Our Town’s Heartbeat: A Spotlight On Glen Rock’s Commercial District Through The Years

By Glen Rock Historical & Preservation Intern Rosaleen McGowan

Nestled in the heart of Bergen County, the small town of Glen Rock, whether because of its picturesque downtown scene or lively atmosphere, is an eye-catching location for visitors and homeowners. The business element is a key component of the town’s likeness, presenting a vibrant, walkable downtown scene that makes Glen Rock a pleasant and entertaining place to live and visit. Industry has been, and is currently a flourishing component of our town, evident in the quaint houses and farmland that evolved into its presently defining features. The rich history of our town is reflected throughout its growth, namely in the uprising of the small businesses that we see and enjoy today, and overall the industrial development of our seasoned downtown. 

At the time of its establishment in 1894, Glen Rock fostered a simple and peaceful lifestyle. Business enterprises consisted of a mere two mills, a seed store, a bakery, three greenhouses, and three blacksmith stores. The sparsely populated borough housed roughly 600 people in 100 farms, each of them roughly consisting of 25 acres; small in size but enough to grow what was needed to survive, with the excess sold to larger nearby cities such as Paterson and New York. The early years of Glen Rock’s history encompass a town very much different from the one we know by heart, where nothing but farmland stretched from southern Prospect Street to Radburn Road due to the dominant, labor-intensive practices of agriculture in the late 19th to early 20th century. 

Bought in 1915 by Charles and Elizabeth Hillman Herold, Herold’s Farm sustains its mark on Glen Rock’s history as one of the longest-standing agriculture-based units amid rapid industrialization. Located on the southeastern corner of Glen Rock, where Prospect Street becomes Saddle River Road, the farm in its early years consisted of a quaint 2 acres containing a house and other various outbuildings such as sheds and barns. To accommodate Glen Rock’s quickly growing industrial downtown, the first garden stand opened at Herold’s farm in 1955, which originally sought to provide high-quality produce to its customers. Due to the aftermath of World War II, combined with the rapid abandonment of agriculture and local business expansion, the overall focus shifted to maintaining a smaller and less elaborate farm. This movement to keep up with Glen Rock’s fast-paced commercial development is also reflected in the Herolds’ decision to sell around nine acres of their farm to housing developers in 1964. In retrospect, the adaptations that the Harolds made to their business to serve the societal changes occurring in Glen Rock during its prime years of rapid industrialization represent the ever-changing conditions of that period, hence, Herold's farm exemplifies the nature of our town’s early years throughout its growth. (For another long-standing farming industry, check out the GRH&PS article on the Thurston and Perry farms).

Constructed in 1851, the Erie Railroad ran south from Lake Erie to Suffern, then east to Piermont on the Hudson River. This railroad line is currently referred to as the “main line”, to differentiate from the “Bergen County Shortcut”. The second line, which was referred to as the Ramapo and Paterson Railroad, was put into service from Jersey City, running through Paterson and present-day Ridgewood. These two lines would go on to be connected in late 1851, establishing the double-railroad system that residents of Glen Rock still benefit from today and setting our town apart from the rest of Bergen County in terms of transportation. Along with the rush of industrialization at the onset of the 20th century, Glen Rock’s downtown area truly began to flourish. The expansion of steam-powered railroad usage was only fuel to this fire, establishing Glen Rock’s spot on the map close to Paterson and attracting the city’s dense population. Along with the upward trajectory of Bergen County’s business development, Glen Rock, too, began to witness its first blooms of what would become the commercialized downtown we’re familiar with. 

Innovation regarding business growth and decay is purely exponential. When one is amplified, the other performs the same to an even higher extent. As citizens of Glen Rock, we can thank innovation for the railroad system that acted as a passageway to the immense growth of our commercial district, specifically, and for the many small businesses that we have available to us at our leisure as a result of this. Dating back to the early 1900s, Kilroy’s Wonder Market remains one of the longest-standing and most successful businesses in Glen Rock, emerging among some of the first ever in the downtown area. Founded originally on South Maple Avenue in 1916, Kilroys pertained to their belief that the local grocery store was “small enough to know you, large enough to serve you” by maintaining a friendly, welcoming atmosphere while consistently keeping up with the needs of their customers.

  On account of its location on the main line to Paterson, The Wonder Market’s business success thrived with every passing year; innovative developments such as passing one of the town’s first liquor licenses, as well as the retail sale of frozen goods brought by 1933 ensued from the business’s attempts to match the pace of their rapid expansion. Aside from its sales achievements, the Wonder Market’s survival during the Great Depression, World War II, and other government price fixing and regulations could be attributed to its ability to hire large multitudes of previously laid-off workers. Even after its relocation to its current facility on Rock Road in 1954, Kilroy’s Wonder Market has continued to prosper; After standing for over 100 years, it’s still granting citizens with a pleasant and personalized shopping experience, its innovation and business growth it representative of the small businesses that rose due to the commercialization of Glen Rock’s downtown. Kilroys isn’t the only example of a long-standing Glen Rock business representing the nature of our town’s industrial change. Spotted along Rock Road, businesses such as Gracie Cleaners, established in 1920, Beekman Wines in 1956, and the Glen Rock Inn in 1948 all define critical moments in Glen Rock’s history. 

Today, citizens and visitors are witnessing a new era of change cultivated in Glen Rock. We can thank the ongoing cycle of business fueled by the same innovation and entrepreneurship that initially planted the first seeds of industry in an agriculture-dominant civilization for transforming our town into the one we know today. These turning points in our industrial history as a result of the business cycle are evident in Glen Rock’s changing businesses. The Glen Rock Sweet Shoppe on Maple Avenue eventually turned into the Glen Rock Food Center, the Feed Store on Park Avenue became Charms Nails, and what was once a popular hotel and bar is now the Exxon gas station. As a newer variety of small businesses, only some including Francesca’s, a local brick oven pizza restaurant, Carrick Mor, an Irish gift store, and Honey Day, a Korean-American fusion brunch spot, we as Glen Rock citizens can witness this cycle in our everyday life and fully recognize the impact it’s had on our community. Ultimately, the rich history of our town’s commercial district is defined through the small businesses that changed over the years to accommodate rapid industrial growth. This industrial growth was amplified by our unique railroad system, introducing extensive innovation to Glen Rock that shaped it into what it's become today. While gauging Glen Rock’s growth, the element of business serves as a window into the past, a younger town and generation with endless opportunity and room for progression.