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BELLEVILLE HISTORY: PEOPLE AND EVENTS
BELLEVILLE'S ARCHITECT
The appearance of Belleville owes a lot to the influence of one man, the architect
Charles Granville Jones. Born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1865, he moved to Belleville
with his parents in 1879. Jones studied architecture with his father and, in 1886,
opened his own architectural business in New York City. He continued to live in
Belleville and later had an office here on Academy Street (above).
Jones designed many buildings used for many different purposes. In New Jersey his
designs included churches in Newark and Cranford and a high school in Bloomfield.
Jones made his greatest mark on the town of his residence. He designed Belleville's
town hall, public library, Methodist church, First National Bank, and the old high school.
He also approved the designs for public schools 1,2,3,4,5,6 and 8.
Jones promoted the growth of Belleville by helping to create the Home Building and
Loan Association. During World War I this patriot managed the local Liberty Loan
campaign that raised money for the war effort. Though he died in 1938, Charles
Granville Jones had an impact on Belleville that continues today.
Source: Belleville: 150th-Anniversary Historical Highlights 1839-1989 by Robert B. Burnett and the Belleville 150th-Anniversary Committee Belleville, New Jersey. 1991.
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