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February 1936. "Narrow street in New Brunswick, New Jersey." That part of town known in many American cities as the Gashouse District. Medium format nitrate negative by Carl Mydans for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.
Here is a segment from a 1912 fire insurance map showing Peace Street between Albany and Washington Streets. I think the photographer was at the intersection of Church and Peace looking north. I estimate that the gas tower would have been situated in the vicinity of the '37'.
It appears they had no problem getting men to shovel snow during those tough Depression years.
What a remarkable change to the area between then and now. It looks like suburbia today, while in the 1930s it was apparently part of the city center. I can imagine all those old buildings restored, renovated, and in use as a trendy touristy area of shops and eateries.
The large tank came down between 1957 and 1963. The space it occupied is currently the Johnson & Johnson property (the tank was near the current Johnson Drive on the Route 18 side of the property).
photographically speaking that the original Peace Street was much more interesting than its present incarnation. Packed full of character.
I lived on Neilson Street in the early 50's. The area wasn't much different then. Most building were torn down in the 60's and replaced with restaurants I can't afford to eat in.
The tan brick affair (well, I know it was tan but of course it's in black and white here) with arched windows at the end of the street is the Public Service Electric and Gas building. I was born in New Brunswick and I remember it, but I don't remember any narrow street like this opening onto Albany Street where the building was. I also don't remember a fuel storage tank, although it certainly stands to reason one should have been there.
I'm sure the other people who posted comments are right - it is Peace St., which I never heard of. There were very few cobblestoned areas in the New Brunswick I remember, mainly the square by the railroad station.
[The "fuel storage tank" is a gas holder, also called a gasometer. - Dave]
This was looking north up Peace Street toward Albany. (Burnet became Peace at the intersection where this was taken.) Most of this came down in the 50's as part of a roadway expansion, and the rest when what became the Hyatt Regency was built in the early 80's. Hard to believe the gashouse lasted until around 1960!
This would be looking down Peace Street, as Eber's was apparently located at 5-7 Peace Street as per the 1937 city directory.
Despite my best efforts to figure out what happened to it, I couldn't figure out where Peace Street was/is, as it apparently was either renamed or obliterated over time.
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