Lucio J. Bolcato Memorial
The monument of Lucio Bolcato is located in Yanticaw Park. It was dedicated on July 23, 1974. The monument is a boulder type rock with a plaque in the middle with Lucio Bolcato's name on it. Funds and donations for the monument were from the American Legion, Amvets, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and Catholic War Veterans. Other donations came from associations in the community such as UNICO, Elks, Rotary Club, and Nutley Park Shoprite.

The monument is a tribute to Lucio Bolcato who died of a heart attack in 1974 at age 51, during a courageous attempt to rescue a young boy and one of his co-workers who were both drowning. He had worked with the Nutley Department of Public Works for 15 years.

Mr. Bolcato was born in Newark. He was an unselfish human being who touched the hearts of others. He always helped people with no concern for himself. He was a great and honorable man who died trying to rescue others. In return, the town of Nutley dedicated this memorial in his honor.

Dr. Martin Luther King
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a great civil rights leader, changed the attitudes of many. He was trying to make peace between the different races and to have equality for all. His famous speech “I have a dream” began to make people think about how they treated each other. He died before his dream could come true, and we feel his dream has still not come true. He was assassinated by James Earl Ray. We still honor his memory to this day. His monument, a boulder with a plaque was dedicated in Nutley, New Jersey on April 8, 1973. It is located in front of Town Hall.

Raymond Blum
In front of our Town Hall, there is a monument dedicated to Raymond Blum. He was killed in action during World War I at Grand Pre, France on October 22, in 1918. Raymond Blum’s father was mayor of Nutley at the time of his son’s death. The family was very active in town and Raymond’s death saddened many in Nutley.

Raymond had attended local schools and was a prominent athlete. He played on local baseball and football teams as well as with half a dozen semi-professional baseball teams in Newark, Paterson, and Passaic. He represented all the good things that were admired in a fine young man. The Blum family contributed the funds to erect this memorial in honor of their beloved son. They also donated the land which was later named Memorial Parkway, in rememberance of all who served in World War I. A stone bridge near Vreeland Avenue, in the park has a stone engraved with Raymond Blum’s name too.

These memorials help our community remember Raymond as a brave and beloved citizen of Nutley who gave his life for our country. It also represents all of the courageous people who fought in World War I.

John F. Kennedy
The John F. Kennedy memorial is a boulder with a bronze plaque on it. You can find it on the lawn of Town Hall on Chestnut St. He was the 35th President of the United States of America, and was tragically assassinated while he was still in office. The memorial was dedicated shortly after his death.

President Kennedy’s death caused sadness all over America so the people of Nutley decided to honor him with a memorial. It reads: "Dedicated to the memory of John F. Kennedy 35th President of the United States who gave his life for his country November 22, 1963."

John F. Kennedy was one of the most loved presidents. This memorial symbolizes the respect and love that Nutley’s citizens will always have for this leader.

World War I Memorial Parkway
A beautiful memorial walkway through the parks in Nutley was dedicated in 1919 to honor all those who served in World War I. One of the two big columns at the entrance on Chestnut Street has a tablet that marks the memorial. During the process of trying to decide what would make a good memorial for those who served in World War I, there was a debate between a high school or a memorial parkway.

There is boulder in the park with a plaque to honor the seventeen men from Nutley who died in the war. There was also a tree for each that served daughters, and sons. The planners of this project promised to never have any type of building that is permanent. They wanted the park to be clean and gorgeous.

Mostly the citizens of the town raised the funds. It would have cost $25.00 to buy a tree and shrubs would cost $1.00 each. Also if you wanted to have a memorial plaque to go along with your tree, or shrub, you would have to pay for that too. The estimated amount spent for this particular project was between $10,000-$12,000 dollars at minimum.

Flora Louden
There are many important memorials in Nutley that help us remember distinguished members of our community, one of which is Flora Louden Park. The park is located on Hancox Avenue. It was dedicated to the memory of Miss Flora Louden in the year of her death, on November 7, 1957. However, a bronze plaque on a traditional boulder was added to the park in October of 1960.

The park was bought by the town of Nutley from Highview Homes Incorporated for a dollar and was first named Hancox Avenue Park. In 1957, the name of the park was changed to Flora Louden Park. The commissioner, Carl A. Orechio, authorized the name change. In 1960,the township installed a bronze plaque for her, which cost $225. Many groups in town raised a large portion of the funds. Now there is also a wooden sign telling everyone they are at Flora Louden Park.

