Allendale Artworks and Artifacts was established in 2016 by Fred Litt. On October 27, 2022, Fred Litt was appointed Borough Historian by the Allendale mayor and council. This is the first time that a historian has been appointed to help the governing body recover, preserve, and share the history of the borough of Allendale, New Jersey.
Fred, a longtime Allendale resident, business owner, and community volunteer has been involved in researching his family history and community history for over 30 years. Educated in information technology and digital document solutions, he brings these skills to his efforts to preserve and share Allendale’s history. His experience as a member of the Allendale Borough Council and the Allendale Planning Board and as president of the Allendale Chamber of Commerce allows him to bring a unique insight to his storytelling.
Fred served two terms on the Allendale borough council (2003-2008). During that time, he was chair of the council’s public safety committee and served on land use committee and facilities committee. He helped develop the borough’s first web site and introduced digital documents (i.e., PDF file) to borough operations.
For the last 25 years, he has been owner/manager of Family Technology Associates, LLC, providing IT support to local families and businesses. During 2000-2001, Fred was President of the Allendale Chamber of Commerce.
Fred grew up in New York City, attending Stuyvesant High School, then earning his B.S. and M.A. degrees in Mathematics from the State University of New York at Albany.
His professional career began in 1977 at Goldman, Sachs, & Co., rising to Vice President, Investment Research Department. He served as Coordinator of Electronic Investment Services, developing Wall Street’s first Investment Research document distribution system, serving institutional and high net worth clients worldwide.
In 1997, Fred established Family Technology Associates, LLC, providing IT consulting servings to local families, small businesses, and professional practices.
He began investigating his family history in the 1990s, tracing his family back to Minsk and Vitebsk, Russia, and finding that his grandfather came to America, arriving at Ellis Island in 1897. His passion for history led to his interest in the history of his adopted hometown of Allendale, New Jersey, where he began digitizing his findings and sharing his collection on-line via a Facebook page, AllendaleArtworksAndArtifacts. Fred has published additional books on Amazon.com with more under development.
In 2021, his first book, Images of America: Allendale was published, and, in recognition of his dedication to the history of Allendale, the mayor and council appoint him Allendale’s first active Borough Historian on October 27, 2022.
December 29, 2008, was Councilman Fred Litt’s last public appearance at borough hall. Here are minutes from that mayor and council meeting.
