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Fresh Pond Road-Myrtle Avenue Historic District included on ‘Historic Places’ list

Myrtle Fresh Pond
Historic photo of Fresh Pond Road (QNS/File)

The Fresh Pond Road-Myrtle Avenue Historic District has been listed on the State and National Register of Historic Places. 

Already 2,982 residential buildings in the Ridgewood area are a part of the historic district. Now, 445 buildings along the business strip of Fresh Pond Road and Myrtle Avenue will be receiving historic status as well. Two community organizations, the Greater Ridgewood Restoration Corporation (GRRC) and the Myrtle Avenue Business Improvement District (BID), came together to secure this historic listing. 

Theodore Renz, the executive director of the BID, said that this state and national recognition is great news for Ridgewood’s two main historic community corridors. Businesses along Fresh Pond Road and Myrtle Avenue will now have the opportunity to receive federal and state tax credits if they make repairs maintaining the architectural integrity of the commercial district. 

“The historic quality of the buildings along Myrtle Avenue and Fresh Pond Road — with their low-scale appearance and interesting architectural features such as original cornices — creates an attractive environment for shopping and residing on these avenues,” Renz said. 

The district was developed in the early 1900s; pre-dating the Ridgewood street grid, it was a Native American trail that eventually turned into a 19th-century plank road. The Fresh Pond Road-Myrtle Avenue Historic District is a linear, L-shaped area.

The National Register does not restrict what private property owners can do with their property. To learn more about the designation, and the available tax credits, business owners and residents can contact GRRC at ridgewoodrestoration@gmail.com or call 718-366-8721.