Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1914-09-10
WANTS To SELL
SHORE LAND To
CITYFOR APARK
Lewis M. Johnson, in Letter to
Aldermen, Points Out Great
Opportunity for the City to
Acquire an Ideal Site.

An opportunity to purchase prop-
erty in Water and Rector streets near
Lewis street, for public park pur
pose was brought to the attention OF
the Board of Aldermen at their meet
Ing last night by Lewis NJ. Johnson.
OF New York city. He called the at
tention of the city fathers to the
property of Mrs. Louisa A. Johnson.
which is situated along the water
'front.' in the residential section of
the city, and which he concluded
would make an ideal site for public
recreation place. The property. Mr..
johnson stated in his letter to the
council, is on the market and the
city might easily obtain possession
OF 1t by the sale of bonds to the pres
ent owner The communication was
read and referred to the committee
of the whole.
unless the property in question is
sold to the city, it may be divided
into lots and sold in that manner.
Mr.. johnson set forth that he would
/ be glad to confer with the cit yoffi-
cials concerning it's sale The dwell->
ing on the premises, he stated. was
we'll adapted to the uses of a city
museum, having been the home of
several colonial governors.
His letter. which accompanied a
diagram of the property, as lying be-
tween Rector and Water streets and
fronting 173 feet along the bluff,
follows:
The Mayor and Members of the
Common Council,
of the City of Perth Amboy,
Perth Amboy, N. j.
Gentlemen 1t has recently
come to my attention that you have
been urged by the public press and
by various citizens to acquire proper
ties for park purposes.
II take the liberty of calling your
attention to a large plot shown on
the diagram below, belonging to Mrs.
Louisa A. Johnson. AS you will see
by reference to this diagram, the
property has a water frontage of
l73 feet, like frontage on the west
erly side of Water street and runs
through the block to Rector street
along which thoroughfare it extends
| 115 feet. sFhe grounds are we'll
shaded by a great nfmDeFF. -of .EnsAssb
elm trees, the equal of which caffnA
! ! think, be found in this locality.
| There is a large dwelling house con-
| structed of brick and stone, built
about the year 1885, and which was
owned and occupied by several of the
colonial governors, including Gov
ernors Robert Hunter and William
Burnett. About the year 1908, Com
modore Thomas Truxton, the famous
commander of the frigate ConstelIa-
tion, bought and occupied this dwell
ing. In many other respects the old
mansion Is closely associated with the
early history of the state and the ma
ton. 1t is well adapted to the uses
of a city museum and for public
meetings. During the celebration
held on the last Fourth of July, hun
dreds of people crowded upon the
lawns of the premises.
THE locat ton of the property Is
such that an unobstructed view of
Raritan bay and the Atlantic High
lands can be had from all parts of
the grounds.
The present summer has demon-
strated the urgent need of the pres
ervation for the public of, at least,
portion of the bay waterfront.
Hundreds of residents of the city
have made use of the small private
beaches maintained along the Bluff
during the last season. One of thess
private establishments is to be dis
continued at the end of the season,
and ! am reliably informed that the
beach front of the other will be
greatly curtailed. AS a result of
these char oes, the public will be cut
off even more from the enjoyment of
the waterfront than they are at
present. No other portion of the
waterfront is adapted or available
for bathing or beach purposes. There
are many persons living west Of
Rector street who have in recent
years made use of this property to
pass from that street to Water street
and the waterfront; so many, in
fact, that the owner was obliged to
ost signs prohibiting the practice,
and while the public have now
ceased tC cross the premises as re-
suit of these notices, they have un-
doubtedly been greatly inconvent-
enCed in being obliged to make use
either of Gordon or Lewis streets.
We're this property acquired for a
park it would answer the purposes
of a street without any extra ex-
pense to the city. 1t would also in
sure the continuance of this part
of the city as a residential section
and shut off che possibility or prob
ability of commercial encrOachment
at this point.
The entire property is now in the
market for sale and (while it is the
intention Of the owner to subdiVide
it into building lots unless a pur-
chaser for the whole is found at
once), I am instructed by Mrs.
Johnson to ascertain whether or not
your honorable body desires to nego-
tiGte for its purchase.
| am of the opinion that the own
er will bid for and accept in whole
or in great part the bonds of the
city of Perth Amboy in payment of
the purchase price.
/ shall be glad to confer with any
committee that your honorable body
NAV appoint for that purpose.
Yours very truly,
CSigD LEWIS NJ. JOHNSON.
ATLANTIC CITY $3.50 EXCURSION