Bloomfield Through Time

Explore Bloomfield's past through richly detailed photographs digitally repaired and enhanced from original negatives of Bloomfield scenes 100 years ago. The photos tell the story of a town that went from farms and water-powered-mills to industrial to mostly residential somewhere between urban and suburban and how the town was shaped by transportation starting with the Morris Canal, then electric trolleys and railroads, and then the Garden State Parkway. From a time when large Victorian houses with people-friendly porches fell out of favor and were either demolished to be replaced by apartment buildings or stripped of their character and covered with the latest fad in siding material. You'll find yourself wondering what defines historic character and how much of that character is worth preserving.