By Grace Gower

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jackie Gallagher

Abstract

The Borough of Mountain Lakes, New Jersey is an early 20th century street car and train suburb 30 miles east of New York City. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.

This case study will investigate the landscape and social influences on the pattern of historic home construction. Prior research into this case found that environmental conditions had less of an influence on the suitability of home sites than expected. Social influences will be key to interpreting the motive of development patterns. In particular, the Arts and Crafts Movement placed significant emphasis on the human experience of the landscape.

To prove the impact of social influences, correlations between the location of a home, its viewshed, and its square footage will be analyzed using Geospatial Information Systems (GIS). Politics and economics will be further discussed through events contemporary to the construction period.

Understanding the motives and patterns of historic property development is important to make informed decisions in preservation planning. It allows for new construction and adaptation of current housing stock to be done in a manner sensitive to the historic intention. As New Jersey faces increasing affordable housing pressures, many towns like Mountain Lakes are struggling to balance meeting these needs with preserving their historic structures and landscapes.