Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44mattersmagazine.com 33 Krug was also the architect of 53 Curtiss Place, first occupied by Charles M. Van Aken, founder of C.M. Van Aken Cooperage Company in New York. Van Aken and his wife, Mary, were living a block over on Ridgewood Terrace when they were drawn to the impressive new house under construction, which they bought in 1916. The Van Akens lived at 53 Curtiss until 1924. A poignant note by a realtor in October 1924 requests, “Please do not show [the house] before phoning as Mrs. Van Aken has been very ill.” (Mary would die not long thereafter; the census lists Charles Van Aken as a widower living with his sister’s family on Prospect St.) Van Aken sold 53 Curtiss to Emile Beh, a dry goods merchant, in December 1924 for $40,000. In 1930, the Behs listed the house at $47,500. Unable to find a buyer in the depths of the Great Depression, the Behs then rented it out for 10 years. In 1942, Maplewood Memorial Library real estate files include a 1942 notice that “the owner is very anxious to dispose of the property and is currently living in the Suburban Hotel in Summit.” Above left: Charles Van Aken, the first owner of 53 Curtiss Place. Above right: G.E. Krug (the architect) from page 8 of the 1937 History of Maple Lodge. Below: The home before it was restored. 19 South Orange Avenue, South Orange 973 821 5145 “A toy store for grown-ups.” Are you hip enough to SMEG? New Jersey Monthly BEST of NJ 3 YEARS RUNNING Named All-Star Retailer of the Year by Gourmet Insider Magazine Come in and see why we’re the only retailer in NJ to offer this amazing new line. COME FOR A TOUR! SPRING OPEN HOUSE Tuesday, May 9 RSVP 973.379.3442 or farbrook.org CO-ED n NURSERY THROUGH GRADE 8 n SHORT HILLS, NJ