Summit: Historic Architecture, Culture and Nature

Summit can be explored through several themes: historic architecture, cultural offerings and an urban natural area. If you’re looking for a hotel in Summit, you can prioritize these highlights according to your own travel interests. The historic sites differ in age, function and scale: alongside an entire historic district are individual buildings such as the Carter House and the Summit Playhouse. Cultural institutions and the City of Summit Tiny Forest add further topics to consider as you plan.

Historic Architecture in Summit

The Summit Downtown Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It encompasses downtown Summit along Union Place and Springfield Avenue, between Kent Place Boulevard and Waldron Avenue. The district also includes Village Green, the post office and Central Presbyterian Church. Its well-preserved historic architecture was built mostly between 1890 and 1930. Summit’s architectural heritage extends beyond this period, from the mid-18th century through the 21st century. This distinction separates the Historic District’s main period from the broader span of the city’s architectural heritage.

The Carter House: A Single Building

The Carter House is now home to the Summit Historical Society and is considered Summit’s oldest surviving building, though this is not certain. The first floor contains exhibition rooms and a Victorian-style library; the house also has a colonial-era kitchen with a large fireplace and a beehive oven. The difference from the Historic District is one of scale: here, the focus is a single building with rooms from different periods, while the district encompasses part of downtown, several streets and other named sites.

The Summit Playhouse

The Summit Playhouse was built in 1891 as the Summit Public Library. Designed by Arthur Jennings, the building is constructed in the Romanesque style using slate, granite and brick. Its construction date, original purpose as the Summit Public Library, design, style and materials make its architectural history clear through several specific features.

Art, Music and Events

Summit’s cultural offerings have different areas of focus: the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey offers art exhibitions and jazz concerts, while the Summit Free Public Library hosts cultural readings, films and special events. You can consider whether art and music or literature, film and events better suit your travel interests. Check current exhibitions, performances and event schedules before your visit.

Green Space and Local Offerings

The City of Summit Tiny Forest is located behind the Community Center. A multilayered forest of native plants grows across 11,000 square feet. These details give the site a clearly defined profile as an urban natural area in Summit.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Berkeley Heights, Union City, Rahway, Linden, Cranford, New Providence, Scotch Plains, Elizabeth.

See the main travel overview: Union.