Whitlock Cordage
Whitlock Cordage is an intact complex of industrial buildings built in the Lafayette neighborhood along the banks of the Morris Canal. The older buildings were originally constructed as part of the Passaic Zinc Works, with the later buildings constructed when the Whitlock Cordage company moved to Jersey City in 1905. Whitlock Cordage manufactured what many considered to be the world's strongest rope.
In 2003, Whitlock Cordage was an eleventh hour rescue from the wrecking ball. A federal bankruptcy judge had ordered demoliton of the property to allow for its resale. An immediate letter writing and phone call campaign by the Conservancy and the Communipaw Avenue Block Association saved the complex from demolition. Ultimately, the Housing Trust of America agreed to purchase the property and preserve the structures as affordable housing.