Our History

Historic Preservation in Orange

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Reminders of the City's past are evident today in its residential neighborhoods, churches, schools, civic buildings, parks, and commercial areas. These historic resources are not just a legacy of the past, but assets for the present and future. In contrast to recent sprawling suburbs, Orange has all the basic ingredients so heralded in town planning - a strong core of well-constructed and architecturally distinctive buildings; a street system and lot sizes that were laid out with a pedestrian scale and a sense of neighborhood in mind; and a town center where shopping, civic and cultural activities, and mass transportation are within proximity to all city residents.

​Historic preservation is a fundamental part of the City's efforts to preserve its housing stock and neighborhoods, revitalize its downtown, and support dynamic cultural institutions. The community has recognized the importance of its historic resources through its master plan and zoning regulations, historic preservation commission, designation of historic districts and sites, and support for the restoration of City-owned historic structures. Spearheaded by citizen activists and neighborhood associations, the City Council enacted its first historic preservation ordinance in 2014, and in 2015 established a Historic Preservation Commission to guide the City's efforts in historic preservation

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Historic Places

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During the 1980s and 1990s, Orange established itself as a leader in New Jersey through the expansion of its historic preservation program. A series of projects, many initiated by the City's Division of Planning, resulted in these accomplishments:

The Orange Survey of Historic Building Resources was completed in 1989. The historic resources survey is the foundation for municipal historic preservation planning. The city-wide survey provides historical documentation for almost 300 structures, and recommends individual properties and historic districts for listing on the National Register of Historic Places as well as local designation under the City's historic preservation ordinance. The historic preservation ordinance was revised and strengthened in 2014 to create the existing Historic Preservation Commission. (See below on the Historic Preservation Commission.)

In 2005, Orange became one of the first municipalities in New Jersey to be granted Certified Local Government status. The Certified Local Government Program, a federal program administered by the Department of the Interior through the State Historic Preservation Office, affords eligible local governments preferential funding for historic preservation projects and participation in State and National Register reviews.

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In 1998, the City adopted a new Master Plan with a Historic Preservation Element on equal standing with other community planning concerns. In April 2007, the Planning Board adopted a Master Plan re­-examination report. Today, over 100 designated historic properties in Orange are protected and regulated by the City's historic preservation ordinance. Many more properties are eligible for designation as historic districts and sites. More recently, the City has undertaken new historic preservation initiatives, including:

• Updating and strengthening the historic preservation ordinance (adopted in 2002 and incorporated into the City's Land Use Ordinance).

• A brochure and website for the Historic Preservation Commission.

• Designation of 12 additional historic sites in 2015.

• Completion of the revised edition of the Orange Design Guidelines for Historic Districts and Sites in 2008​