Essex County to Hold Free Historical Talk: Hilltop Reservation, Sanatorium

From Essex County:

Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. and the Essex County Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs invite the public to attend a free presentation about the history of Essex County Hilltop Reservation. The lecture will feature amateur historian Richard Kennedy, author of the Arcadia Image of America book titled “Essex Mountain Sanatorium.” It is part of a series highlighting books written about the Essex County Parks System and will be held as follows: Tuesday, Oct. 25 at 7 p.m., Essex County Hospital Center, 204 Grove Ave. in Cedar Grove.

“The Essex County Parks System is the first county parks system created in the United States. Books about our Parks System share the stories of our open spaces and keep the unique histories of our parks alive. We invite you to attend the series and gain an appreciation for our parks and the events that have defined them,” DiVincenzo said.

The Essex County Hilltop Reservation was the site of the former Essex County tuberculosis treatment center before it was preserved as a 280-acre tract of open space and added to the Essex County Parks System. This special presentation will also feature a screening of a recently-restored, 80-year old color film that demonstrates how TB patients were diagnosed and treated in Essex County. Kennedy will provide commentary to accompany the long-undiscovered film.

Founded in 1907 and acquired by Essex County in 1917, the Sanatorium was one of the finest tuberculosis treatment centers in the nation. With the development after World War II of anti-tubercular drugs, enrollment decreased. The last patient was released in 1977, and the county was unable to find an alternative use for the complex. In 2001, 284 acres of the former hospital site were designated a Conservation Easement, and Essex County opened the Hilltop Reservation to the public the next year.

The film, in the collection of the Newark Public Library, was found several years ago to have vinegar syndrome, a condition which causes the destruction of acetate film. The library secured an $18,000 grant from the National Film Preservation Foundation to preserve the film, allowing it to be viewed for the first time in decades. Kennedy will describe the facilities shown in the film and relate his later experiences exploring the vacant buildings before they were demolished. He will have copies of his book for sale and signing.

For more information, call the Essex County Parks Department at (973) 268-3500.

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