Halcyon Park Neighborhood Association

About our logo...

What's New

Then and Now Photos
Star Ledger article
Photos by Residents
Fall 2007 Newsletter

Contents

Photo Album
Newsletter Archive
News Archive
Halcyon Park Trivia
Halcyon Park History

Links

Bloomfield Township Web site
 

Halcyon Park in the News!

Read the article about Halcyon Park from the January 17 edition of the Star Ledger: Neighborhood snapshot: Halcyon Park. The Photo below is from that article.


Spring in Halcyon Park


Photo by Charles Burns

Photo by Charles Burns

Photo by Charles Burns

Halcyon Park was developed as a private residential park with all the advantages of the city and all the surroundings of a country estate. Halcyon Park is a planned community of homes, with trees and shrubs, picturesque cottages, lakes, spacious grounds, a clubhouse, tennis courts, and stables. The most remarkable thing about this private residential park was that it was developed for individuals of moderate means.  The park is now maintained by the Township of Bloomfield and is home to an ethnically diverse group of citizens.

At one time, in the early part of the 20th century, there were two lakes in Halcyon Park. "Lake of the Oaks" and "Shell Lake." Shell Lake, the smaller of the two lakes, was located in the green area near 28 Parkway West. It was filled in many years ago. Lake of the Oaks, the larger lake, is what is known today as the Halcyon Park Pond.

In 1995, Halcyon Park was designated eligible for the National Register of Historic Places "as an intact collection of early 20th century residential housing in a planned setting reflecting attention to open space and neighborhood character." To learn more about the history of Halcyon Park, visit HalcyonParkHistoricDistrict.com


Halcyon Park Neighborhood Association Officers

Daniel Natal, President
 (Vacant) Vice President
Millie Harris, Publicity Director
Norma Borja Kroll, Beautification Coordinator
Jim Blaszak, Traffic/Public Safety Coordinator
 Aurea Natal, Treasurer
Kate Grande, Secretary
Susana Sotillo, Secretary
Rich Rockwell, Web Master


Mission Statement and Goals

We are a group of concerned citizens who have come together in an effort to maintain and expand the amenities found in Halcyon Park. We take pride in working with the Department of Public Works director and staff to improve the quality of life for Halcyon Park residents. We feel indeed fortunate to live in this neighborhood. This is a unique oasis in the south end of Bloomfield and it is our civic duty to preserve the unique character of Halcyon Park.

In 1993, Michael Lo Conte formed the Halcyon Park Environmental Committee (HPEC) in an effort to restore and beautify Halcyon Park. He, along with several committed volunteers, was responsible for a number of vital improvements: the installation of a circulation pump and fountainhead; the construction of the raised flowerbed and planting of shrubbery; and the installation of a flagpole. Mike Lo Conte worked very hard for over two years to maintain the suburban character of Halcyon Park.

Most of the original members of the Halcyon Park Environmental Committee moved away. For a while, there was very little activity in the park. The HPEC was restructured and became the Halcyon Park Neighborhood Association. Many new families from diverse backgrounds have moved into Halcyon Park. Officers of the Halcyon Park Neighborhood Association are actively recruiting new members to help them plan a variety of civic activities.  Please volunteer to serve your community and get involved!


Photo Album

Photos by Residents
Night Out August 7th 2007
July 8th 2007
July 4th 2005
Neighborhood Association Meeting September 18, 2001
Halloween Parade 2000


Have any photos you'd like to contribute?

Send them to Rich Rockwell at rrockwell@comcast.net


 

Newsletter Archive

Summer 2007
Spring 2007
Fall 2006

 

News Archive

Neighborhood snapshot: Halcyon Park article in the Star Ledger, January 17, 2008
Halcyon Park article in Historical Society of Bloomfield Newsletter

 

Halcyon Park Trivia

Ever Wonder Why...

Have you ever wondered why many houses in Halcyon Park have small enclosed porches on the back as in the examples below?

These types of porches were called provision porches or service porches. They were common on houses built in the 1920's. They allowed a delivery person to deliver ice and milk when no one was home and without having to carry ice through the house. Some people kept their ice box on the service porch. Some service porches had windows that allowed access to the ice box just inside the kitchen.

Most of these porches have been remodeled over the years to convert them into mud rooms, kitchen extensions or power rooms.


Mystery Photo

Joe Siciliano and Charles Burns correctly identified the mystery photo (above) from our Spring website trivia challenge as a bas-relief sculpture from the abandoned South Junior High School building on Franklin Street.

The photo of the sculpture was extracted from the photo below showing its position on the school building.

Below are some other photos of the South Junior High School building.
Photos are from the collection of the State Historic Preservation Office in Trenton

Ann Weber Hoyt - Halcyon Park Celebrity

Read about Ann Weber Hoyt, World Champion Archer who grew up at 69 Fontain Avenue, pictured here with her parents, Anthony John Weber and Beatrice Sophia Clexton.


What do you call it?

Have you ever wondered what you call this common Halcyon Park type of roof?

This style of roof is called a jerkin-head or clipped gable roof.

From The Houses We Live In, Jeffrey Howe, 2002



Halcyon Park History

Then and Now photos of Halcyon Park

19001890's1916
Click here for more Then and Now photos.
For more historical information and photos of Halcyon Park, visit HalcyonParkHistoricDistrict.com

About our logo: The Halcyon Park graphic at the top of this page is from a 1908 map of a section of Halcyon Park. To view the map, click here.

Web design and maintenance: Rich Rockwell   |   Last modified April 4, 2008