Essex County Jail Preservation Studio

Anticipated reuse of the site is as an interpretive historic park featuring history of the jail and Morris Canal along with contemporary park activities such as skateboarding, graffiti and mural arts. A children’s playground serving the neighborhood would blend with these and other passive recreational activities.

A team at NJIT led by Anthony Schuman and Darius Sollohub seeks support for the stabilization and adaptation of the Essex County Jail (ECJ) site for passive public recreational use. The project is located at the intersection of New Street and Newark Street in Newark, NJ. On the State and National Historic register, the jail has been the subject of professional and academic research focused on reuse led by the Newark Landmarks and Preservation Committee. Its preservation as a ruin would be similar in scope to that of the Smallpox Hospital Ruin Landmark on Roosevelt Island in New York City.

Documentation

ECJ Final Report
ECJ Scope Draft
ECJ Studio II Final