Park visitor center enters rebuilding phase
The Monmouth County Park System's Thompson Park Visitor Center reconstruction project went out to bid on Aug 16. Building contractors may now review the project specifications and prepare their proposals to rebuild the nearly 20,000- square-foot building at Thompson Park, Lincroft, which was destroyed in a fire on Feb. 6, 2006.

Since the fire, the park system has settled the rebuilding portion of the insurance claim (which took about eight months), completed the salvage and demolition process (recovering many important documents and preserving portions of the building), and worked with Farewell Mills Gatsch Architects of Princeton on the program and design for the replacement structure, according to a press release.

This last step begins the next chapter in the history of this important building. Often referred to as the "crown jewel" of the park system, the 110-year old visitor center was the former home of Geraldine Thompson, whose 215-acre land donation in 1968 helped established Thompson Park for the residents of Monmouth County to enjoy.

According to Supervising Historic Preservation Specialist Gail Hunton, the reconstructed building will "share the architectural character and form of the original Colonial Revival style mansion with an enhanced rear wing to accommodate modern functions and programs and to provide full accessibility for people with disabilities." The new building will also be a little larger, and will contain space for offices, public programs and exhibits.

The specifications call for exterior and interior details to match original building features and finishes, such as replicas of the windows and doors on the building, and for incorporation of the salvaged porch elements and chimneys into the new design. The building will be painted its original yellow and dark green color scheme, and feature the same monumental, Doric-columned porch on the front, as before.

"Plans for a building reconstruction have to be very detailed," said Hunton. "There are more than 100 pages of architectural drawings. We are hopeful that the new visitor center will present the same beautiful stately view from the highway and will serve the needs of Monmouth County for many years to come."

According to the press release, the new structure will be rebuilt on the footprint of the old building, which is just off Newman Springs Road (Route 520) in the park system headquarters at Thompson Park in the Lincroft section of Middletown. The park system hopes to award the construction contract in October.