George V. Hecker Carriage House

This carriage house building is an excellent example stick-style Victorian architecture designed by master architect Henry Hudson Holly. Holly also designed two other notable buildings in West Orange -- Thomas Edison’s home “Glenmont” located in Llewellyn Park, as well as Edison’s laboratory on Main Street. In the 19th century, West Orange was an escape for wealthy New Yorkers, including George V. Hecker, a flour miller, who built a mansion (now demolished) with a carriage house on the ridge of Watchung Mountain. Unlike most carriage houses of this era, Hecker’s has never been adapted for another use, so the original features, such as a hayloft and horse stalls, are still intact. The carriage house was designated a local landmark by the Township of West Orange and has been deemed eligible for listing. The Hecker Carriage House is one of only two buildings that remain from West Orange’s 19th century prominence and the historic Ridge neighborhood.  The carriage house today sits on 12 acres of forested land open to redevelopment. The primary threat to the site is the lack of plans to preserve and adaptively reuse the carriage house for the benefit of the public. Preservation New Jersey supports those advocating for the restoration of the site and its adaptive reuse. It is critical that all stakeholders work together to make this unique local historic landmark a priority in its plans for the future.