to let it so at that. 1t can
do no harm to let doubtful tradition
usurp the place of accurate history or in
dIsputable records in matters OF tenn
porary occupancy Of houses by great
men In the past Another traditional as
signment Of the venerable structure was
that the Catholics in Newark held their
first service in this city in the old build-
ing. These are honors enough to give
the place a historical interest in the
minds of persons who can receive tradl-
tional events in their town unquestfon-
ingiy.
Probably the first occupant of the house
during the earliest years of the present
century was one OF Newark s cid toWnS-
men named: Joseph S. Baldwin. who was
the pioner in the distillery business az
that corner. and which eventually ex-
tended little further south, on High
street. and was, a little later. the estab-
mel Cairns shoemaker, lived In the old
9Iweliinp during the sthirties,s and. per-
hsa i,ss sarliers and his son lived there and
kebt store until the building was removed
a few wears since. There was no store
there when the place was occupied by
r s. Baldwin, earlier in the century. OF
the latter old citizen it is reported that
he used TO sit out on the front stoop to-
ward evening and smoke his long pipe,
with q stem to it as long as q came,
40 !. rssd howl. The old resident who |