The Lebanon Lantern The Lebanon Lantern Winter 2019 final | Seite 4

Shade tree submitted by Joe Hauck
This year was the high water mark for street tree planting with a total of twenty trees. This winter will include
significant pruning to properly train young trees and preserve older ones. December through March is a good time
to prune; you can see the tree structure and the trees are dormant. Evergreens need a good layer of mulch; rhodis,
azaleas and boxwood are easily desiccated by dry winter winds. It is also a good time to fertilize if you can get a
few small holes in the soil when it isn’t frozen. The melting snow will carry the nutrients deep into the soil where
they will give the plants a jump start in the Spring.
Historical Committee submitted by Joe Hauck
In 2009, the NJ State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) approved Lebanon Borough application for a historic
district. While we did not, at that time, identify any structures that could stand on their own, a large grouping of
structures were identified and approved. In all, 249 structures were identified as contributing structures to the
district. Each owner received a letter from the State, and the structures were listed on the NJ and the Federal
Register of Historic Places.
It is encouraging to see some of the recent work that has been done on several homes. The owners obviously put
in the effort and the money to repair and restore these dwellings in a way that maintained their architectural
heritage. The biggest job is the Victorian house on the southeast corner of Main and High. New windows, new
siding plus a total reconstruction of the front porch. The unusual round section on the west side required custom
millwork to replicate the fancy front porch. Notice that the low railing was retained - an outstanding and extensive
job. This is allowed per a section of the state building code, which applies to homes on the Historic Register. The
next home was a renovation of the entire exterior of the home on the southwest corner of Brunswick and High
Streets. This involved a new roof, new rigid siding, and replacement of trim with low maintenance materials. The
large home on the corner of Brunswick and Cherry Streets has a new front porch designed by an architect to fit
in with the existing structure. This house was the original home of the Rev. Van Amburgh circa 1854. Also, note
the low railings. Lastly, there is the new railing on 87 Brunswick Ave. This home formerly had a wrought iron
railing, which was not original, and did not fit the style of the building. The new railing looks like a perfect
complement. Our compliments to those who made the extra effort.
The Odd Fellows Hall Disaster
We would be remiss if we did not mention that Dec. 30th will mark the 100th anniversary of the tragic explosion
and fire that destroyed the Odd Fellows Hall and killed eleven citizens of Lebanon. This was the largest loss of
life in the county’s history. The building was located where the empty lot is on the corner of Cokesbury Road and
Main St. The first floor was a confectionery store complete with a potbelly stove, the west side was the post office.
It was a frequently visited building. The second floor was used for fraternal meetings. The explosion of an
acetylene tank in the basement blew the roof a hundred feet into the air. and when it came down it destroyed what
was left of the building as a fire erupted. The village had no public water supply or fire company. Those who
survived the blast were trapped in the rubble. George Mannon was on the porch and was blown thirty feet away,
he sustained serious injuries but survived. Leslie Apgar survived the blast but died twenty days later from his
serious burns. Those who died that day were Henry Bragg a carting contractor, Josiah C. Stryker owner of the
store and his clerk John Smock, three carpenters Oscar Apgar (Leslie’s father), Furman Alpaugh and Clarence
Emmons, a laborer Wesley E. Bird, two farmers Russell Hockenbury and H. Michaelson.
It is important to remember that our country had just concluded action in World War I and had lost over 115,000
men. Additionally the world had been ravaged by the Spanish Flu, which infected 500 million people worldwide
and killed 100,000 Americans. It appears that our village folk were made of hardy stock. By 1923 they obtained
a charter for a fire company and raised the money for equipment and a building. A water system was installed by
Clinton Township. In 1926, they confidently voted to withdraw from Clinton Township and became an
independent municipality Lebanon Borough.