Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal

Jersey City, NJ

Designed by Peabody & Stearns of Boston, the red brick CRRNJ Terminal structure has Romanesque Revival elements including a steep pitched roof with dormers on the third floor, prominent arched windows, and a tower with a cupola and a clock facing the waterfront. The opening of the new terminal in 1889 occurred at the time of the heaviest immigration to the United States from Europe. It is estimated that from 1890 to 1915 nine to twelve million immigrants were processed for entry at Ellis Island and entered the country via the CRRNJ terminal. It also served as an intermodal terminal connecting ferries to Manhattan, Brooklyn and Staten Island with commuter rail lines into New Jersey.

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Scope of work

  • Close visual examination of central tower and cupola, roof conditions and skylight areas.
  • Documentation and quantification of fault conditions using TPAS® – a direct digital annotation system.
  • Plumb measurements of cupola structural members.

Solutions

  • Combination of access methods allowed Vertical Access technicians and other members of project team hands-on coverage of all areas of interest.
  • Performed documentation of conditions to assist in prioritization of repairs following the October 2012 Super Storm Sandy, as well as long-term preservation planning.
  • Provided live-feed video for real-time discussion of cupola conditions with project team members.

Original architect

  • Peabody & Stearns (completed in 1889)

Building owner

  • State of New Jersey

In collaboration with