Artworks Trenton Selected for Cass Street Mural Project
Mercer County announced on April 8 that Artworks Trenton has been awarded a grant to design and install a mural on the wall of the State Prison on Cass Street.
In a statement, Artworks wrote:
“Artworks Trenton is honored to be selected for the Cass Street Mural Project. Our proposal, ‘Breaking Barriers,’ led by artist Jonathan ‘LANK’ Conner, our public arts project manager, represents the collective vision of our team of Trenton artists — Leon Rainbow (lead), Jose ‘Busta’ Bustamente (Lead), Dean “Ras” Innocenzi, Dave ‘Mek’ Klama, Alia Bensliman, and April Cooper. Mirroring the city of Trenton itself, each artist will bring their unique heritage into the mural, in the letters spelling ‘Trenton.’
“In the coming years, Artworks Trenton is working towards becoming the preeminent public arts organization in Central New Jersey. This award represents another giant step in that direction. Further this project embodies two of the pillars of Artworks — engaging the voice of the local communities in the public arts and fairly compensating artists for their time and work. We are excited to undertake this project which will inspire and beautify our community for years to come.”
Artworks Trenton is located at 19 Everett Alley, Trenton. For more information, visit www.artworkstrenton.org.
Princeton Property Named to ‘Most Endangered’ List
The nonprofit Preservation New Jersey announced on May 4 its annual list of the ten most endangered historic sites in New Jersey, and among the inclusions this year was the Joseph Hornor House, located on Nassau Street in Princeton.
In a statement, Preservation New Jersey wrote:
“The Joseph Hornor House located at 344 Nassau St. was built in the 1760s by the grandson of one of Princeton’s Quaker founders. The two-story, brick, side-hall house originally had a one-story kitchen wing. In the early 20th century, a second story was sensitively added on top of the wing. The house is an anchor to the Local, State, and National Register Jugtown Historic District, and occupies the northeast corner of the historic crossroads of Nassau and Harrison Streets in the Jugtown section of Princeton. Nassau Street is also part of the Lincoln Highway National Register District. The corners of this historic crossroads retain two other Pre-Revolutionary buildings and an early-19th Century building. The proposed threats facing the Joseph Hornor House is its incentive design for redevelopment for the purpose of affordable housing units. The current project will include adding a four-story structure to the rear that would amass and surround the historic structure.
“Redevelopments in historic districts are on the rise with new Affordable Housing and tax credit initiatives. While revitalization of neighborhoods contributes to reactivating historic places, there is a growing trend in demolition and insensitive changes to integral features of structures and streetscapes. More care and sensitivity to the impacts of historic districts are necessary through compliance with existing preservation standards and guidelines both at a local, state and federal level.
“Preservation New Jersey supports and encourages the development to comply with preservation standards and guidelines as it will set the precedent for other new development in the Jugtown Historic District and in other historic Princeton neighborhoods.”
For more information, including the complete list of endangered sites, visit www.preservationnj.org.
