UNION CITY — A Union City site was included on this year’s “10 Most Endangered Historic Sites” list, released on Tuesday by Preservation New Jersey. The annual list is meant to draw attention to “remarkable sites” and the preservation challenges they face.
This year the Monastery of the Perpetual Rosary (commonly referred to as the Blue Chapel) on 14th Street in Union City, which was constructed between 1912 and 1914, was included on the list after being nominated by a local resident.
It was the first monastery dedicated to the recitation of the Perpetual Rosary in the United States. Although the monastery was well maintained for many decades, after the number of resident nuns and finances dwindled, the chapel deteriorated and was vacated in summer of 2009.
Plans were announced later that year to renovate and expand the monastery for approximately 100 housing units and underground parking. However, following negative public reaction, the plans were put on hold.
Caretakers have previously indicated that the building will likely be abandoned or sold, but the future of the vacant Blue Chapel is uncertain.
Founded in 1978, Preservation New Jersey advocates for and promotes historic preservation as a sustainable strategy to protect and enhance the vitality and heritage of New Jersey’s richly diverse communities. It is the only statewide private membership-supported historic preservation organization in New Jersey.
The organization puts out the 10 Most Endangered List annually with the hope that inclusion on the list will be a catalyst for positive change and creative solutions for the locations’ preservation.