History

East Orange once had a reputation as one of the wealthiest suburbs until it fell on hard times. Now, one of its neighborhoods is attracting young professionals who are rehabbing 19th-century row houses.

A collection of historical photos not seen in almost 40 years is being digitized by the Paterson Museum. 

A century-old collection of freemason artifacts was lost when the historic Masonic Temple in Orange burned down two months ago.

A proposed Harriet Tubman monument meant to replace a statue of Christopher Columbus that was removed in the heat of 2020’s unrest was unanimously voted down.

Old-growth forests are rich habitats for wildlife. But they are rare. These five forests survived to tell their stories.

A famous Newark Rabbi, who preceded Dr. Martin Luther King at the lectern before the “I have a dream” speech, has somehow faded from local memory. 

A former church building in Newark that played an important role in black history could be demolished.

A 19th-century factory complex, where the world’s largest cotton thread company was headquartered until 1935, will become East Newark’s new town center when renovations are complete.

Plans are underway to repurpose the old Fourth Precinct — where the Newark riots began — into an exhibition space as well as the headquarters for the Center for Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery. 

The world’s first movie production house, the Black Maria in West Orange, is getting a huge investment to make the exhibit more tourist-friendly.