Last weekend, visitors hopped aboard a trolley to learn about one of Newark’s most beloved historic districts Forest Hill.
The new tour, which was free of charge, was the idea of Tim Hoey, who moved to Forest Hill five years ago and quickly became a champion of its history. Explore Newark Tours, which he founded in 2024, has been hosting walking tours of the neighborhood. Now with the trolley, tour-goers can see even more of the 256-acre historic district.
The tour began at the Ballantine Gates in Branch Brook Park. This grand eastern entryway into the park was commissioned as a memorial to beer brewer Peter Ballantine’s son Robert Ballantine after his death abroad. It was designed by Carrère and Hastings, the firm that designed the New York Public Library on Fifth Avenue.
It is an important starting-off point, not only to show off the Olmsted-designed park in all its autumn glory, but to enphasize that Forest Hill became home to some of the nation’s most important innovators and industrialists who, in turn, hired the premiere architectural firms of the day. The Forest Hill Historic District was listed on the National Register in 1990.
“There were three families that were principally responsible for the development of Forest Hill,” Hoey said. “They were the Ballantines, the Clarks, and Hellers.”
After departing the Ballantine Gates, the trolley traveled up Degraw Street, passing the home of botanist Henry Hurd Rusby who founded the New York Botanical Garden and then to a home where an episode of The Sopranos was filmed. Other highlights were the Elmwood Avenue home of Metropolitan Opera soprano Maria Jeritza and a tiny artist’s studio on Ridge Street where refreshments were served.
“We know the neighborhood has wonderful architecture, but there have also been a number of interesting people that lived here,” said Byron Clark, director of communications at Forest Hill Community Association. “These people helped shape the city and Forest Hill.”
The trolley made stops along the way, letting passengers walk along the tree-lined streets and snap photos of landmarks. One of those stops was on Ridge Street, where the home of abolitionist and NAACP founder Reverend William Hayes Ward Ward lived. Across the street is the Third Presbyterian Church, built in 1914, a congregation of abolitionists that splintered off from the First Presbyterian Church in downtown Newark because it pastor’s pro-slavery stance.
“This is an interesting corner because it has an important connection to social justice,” Hooey said.
In addition to stories about historical figures, Hoey adds some true crime to the itinerary, including a story about a dead body buried in the backyard of a home on Elwood Avenue.
“One thing I learned doing walking tours is that people want to see the architecture, but they also want to hear the stories that happened behind the walls of these homes,” Hooey said. “The behind-the-wall stories are what hold them.”
The new trolley tour is part of a growing number of events happening in Forest Hill, including the annual Porchfest and Cherry Blossom Festival, which celebrated its 50th anniversary this year. Other upcoming Explore Newark Tours dates are on October 24, which is sold out, and a holiday-themed trolley tour on Dec. 13 that will include performances by Christmas carolers. Hooey said that 40 percent of the attendees of his tour were Newark residents.
Mary Helena, a real estate agent who moved to Newark’s South Ward, said she came to learn more about her new city on Hooey’s tour.
“Newark had a lot of people who were very wealthy and influential in the county,” Helena said. “I’ve passed through here before but learning about its history is interesting. It’s also fun to ride around in the trolley.”
For more information about upcoming events, visit the Forest Hill Community Association website or email Explore Newark Tours.