This memorial is important because Miss Louden was a very active member of our community. Flora was born in Sydney, Australia and came to live in Nutley in 1917. She enjoyed the outdoors and once went on safari to Africa.

Flora was dedicated to Youth Affairs as one of the first members of the Recreation Department. She was an important member in various organizations, such as the Lions Club, the Rotary Club Auxiliary, the Nutley Girl Scout Council, the Tri-Town Business and Professional Women’s Association of Nutley, Belleville and Bloomfield, and president of the Nutley-Belleville Tuberculosis Association. Miss Flora Louden contributed much to our town in many ways. She was an honorable person and a good friend of Miss Ann Troy. When Flora died Miss Troy began her campaign to have the park named after her dear friend.

We feel that Miss Louden was very worthy of such a memorial because she was a generous, caring, and active woman. She was involved with the recreation department and naming a park after her helps us to remember what she did for our community.

Father Glotzbach
Father Glotzbach worked as an educator and then in 1924 he became an Assistant Pastor at Saint Mary’s Church in Nutley. Although he thought that education was very important, he also believed that kids should have fun. Father Glotzbach had a major effect on the Avondale section of Nutley. He kept kids busy so that they did not just sit around on the street and get into trouble.
Father Glotzbach died in 1949 and in 1966 the Township of Nutley thought that it would be appropriate to name the park in Avondale after him. Commissioner DeMuro said this tribute was "to a citizen who has done more than any one other individual for the children of our town". The new playground on the site of the old quarry made a safe place for the children to be.
The memorial statue, which includes a bust of Father James Glotzbach, stands on a 7-foot column and can be seen by all outside of the Parks and Recreation building on Park Avenue.
This park once consisted of one baseball field, but has been made over time into a great park that includes two Little League fields, one soccer field, and a playground. This park is used all year round from baseball to soccer to sledding and for friends to get together. Father Glotzbach would have been proud to have such a place bear his name. The kids of Nutley would be lost without this great park!

The Centennial Clock
If you are walking or driving on Franklin Avenue, right through the center of Nutley, you may notice an extravagantly large clock. The clock is Nutley’s Statue of Liberty. This monument is not only a way to tell time, but it symbolizes 100 years of Nutley. It was funded by generous townspeople. The walkway leading to the clock is lined with bricks that are engraved with names of families from Nutley. Each brick was purchased for $55.00.

Nutley celebrated its 100th birthday this year and on October 12, 2002 the Centennial Clock was unveiled. The clock chimes every half-hour. On the face of the clock is inscribed “Take time to remember” and the date September 11, 2001. The clock represents many things, time past and time present are reflected in it.

The Challenger Plaque
At Yantacaw School there is a plaque honoring the astronauts and teacher who perished in the Challenger Space Shuttle tragedy on January 28, 1986. This plaque was dedicated on May 16,1986.

The shuttle plaque is at Yantacaw School for everyone to see. It is located in the back of the school mounted on a rounded, red brick wall adjacent to the stairs leading down to the campus.

Bake sales were held by the Yantacaw Student Council to raise money for the plaque. The memorial was important to our community because it was a nice way to remember those who perished. Since one of the seven was the first teacher going into space it is right that she be remembered in a memorial at a school. That plaque can be read and appreciated for many more years to come and those who died will always be truly “The Heroes of the Heavens”.

Yantacaw School is now planning another memorial for the Columbia astronauts.

World War II Memorial
On the lawn of the Nutley Public Library stands a flagpole and a World War II Honor Roll Memorial to honor those who served. Eighty-eight young men from Nutley lost their lives in World War II and their names are noted with a star. To honor our veterans, a committee was formed to refurbish and rededicate the memorial. Many people gave donations to help with the cost of this project. On November 11, 2000, this rededication took place in the Township of Nutley. The memorial is engraved with “Freedom Isn’t Free” and we should always remember this.

This memorial is in a place where many of our citizens can enjoy its beauty and pay respect to those who kept our country free.

Pat Ritacco, a Nutley poet, wrote this for the rededication, here is a verse from “Opus of Gratitude”

Ye price of freedom, be not slight.
O Ponderously paid, victorious fight.
Forever in thy debt to thee,
‘twas Nutley’s own, did keep us free.