From the Archives

Thanksgiving Homecoming in Historic Fort Lee

A restored "Historic Fort Lee" painting will be dedicated at the Fort Lee Public Library on Saturday at 12 p.m.

The Ortlip family of artists are among many artists who called Fort Lee their home from the 19th through the 20th century. As hard as it may seem to believe today, back in the post-Civil War era through the early part of the 20th century, Fort Lee was a resort community with lavish hotels atop the Palisades.  Here many artists ventured to capture on canvas the wonderful views of the Hudson River atop the bluffs of Fort Lee’s Palisades. Many artists associated with the famous Ashcan School of the early 20th century created their art in Fort Lee. It was a realist artistic movement made up of eight members, including John French Sloan and Edward Hopper. Other artists of note to work and live in Fort Lee were George Overbury Hart, better known…

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Library to Dedicate Restored ‘Historic Fort Lee’ Painting

The painting by the late Fort Lee artist Paul Ortlip was damaged over a period of many years, but it’s now been restored and is slated for permanent display at the Fort Lee Public Library, with a dedication planned Saturday.

Thanks to the efforts of the Fort Lee Historical Society and the Fort Lee Public Library Board of Trustees, a part of the borough’s history has been restored after many years of neglect. A large painting by the late artist Paul Ortlip, a Fort Lee native, had been hanging in a small area of the Fort Lee Public Library’s meeting room, where it wasn’t really visible to the public and sustained significant damage over time. The Historical Society and the Library Board worked to have the 1970 Ortlip painting fully restored, and now that the restoration is complete, a dedication is planned for Saturday in the library’s gallery, where the painting will hang permanently. “The late Arthur Bruni, who was a very important member of the community, had…

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Historical Society Seeks Fort Lee Stories for Oral Histories Project

Tell your story to the Fort Lee Historical Society

Did you or your relatives work in the film industry in Fort Lee? Perhaps you worked at the Palisade Interstate Park or Palisades Amusement Park. Do you remember the castle on River Road and Old Palisade Road? Or maybe you have stories to share about Fort Lee’s colorful past or its even more colorful residents. If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, the Fort Lee Historical Society wants to hear from you. The Fort Lee Film Commission and the Fort Lee Coalition for the Arts is joining forces with the historical society for an “oral histories” project that organizers hope will result in a valuable resource for present and future generations of Fort Lee residents to learn more about the history of their town. Fort Lee Historical …

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About Town

About Town: Fort Lee Historic Park

When's the last time you visited the Fort Lee Historic Park?

When is the last time you visited the Fort Lee Historic Park that didn’t involve meeting your high school friends to hang out in the woods? Wait. Have you ever been to the Fort Lee Historic Park? Either way, you should plan on visiting. Soon. Why? First of all, because the Fort Lee Historic Park’s Visitor Center just re-opened after undergoing a major renovation. Although many of the same exhibits are still on display, they look as fresh as they did in 1976. There are also some wonderful new additions that nicely complement the existing exhibits. Second of all, the soldiers’ quarters have been meticulously rebuilt since the buildings in that area of the park were lost to a fire some years ago. Strolling among the buildings you really get …

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