Eberhardt Hall, originally the Newark Orphan Asylum, is the oldest building at the

New Jersey Institute of Technology New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) is a Public university, public research university in Newark, New Jersey, United States, with a graduate-degree-granting satellite campus in Jersey City. Founded in 1881 with the support of local indust ...

(NJIT). It is located at 323 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. (formerly High Street), in the University Heights section of Newark, Essex County,

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

, United States. Built in 1856-57 its original purpose was to serve as a home for Newark's orphans. Eberhardt Hall is listed in the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

and is a beautiful example of 19th-century Gothic

Victorian architecture Victorian architecture is a series of Revivalism (architecture), architectural revival styles in the mid-to-late 19th century. ''Victorian'' refers to the reign of Queen Victoria (1837–1901), called the Victorian era, during which period the st ...

, in conjunction with 15th- and 16th-century castle design.

History

The castle-like building was designed by John Welch, an experienced church architect and one of the founders of

American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C. AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach progr ...

. It is said to be that the building had the most advanced construction of the time. It included some modern day amenities such as hot and cold water, gaslight, and even an early fire extinguishing system. By 1947 the building was no longer used for its original purpose. Thereafter, Newark College of Engineering - subsequently New Jersey Institute of Technology - acquired the building for $58,000. In 1948, the board closed the deal with another $40,000 which included the closing and renovation.

Frederick Eberhardt

The board of trustees that served during 1947 named the building in honor of

Frederick Eberhardt Frederick Eberhardt may refer to: *Frederick Eberhardt (philanthropist) Frederick L. Eberhardt (February 27, 1868 – 1946) was an American engineer, philanthropist, university administrator, and president of Gould & Eberhardt, a major Newark- ...

, who served on the

Newark College of Engineering New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) is a Public university, public research university in Newark, New Jersey, United States, with a graduate-degree-granting satellite campus in Jersey City. Founded in 1881 with the support of local indust ...

Board of Trustees from 1910 until his death in 1946.

Restoration

The building has served many purposes through the years. In the early 2000s, NJIT embarked on a quest to bring the 21st century edge to the campus. This included the restoration of Eberhardt Hall in 2005 to serve as the NJIT Alumni Center, and to provide space for the NJIT Club for dining and receptions and for some administrative offices. The restoration cost 13 million dollars, of which NJIT settled $7 million and the

State of New Jersey New Jersey is a state located in both the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the heavily urbanized Northeast megalopolis, it is bordered to the northwest, north, and northeast ...

contributed the remaining $6 million. The architect firm, Cody Eckert & Associates spearheaded the project.

Exterior

Eberhardt Hall currently stands three stories high with a footprint of . Precise original construction has left the exterior of the building almost unaltered. It was recreated to replicate the original building from the 19th century.

Interior

Much of the interior had been modified throughout the early years. The only major piece of structure that is still intact is the grand staircase. The interior has been restored to what it might have looked like in the Victorian era, with electrified gaslight fixtures, Victorian patterned wallpaper, carpeting, and wood trim. The building houses a central lobby, board room, dining room and meeting rooms. Outside, there is a beautiful gated green and

bluestone Bluestone is a cultural or commercial name for a number of natural dimension stone, dimension or building stone varieties, including: * basalt in Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia, and in New Zealand * diabase, dolerites in Tasmania, ...

forecourt.

Award

The restoration of Eberhardt Hall received the 2006 Donald T. Dust Recognition Award, from the Newark Preservation and Landmarks Committee on February 28, 2006. It is the highest annual honor from the Newark Preservation and Landmarks Committee.

References

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External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Eberhardt Hall, New Jersey Institute Of Technology Residential buildings completed in 1857 New Jersey Institute of Technology National Register of Historic Places in Newark, New Jersey 1857 establishments in New Jersey University and college buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in New Jersey