Hackensack, NJ Community Message Boards
General Category => Hackensack History => Topic started by: johnny g on April 26, 2010, 04:16:11 PM
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Does anyone know when they made this little street off of Jackson Ave? It's a small cul-de-sac not too far from the start of Jackson from Hudson (close to Frederick St i think) . I belive it was sometime in the 80's. And what was there before the street?
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Reilly Court was named after former city manager Reilly. It was built by Ed Swensen whose family built Quail (also known as tail) heights on Prospect Avenue and Central Avenue.
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From the 2/17/81 Meeting Minutes:
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And it is Mr Reilly's son who is / was the director of the Teterboro Airport Aviation Museum.
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But was there ALWAYS a street there or did they make the street to honor him? I thought I remembered there wasn't a street there till the early to mid-80's
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No, there wasn't always a street there. It's a bit before my time, but I'm told there was a large "garden plot" there, not really a farm, but a good size plot of vegetables. Possibly owned by the house with the stone foundation.
Old Homer is right about Reilly. Reilly himself lived in a Victorian-style house on the 300 block of Park Street, since torn down to build 333 Park Studio's. Back when Park Street was politically powerful, one of the leading streets in the city. Many prominent people in politics and in community organizations and churches lived there. And it was a tight-knit community of houses with it's own little private school called the Gateway School. (now a condo building at 300 Park Street).
City Manager's used to be much more powerful than they are now. I believe he was the predecessor to the legendary Joseph Squillace, who was city manager from the 1960's right up into the 80's. Squillace lived in a house where Wellington Hall stands (Union & Clay), and he accumulated several houses, tore them down, and built the nursing home. His descendants still own and manage it.
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The Squillace family has been out of Wellington Hall for a few years now.