Historic Holmdel bldgs. slated for restoration
Dr. Cook's office, old St. Catharine's Church to get TLC
BY ERIN O. STATTEL Staff Writer
Residents may not notice the two small buildings that served big purposes in Holmdel Township way back when, but the Holmdel Historical Society keeps the structures under their purview.

Above: The office of Dr. Robert Cook on McCampbell Road in Holmdel and (below and inset) the original building that housed St. Catharine's Church on Stillwell Road will be refurbished by the Holmdel Historical Society with funding from the county. PHOTOS BY CHRIS KELLY staff

The St. Catharine's mother church and Dr. Cook's medical office are small in size, but large in value to the town's history buffs.

Former Holmdel Mayor and Historical Society Vice- Chairwoman Peggy Lasky is one of 20 members who dedicate their time to taking care of historical artifacts and sites in the township.

"We are completely independent from the town," Lasky said. "There is no funding from the town. We do all our own fundraising, and with few members, it is getting harder and harder to maintain our buildings, but we do it."

The Stillwell Road location of St. Catharine's mother church is nestled behind a picket fence and sits next to brand-new multimillion-dollar homes.

"I remember having nice cocktail parties in here," Lasky reminisced. "We would have parties and displays and fundraisers in this church. People really seemed to enjoy that sort of thing then. I think they still do."

Lasky sighed as she looked around at the broken stained glass windows, the soiled carpets and the evidence of nocturnal visitors.

"I have had a structural engineer out here and he said that the building is secure and safe," she said. "We just need to spruce the place up. It needs some care."

Lasky said that the Rev. Connell, a former priest of St. Catharine's, sold St. Catharine's mother church to the Historical Society around 1970. The parish had vacated the building in the 1960s and sold the building for $1, leaving the tiny church behind with its small altar and tiny choir stand.

"I would love to see it rejuvenated," Lasky said. "It would be wonderful for small weddings or parties."

The little church that was built in 1847 is now home to various historical items that were bequeathed to the historical society. These days, its only visitors are the ones that go bump in the night, but Lasky is hoping that will change.

"Just think of the possibilities for this place," she said looking around. "We still have the pews, and it would be ideal for interdenominational weddings."

But the little church is not alone in the historical society's game plan to preserve historic Holmdel.

The other property owned by the Holmdel Historical Society is the little building on the corner of McCampbell and Middletown roads, located on the Village School property. It is the former office of Dr. Robert Cook, a physician who lived on McCampbell Road across the street from the school.

According to Lasky, the property across from the Village School was Dr. Cook's residence and the original location of the miniscule medical building currently owned by the Cancelosi family.

"The Cancelosis donated the small building to the historical society when they moved into the home in the mid- 1990s," she said. "The doctor's office actually sat on that property across the street, but it was moved when the Cancelosis donated it. The school was nice enough to let us put it on their land."

CHRIS KELLY staff Some of the stained glass windows in the former St. Catharine's Church are damaged.

The tiny two-story building is white with green shutters and has all kinds of little intricacies inside. The winding staircase leads to a small room upstairs with a little cupola complete with windows.

"The doctor would see his patients downstairs in the main room and he would sleep upstairs when he needed to be here all night," Lasky explained.

The building has a small fireplace and a hidden potbelly stove, as well as a crawlspace for access to where a cellar may have been at the original site. Structurally, the building appears intact, but Lasky said that the coat of paint it will soon get is much needed.

"We were able to get a Monmouth County Historical Commission grant and with that money we have hired someone who specializes in restoring old buildings," she explained. "They will be taking down the wooden boards of the siding and sanding and painting them by hand."

Currently, the building is used for Boy Scout meetings and is available to the school for educational purposes. Lasky said that while Holmdel has numerous historic buildings, too many of them fall prey to demolition or radical alteration.

"We are never consulted when a demolition of an historic building is going to take place," she said. "Unfortunately, these buildings disappear all too frequently."

Lasky said she got involved with the historical society to preserve Holmdel's heritage.

"I think somebody has to remember the town's roots," Lasky said. "We need to remember why the streets are named the way they are, and it is important for younger people to remember the roots of the town that they grew up in."

Lasky is hoping newcomers to town will give the Historical Society a chance when they are shopping around for new activities.

"The membership is really down," said Lasky. "We really need some new people to get involved and help out with Holmdel's history. It is a great way to meet people and get to know the town's history. I got involved when we moved here in the early '70s and I love it."

The Holmdel Historical Society has a hankering for some new blood to join in their dusty dealings, and interested parties are advised to contact Lasky at 732-946-2723.

Donations and membership dues should be sent to the Holmdel Historical Society, P.O. Box 282, Holmdel, NJ 07733.