the staff of the Ridgewood blog
RIDGEWOOD, NJ — The Village Council voted on Aug. 13 to establish the History and Cultural Center of Bergen County at the historic Zabriskie-Schedler House, a circa 1825 Dutch frame farmhouse on West Saddle River Road. The move converts a long-vacant town property into a community hub run in partnership with the Ridgewood Library’s Bolger Heritage Center and the Ridgewood Historical Society.
Quick background
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The village purchased the property in 2009; renovations began in 2019.
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The house was nationally landmarked in 2019 as one of Bergen County’s remaining 19th-century Dutch farmhouses.
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Ridgewood has spent about $2.6 million on restoration and public improvements showcased at a June 2024 open house.
How the house will be used
Village officials say the Zabriskie-Schedler House will combine museum-style exhibits, small receptions, meeting space, classes and administrative offices:
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Main floor: rotating exhibits, gallery space and small receptions.
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Second floor: offices, activity rooms and programming space (possible ties to nearby athletic uses if the proposed field moves forward).
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Programming will be produced jointly with the Ridgewood Library and Historical Society to expand outreach, education and local history events.
Why the center matters
For years the village debated how best to use the restored house. Council members framed the decision around public benefit and sustainable use:
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The center turns a long-idle municipal building into a public resource that preserves local history.
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It creates space for school programs, adult classes, exhibits, and cultural events—helping Ridgewood meet cultural and recreational needs while honoring the property’s historic fabric.
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Officials say using “Bergen County” in the name helps attract broader attention and future partnerships, even though Bergen County is not yet a formal partner.
Next steps
Village staff and partner organizations will begin programming and staffing plans. Expect announcements about inaugural exhibits, lecture series, and community workshops in the coming months.
Why residents should care: adaptive reuse of historic buildings like the Zabriskie-Schedler House preserves local character, creates educational opportunities, and provides a year-round cultural destination for families, students and visitors.
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The biggest scam of the decade. Even the NJDEP Historic Sites Council members weren’t fooled. A quid pro quo offer for sure.
Set up some displays, put a desk and a phone, call it a day.
The building still won’t be used by anyone.
Why is there a this for that? Are our wonderful youth athlets going to clamor to the house after a game? Just like the performing arts center or garage, could work if “it works” putting a sports field there as a backup for the high school. Seems like a pie in this guy idea. But since mr kazmir doesn’t live in ridgewood, he can spend money like a drunken sailor at our expense.
Make up your minds. You want the house and property to be historic. Then they put in a history center and you hate on it.
Nobody is fooled. The sudden “historic center” is just a resolution passed by the Council to improve the chances for a giant turf field.
You’re missing the whole point, the historic part is the land. It is a joke and a slap in the face the actual history of that land to think that putting an artificial turf field is gonna drive in people to their stupid cultural center, which they could give a shit about is a joke.
Would be great to repurpose the house for good use and to create public interest, but this council is steeped in their iwn muck and so deceptive that now they are using it as bait. We will create the center only if we get the new field.
Why not the “Schedler Historical Center” ?
Ala’ Habenickel park…..
Boy the council just don’t stop with this nonsense.
Small town grifters getting absolutely owned by Trenton. Just too funny.
Did they think these people haven’t seen it all?
They deal with Hudson and Camden County…those are actually pros at the game.
Ridgewood is an amateur clown show.
This is all part of Mayor Paul Vagiano’s magical mystery tour. Inatead if this for that, how about just a cultural center for 2 years as a test, let’s put your money where your mouse is and see how great this can be and see how successful it is, Maybe historic sites council can dangle the carrot in reverse and hold Kazmark accountable to making it such a great visitor’s center, and then in a couple of years time, maybe they will let you build a small field with natural grass which is the only thing that is appropriate for that property. So lets make a cultural center out of the house amlike a test run of sorts and see who comes. You don’t need a field there to prove it’s worth. It’ll be one-stop in a series of places to go almost like when they go to see the stars homes in Beverly Hills, they can go from one Field to anothet field, actually, I heard there are 45 sites in total. Maybe the bus can stop at each existing field and nine times out of ten, they will be seen nobody playing on it and realize this was all one big hoax, and the bus can then stop in the CBD to get some snacks along the way. Problem solved, you’re welcome!
Let us not forget that Rurick Halaby wanted to host weddings for gerbils. This could be a big draw, first if it’s kind really.
Any updates on his cool idea for a “skybridge” to connect Schedler with Old Paramus Church and the Schoolhouse?
I’m thinking the donors must be lining up.
Frankly I’m a little surprised there hasn’t been any news.
Maybe it will take some of the heat off of the over used gate house. Used by the library thru Healthbarn, parks and rec through Healthbarn and sports meetings and parties all through Healthbarn. Stop over using one area. Maybe it could be of some use. Who knows.
That sounds like overuse due to a private business, in this case Healthbarn, seemingly operating outside of their lease and running a private for profit business operations at Habernickle. That should be addressed imediately with the village manager, Keith kazmark. I do not think that could happen at Schedler because there are too many neighbors living right across from that house, and who see everything that happens there.
That village manager is a fan of this business and helps the owner get everything she wants…pavilion to protect her campers from rain, more space with that horrendous nut tree area and a new play ground coming. Many many favors and none knows why? Where did that 4 million dollars go that was given to Healthbarn? Neighbors have been threatened in this area by the business owner, engineer and others. Be careful schedler folk. These neighbors see it all too but are running scared just the way the council wants them to be. Scared!!!! Since the business has come over 10 homes have turned over.
don’t put thumbs down if YKYK. some don’t care to know. it so sad what this and the past council has done
Is Ridgewood really a #1 place when our mayor, council, village manager act with such an incredible level of dishonesty and continue to spend tax dollars promoting the actities of the sports lobbyists who seek ecery opportunity to have Ridgewood taxpayers foot the bill for their program expansion, extending out to kids from other communities but expecting Ridgewood’s deep pockets to pay for more and more fields. Does it ever end? I am pretty sure I can take a wild guess as to who has been bought and paid for.
its not just sports its for a private business at Habernickel that your tax dollars have supported for years with the disguise of non profit. do your homework its smoke and mirrors and the VM knows along with the mayor