Bloomfield History: Township Story and Archives

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Halcyon Park
 
See also:
"Halcyon Park Improvement Association" in the May 2006 New Town Crier.
 
 
In the early 1900s, real estate developer Halcyon Homes, owned by _________, launched the idea of establishing a planned residential community in southern Bloomfield. The project, conceived by __________, offered a neighborhood that was "isolated, in a certain sense of the word, but at the same time remarkably accessible". In the midst of the high-paying jobs of the industrialized section of Bloomfield, and close to the services of both Watsessing and Bloomfield Centers, Halcyon Homes sold ___ houses between 1905 and 1930.
 
A distinctive feature of Halcyon Park as an exclusive community was its main entrance, which featured a "gate lodge" and "conservatory". These buildings still stand today, used as ___________.
 
 
A buyer could purchase either just a builing lot, or the services of an architect and/or builder. This flexibility led to the construction of homes of a number of different styles.
 
 
 
 
 
Colorized version of the above image; the accuracy of the colors is unknown.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extract from 1906 map of Bloomfield. Built on land previously owned by the Farrand family, Halcyon Park's curving main streets may have been influenced by the 1859 design of Llewelyn Park in West Orange. The original development included two ponds, three tennis courts, common lawns and gardens, and Halcyon Hall (see below). See also the developer's map.
 
Halcyon Hall, built about 1905, destroyed by fire in 1914, provided social gathering areas and such activities as billiards, bowling, and a stage.   
 
Halcyon Park, 2005.