Photo © Richard Polton.
Richard Polton grew up in Paterson. He studied American history at Columbia, architecture at the Rhode Island School of Design and city planning at MIT. Polton is a founding principal of Value Research Group, a real estate valuation and consulting firm that specializes in issues of affordable housing and urban redevelopment. He is also a member of the board of trustees of the Hamilton Partnership for Paterson, a non-profit organization to help launch the Paterson National Park and enhance its educational, social and economic benefits for Paterson. He lives in Glen Ridge.
Mr. Polton’s biography, The Life & Times of Fred Wesley Wentworth: The Architect Who Shaped Paterson, NJ and Its People makes Paterson’s rich history come alive through the telling of Fred Wentworth’s life.
"The Life & Times of Fred Wesley Wentworth is a valuable contribution to our understanding of the works of this important architect. The photos and organization of the material make for a compelling story."
—Kathy Waldron, President of William Paterson University
"Clearly written and beautifully illustrated, Polton's superb book shows how a talented architect and remarkable clients can shape the quality of an urban setting for generations."
—Leonard Zax, President of The Hamilton Partnership for Paterson (disclosure: Richard is on the Board of Trustees for The Hamilton Partnership for Paterson)
The Life and Times of Fred Wesley Wentworth by
In 1888, a young Dartmouth College alumnus from a distinguished New Hapshire family arrived in Paterson, New Jersey to pursue his plan of becoming an architect. He settled in a dynamic and fast growing city where fortunes were being made in silk, commerce and heavy industry. His practice took root and within years he was designing homes, commercial buildings and institutions for the area's leading citizens. His buildings are thoughtful, well designed and typify the architecture of their time. As Paterson changed, Wentworth found an unlikely client who transformed his career. Jacob Fabian, a Jewish entrepreneur engaged Wentworth to design grade movie palaces throughout New Jersey. They helped define the movie palace prototype. Fabian's success grew at a time of Jewish anxiety regarding their role in the city of Paterson and the nation at large. With the support from Fabian, Wentworth became the architect for the institutions of Jewish life in Paterson and these buildings shaped generations of immigrants and their children.