The Albert Lawson VFW was condemned in 2019. Paterson Habitat for Humanity rebuilt the new VFW and a soft opening was held on Veterans Day 2023.
NORTH HALEDON -- A total overhaul of the Kennedy-era veterans building on High Mountain Road is nearing completion.
The renovation project, which has cost the borough $600,000 so far, will not be done until the spring, but guests who visit there Monday for a Veterans Day service will observe a lot of progress. The ceremony will start at 11 a.m.
The building at 512 High Mountain Road is the headquarters of American Legion Post 428, as well as a gathering place for Girl Scouts, the Golden Age Club and other civic groups. The borough owns it, and local organizations are not charged to meet there.
"You really can't thank a veteran enough," said Mayor Randy George.
Renovation to the building, which opened in May 1963, includes a new facade -- white bricks were replaced by sturdy lap siding painted blue. Windows were also replaced.
The flat roof was torn off, and a pitched roof was constructed for curb appeal.
Inside of the 2,500-square-foot building are fresh window treatments and laminate floorboards that look like real hardwood. Acoustic panels are mounted to the walls, and high hat lights and speakers are recessed into the ceiling. The borough spent $33,000 to furnish the meeting hall with 10 large tables and 125 cushioned chairs.
Half of the project was funded through Passaic County grants.
Some exterior work remains
Work left to be completed is limited to the building exterior. Rain gutters must be attached, and masons still have to install a fieldstone veneer below the lap siding. The last step will be to put up the facade sign.
George Van Der Wall, a Navy veteran of the Vietnam War and the commander of Post 428, said he and his fellow Legionnaires were happy with the project.
The post has 43 members, most recruited by the commander himself.
Van Der Wall, 78, a lifelong borough resident, attended his sister's wedding reception at the meeting hall six decades ago. It was easy for him to remember that special occasion, he said Friday, as it fell a year after the building opened and a year before he enlisted. The old lodge was overdue for major upgrades, he said.
"I just can't let that post fail -- that's the bottom line," Van Der Wall said. "I can't let that happen."
George said he was inspired to improve the American Legion building after seeing a similar project on a motorcycle ride in upstate New York. Since then, he said, the borough has made recurring investments in the frequently used meeting hall.
"I'm trying to do the same thing here," George said. "I got the idea from them -- a good idea is a good idea."
Philip DeVencentis is a local reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.