It went from historic factory to contaminated mess. Now it’s restored and renting apartments. – NJ.com

Franklin Murphy didn’t know much about the varnish business, but after buying out his two partners, he put Newark on the map with The Murphy Varnish Works, which was known across the country and in Europe.

He founded the company in 1865, well before his notable tenure as a New Jersey legislator 20 years later. The astute businessman earned a reputation as the “Father of the Park System” when he created the Essex County park system, the first county park system in the nation.

But Murphy would eclipse that honor seven years later in 1902 to become New Jersey’s 31st governor, a post he held for three years.

Aside from his political career, Murphy’s varnish company, which was the largest varnish producing company in Newark, left an enduring historical footprint in the city’s Ironbound section.

Of the six buildings that comprised Murphy’s industrial complex on Chestnut, McWhorter and Vesey streets, one of the grand Victorian style structures is still with us and has new life after sitting vacant for more than 30 years with contamination.

When the varnish company closed in the 1950s, a chemical storage facility moved in for a number of years, leaving the environmental problem that subsequent property owners were not able to ameliorate, according to East Ward Councilman Augusto Amador.

But Javier Meleiro, who owns a Newark construction company, loved Murphy’s architectural gem that, in some places, has brick walls 36 inches thick.

He passed by it every day, marveling at the elegant structure on one acre of land.

It wasn’t in the best shape. Large tree limbs grew inside and wedged their way between walls. Graffiti was everywhere. Squatters lived inside and garbage was strewn all along the property, which is listed on the New Jersey and National Register of Historic Places.

“One day you’re going to be mine,” said Meleiro, recalling his thoughts.

He bought the four-story building in 2016, then spent the next two and a half years transforming it into 46 apartments while maintaining its historical architecture and character.

“He came in and saved the building,” said David Robinson, partner and architect with Studio for Urban Architecture & Design (SUAD), which is based in Newark and worked with Meleiro on the project.

There were many attempts by other owners to do something, but for various reasons, most of them financial, the building languished.

“When it fell into his (Meleiro) hands, from the minute he closed, he was go, go, go,” said Madeline Ruiz, also an architect with SUAD. “He was the missing piece.”

Melerio, now owner of F.M. Renaissance LLC, said he used his own money in the beginning during construction, then received an $8 million loan to complete the project, including the environmental cleanup.

“You don’t find this kind of building every day,” he said.

Or that kind of commitment when the project is historical and has contamination issues.

“That’s the beauty of this,” Amador said. “He did it without any support from the state or the city. I’m amazed by the stuff he did.”

Murphy Varnish Lofts apartments feature 13 to 30-foot high ceilings. Around the base of the factory smoke stack, there’s a gazebo with two grills in the landscaped court yard.

Within the building’s design, Meleiro reused the existing bricks that were separated from tree limbs, then cleaned individually. In the lobby, a 700-pound elevator wheel sits between two columns like a piece of art.

Huge windows are in every room to allow for lots of light, a feature Murphy included in his design for employees.

“He (Murphy) built this building with respect to his employees to give them lots of light and ventilation,” Robinson said. “He was a very responsible owner. He let a lot of natural light come into the space.”

Murphy was one of the first industries in Newark to implement life insurance with Prudential Insurance Company and pension plans, according to the site’s application for national historical designation. He had a close relationship with workers, making sure they received profit sharing. His kindness extended to wedding gifts and loans.

Robinson said he built Riverbank Park near the Passaic River, which Murphy cleaned up as governor. That was one of his many accomplishments, including improving limits on child labor and setting up a commission that required landlords to have fire escapes, up to date plumbing and lighted hallways.

Born in Jersey City, Murphy attended Newark Academy but left in 1862 to be a Civil War soldier with Union forces and had become a first lieutenant. When he returned, his business and political life flourished. After his tenure as governor, he was a delegate at five national GOP conventions.

In Newark, though, he was just as active. Murphy served on the Newark Common Council from 1883 to 1886 and was its president for his last year. In that time, he led programs to light the streets, pave roadways and sidewalks. Even his house was on Broad Street, near Lincoln Park, so he could see his business, which grew to a six-building complex at its peak.

The last building has presence. It can’t be missed like the statue of Murphy that is tucked away in Newark’s Weeqauhic Park. This work of art makes Murphy visible.

“It’s a piece of diamond and I polished it,” Melerio said.

This article is part of “Unknown New Jersey,” an ongoing series that highlights interesting and little-known stories about our past, present, and future — all the unusual things that make our great state what is it. Got a story to pitch? Email it to local@njadvancemedia.com.

Barry Carter may be reached at bcarter@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BarryCarterSL. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips.

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