[ back ]
The Maples' takes its last stand
(by Jaimie Julia Winters - March 19, 2008)
To see a video of the Maples being demolished, click here. The video was shot and posted by Rutherford resident Kirk La Pierre on March 20.
The Maples was stripped of its siding last Thursday, revealing its once architectural splendor and ending an era when rooming houses were more serviceable than hotels. The Maples, one of the oldest structures in the borough and the last of the town’s boarding houses, is slated to be razed this week. The house at 129-131 Chestnut St. was built in the 1870s, and was run Carolyn Van Riper until 1909, according to Rod Leith, borough historian.
Resident Jennie B. Gilbert recalled The Maples in the town’s 75th anniversary book as the most desirable of boarding houses, even compared to the ones that dotted Park Avenue.
In its early years as a boarding house, it housed single men who wanted a quick commute to their city jobs or visitors to the Borough of Trees, said one former tenant "John" who had lived there for over 20 years. He said that a hot dinner served in a combined dining room, a room cleaning and clean sheets were once included in the rent.
According to Van Ripers obituary, many of "today’s" residents spend their first nights at the Van Riper’s Boarding House on Chestnut Street.
But in recent years, The Maples mostly housed residents down on their luck and placed there by the Bergen County Social Services. For about $400 a month, renters got a room and shared a bathroom. Residents admitted conditions were rough at The Maples; no showerheads, warped floors, and some unstable neighbors. 
Police were called to the Maples on an average of four times week due to boiler problems, tenants cooking illegally in their rooms and domestic squabbles. In 2003, one woman committed suicide there after years spent battling alcohol addiction.
The Maples’ tenants ran the gamut from sex offenders, drug addicts and victims of domestic violence to war veterans, newspaper reporters, graphic designers, computer science engineers and future Rutherford residents.
In 2003 the council declared the area in need of redevelopment and in 2005 the town approved a four-story condominium unit to take the place of the boarding house. The plan lay dormant for years after owner Victor DeLucia passed away in August 2005. The last tenant left The Maples in 2006. The building department said the razing was due to unsafe conditions. There are no plans for development of the lots filed with building department.
[ back ]
