October - November 2002 Edition 

Lost Fair Lawn   By Jane Diepeveen, Borough Historian   The Cadmus House Borough Museum will present an exhibit of pictures of “Lost Fair Lawn” on Sundays, October 20 and November 17.at 1:30 PM. Photographs of historic homes and other structures which have been lost to development or fire will be displayed. A talk on the history of the buildings and their owners will accompany the exhibit. The museum will be open for tours after the presentation until 3:30 PM.  Museum trustees are seeking additional scenes of Fair Lawn in earlier times. Does anyone have a picture of the old trolley cars or other bygone scenes that could be loaned or copied for the exhibit? Please contact the Borough Historian at (201) 796-0494.  The Cadmus House is the official Borough Museum, located on Pollitt Drive next to the Radburn railroad station. The Museum has historical artifacts of Fair Lawn ranging from Native American arrowheads to memorabilia of the 75th Anniversary Celebration. There are maps from the 1800’s, old farm tools and parts of the former Hopper-Croucher home. Two original fireplaces contain old cooking facilities and other household items.    Upstairs there are the Victorian Room with period furniture and the Fireman’s room displaying old fire fighting equipment and pictures of early firefighters and famous fires. The Museum also has an extensive collection of Fair Lawn High School yearbooks and some early sports trophies. Donations of items from earlier times or memorabilia of recent events are welcome. The trustees have the nucleus of a political history collection and would like to add to it. Call the Borough Historian if you nave any items that might be of interest. All items will be exhibited with the donor’s name.  Borough Historian's Nominations for 7 Wonders of Fair Lawn Indian Fish Dam, as oldest structure in Fair Lawn and the source of it's original name Slooterdam or Sluiterdam. Radburn as world-famous example of first planned town in the hemisphere designed for "The Motor Age" with super blocks and uls-de-sac ending at central parks.    Garretson Forge and Farm as oldest structure, and probably first home in the Borough, preserved by citizen action. Cadmus House as Borough Museum and old stone house example preserved from destruction by citizen action. Fair Lawn Industrial Park, reputed to be first in nation, toured by planning groups as example of earliest industrial park zoning and development. Memorial Park swimming pool, as early example of citizen action to improve our town and transform dangerous swimming hole into a safe facility. Our wealth of 18th and early 19th century farm houses, mostly stone in the unique so-called Dutch or Flemish Colonial style unique to Bergen, Passaic and nearby New York counties. (including Vanderbeck-VanderPlatt house)