Forest Hill is a neighborhood in the city of Newark in Essex County, in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

. It is a pre-

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

neighborhood in the North Ward. It is bounded on the west by

Branch Brook Park Branch Brook Park is a county park of Essex County, New Jersey. It is located in the North Ward of Newark, between the neighborhoods of Forest Hill and Roseville. A portion of the park is also located within the Township of Belleville. A ...

, on the south by Bloomfield Avenue (some maps place the southern limit at 2nd Avenue), and on the east by both Summer and Mt. Prospect Avenues, the neighborhood of

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...

. The neighborhood's ZIP Code is 07104. Forest Hill is located on a ridge between the

Passaic River The Passaic River ( or ) is a river, approximately long, in North Jersey, northern New Jersey. The river in its upper course flows in a highly circuitous route, meandering through the swamp lowlands between the ridge hills of rural and suburb ...

and the valley of the Branch Brook. It was first developed by Elias Heller, who owned a file factory in North Newark, on the Belleville border. Heller Parkway is named in his honor. From the 1870s to the 1920s, generations of wealthy Newarkers built hundreds of stately homes in the area in various styles, including Beaux-Arts,

Victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literatur ...

Colonial Revival The Colonial Revival architectural style seeks to revive elements of American colonial architecture. The beginnings of the Colonial Revival style are often attributed to the Centennial Exhibition of 1876, which reawakened Americans to the arch ...

Gothic Revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an Architectural style, architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half ...

, and

Spanish Revival The Spanish Colonial Revival architecture (), often known simply as Spanish Revival, is a term used to encompass a number of Revivalism (architecture), revivalist architectural styles based in both Spanish colonial architecture and Spanish archi ...

. One such house is the Wright-Clark house, a Tudor style manor built during the early 1900s. Along with their mansions, the wealthy of Forest Hill also developed scores of social and literary clubs. Other than the homes, landmarks include the old Tiffany factory and the Ballantine Gate. The North End branch and the Branch Brook Park branch of the

Newark Public Library The Newark Public Library (NPL) is a public library system in Newark, New Jersey. The library system offers numerous programs and events to its diverse population. With seven different branches, the Newark Public Library serves as a Statewide Re ...

serve the neighborhood. The neighborhood is well preserved and maintained, and few of the historic homes have been torn down, renovated into apartments, or transferred to institutional use. The northern part of the neighborhood is part of an official historic district, containing a marker that was erected by The Newark Preservation and Landmarks Committee, a non-profit organization dedicated to the care of Newark's past history. During special times throughout the year, there are special tours made possible by several organizations such as the

New Jersey Historical Society The New Jersey Historical Society is a historical society and museum located in Newark, Essex County, New Jersey, United States. The Historical Society is housed in the former headquarters of the Essex Club. It has two floors of exhibition spac ...

where homeowners open their homes to visitors, and the Mount Pleasant Cemetery Association. Working alongside the neighborhood, the Forest Hill Community Association provides assistance by offering a chance to volunteer, and hosting various events of engagement. This area also includes a diverse community, standing out for its calm environment. The Sydenham House located on "The Old Road to Bloomfield" (east of Branch Brook Park) and built in 1712 is the city's oldest private residence. It was later expanded in the early 19th Century. D.J. and Elizabeth Henderson restored it in the 1950s.

Transportation

The Bloomfield Avenue, Davenport Avenue and

stations of the

Newark Light Rail The Newark Light Rail (NLR) is a light rail system serving Newark, New Jersey, and surrounding areas, owned by New Jersey Transit and operated by its bus operations division. The service consists of two segments, the original Newark City Subwa ...

system are all located nearby.

Notable people

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Notable current and former residents of Forest Hill include: *

Robert Altenkirch Robert A. Altenkirch was an American academic and university president. He was the president of University of Alabama in Huntsville and the New Jersey Institute of Technology. Early life Altenkirch earned a B.S. from Purdue University, a M.S. fro ...

, President of the

University of Alabama in Huntsville The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) is a public research university in Huntsville, Alabama, United States. The university is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and comprises eight colleges: arts, humanities ...

. * Peter Ballantine (1791–1883), founder of Newark's Patterson & Ballantine Brewing Company in 1840. *

Dean Faiello Dean Faiello (August 31, 1959 January 26, 2024 was an American criminal formerly imprisoned at Attica Correctional Facility for the April 2003 death of Maria Cruz, whom he had presented himself to as a dermatologist. Faiello held neither a medica ...

(born 1959), non-doctor convicted of killing a patient during a medical procedure.Dewan, Shaila K
"Body Found in Newark, and Police Suspect Botched Surgery"
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', February 19, 2004. Accessed May 30, 2013. "Property records indicate that Mr. Faiello sold the property, at 214 Elwood Avenue, for almost half a million dollars last May.... The house, by far the largest on its block in the Forest Hills section of Newark, is surrounded by a high wall of brick topped with wrought iron." *

Maria Jeritza Maria Jeritza (born Marie Jedličková; 6 October 1887 – 10 July 1982) was a dramatic soprano, long associated with the Vienna State Opera (1912–1934 and 1950–1953) and the Metropolitan Opera (1921–1932 and 1951). Her rapid rise to fame, ...

(1887–1982), opera singer. *

Louis Comfort Tiffany Louis Comfort Tiffany (February 18, 1848 – January 17, 1933) was an American artist and designer who worked in the decorative arts and is best known for his work in stained glass. He is associated with the art nouveauLander, David"The Buyable ...

(1848–1933), artist and designer best known for his work in stained glass.Erminio, Vinessa
"Neighborhood snapshot: Forest Hill"
''

The Star-Ledger ''The Star-Ledger'' was the largest circulation newspaper in New Jersey. It is based in Newark, New Jersey. The newspaper ceased print publication on February 2, 2025, but continues to publish a digital edition. In 2007, ''The Star-Ledger''s ...

'', May 16, 2008. Accessed May 30, 2013. "One of the first homes built in the neighborhood was designed for Louis Tiffany of the family that founded Tiffany & Co. in New York. The historical residence is located on Delevan Avenue." *

William Hayes Ward William Hayes Ward (June 25, 1835 – August 28, 1916) was an American clergyman, editor, and Orientalist. Biography William Hayes Ward was born in Abington, Massachusetts on June 25, 1835. After attending Berwick Academy in Maine, adjacent ...

(1835–1916) clergyman, editor of The Independent, a leading Abolitionist newspaper.

References

External links

Forest Hill Community Association
from ''

''
Virtual tour of Mt. Prospect Avenue
{{Essex County, New Jersey Colonial Revival architecture in New Jersey Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in New Jersey Neighborhoods in Newark, New Jersey Populated places in Essex County, New Jersey Queen Anne architecture in New Jersey Streetcar suburbs Historic districts in Essex County, New Jersey Houses in Essex County, New Jersey Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in New Jersey