May 2, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • Page 21 The Waldwick Community Alliance is nearing the completion of “Phase I” of the historic train station restoration project. The 1876 building, which is listed on the National and New Jersey Registers of Historic Places, has been abandoned since the mid 1970s. According to WCA Vice President Doug Cowie, completed items include: - The total replacement of the wooden sill plate. The Phase I of station renovation nearly completed be demolished again and rebuilt so that it matches, brickby-brick the original 1887 chimney. After much discussion, the architect and contractor agreed to replace it at no additional cost to the WCA. - The brick utilized is salvaged brick from a building in Paterson built around the same time as the station. It has a similar look, feel and color to the original brick foundation. Every effort is being made to restore the building back to its original appearance. Using new brick would have stood out too much, and WCA officials wanted to make sure the chimney looks 125 years old. - The roof was stripped. There were several rotted beams, some of which were repaired and some needed to be completely replaced. This was done at an additional cost of $29,000. - An inspection made while the roof work was being done revealed rotted framing on the eastern and western walls where the walls met the ceiling joists. Several beams were repaired or replaced at an additional cost of $24,000. To complete the work, the walls had to be opened, necessitating the replacement of several sections of cedar shingles. “While these items are unfortunate and expensive, they are par for the course when you are doing a historic restoration of an old building that has been neglected for so long,” Cowie commented. “But now we are back on track. The next step is to install the wood and copper Yankee gutter and to install the finished roof. WCA member Joe Salvi has been diligently stripping, repairing and getting the original metal roof cresting ready for re-installation,” Cowie added. Cowie said that fundraising efforts have been used for the work along with an available line of credit while the WCA awaits payment on a $293,000 Bergen County Historic Preservation Grant. While this grant from 2010 moneys has already been awarded, the WCA has yet to receive any reimbursements from the county to date. The first payment is expected within the next 1-2 months. The WCA has applied for an additional $195,000 grant from the county from 2011 funds. If awarded, this money will be utilized towards repair and replacement of the Left: An architectural detail from the train station. Above: Workers repair the chimney. original was completely rotted. It was replaced with modern pressure-treated lumber and bolted into the foundation, which was not the case before. Copper flashing was also added between the new sill plate and the masonry. - Minor repointing repairs were made to the brick foundation. Three courses of brick were added to the existing foundation, essentially raising the building so its base no longer sits below grade. This will eliminate the possibility of future rotting. - The unstable and non-original chimney from the 1920’s was demolished, and a new chimney to match the one from 1887 was constructed. Unfortunately, there were some design errors, so the WCA insisted that the chimney building’s windows, doors, woodwork, electric and site work. Local businesses have been chipping in as well. Salvi of Waldwick Auto Body has been donating his time and services for the restoration of the metal cresting, Home Hardware & Supply has been donating materials and Waldwick Paint & Wallpaper has made a commitment to donate the paint for the station. The WCA members gave their sweat equity by removing the cement stucco off the building. “By doing it ourselves, we saved over $24,000. The borough of Waldwick very nicely disposed of the material for us, giving us a further saving,” Cowie said. The WCA is asking the community’s businesses and citizens for help to complete the project. Monetary contributions as well as donated materials are very much needed and very much appreciated. For further information visit http://www.WaldwickCommunityAlliance.org or call (201) 873-8919.