Kearny History: The street where you live

In 1897, a local ordinance changed the names of certain streets and avenues in what was then the Township of Kearny. Many present-day residents might be surprised to learn what their home addresses were back in the day. For instance, Belgrove Drive was actually Grand Street, originally named for the many handsome homes that…

May 11, 20260Comments

BySandra McCleaster

Take a step back in time through Kearny’s postcard collection

Postcard collecting -- a hobby formally known as deltiology -- has been widely cited as the third largest collectible pastime in the world, coming in behind coin and stamp collecting. Here’s a short back story about postcards in general: In 1901, the US Congress authorized the mailing of what they then called “private mailing…

March 18, 20260Comments

BySandra McCleaster

Kearny’s Old Soldiers’ Home: A forgotten haven for New Jersey’s war heroes

Once one of the most familiar landmarks in the Town of Kearny, the New Jersey Home for Disabled Soldiers stood on Belgrove Drive between Afton Street and Bergen Avenue and extended west to the Passaic River. The Old Soldiers Home. Courtesy Historic Committee. Even before the end of the Civil War, the state of…

February 18, 20260Comments

BySandra McCleaster