We, the undersigned alumni, past and present instructors, current students, and supporters of The Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art, write to express our passionate support for the historic preservation of the original school mansion in Dover, New Jersey.

For decades, this historic mansion served as more than just a building. It was the home for generations of visual storytellers, comic artists, illustrators, and graphic creators whose work has shaped global popular culture. Founded by legendary comic artist Joe Kubert and his family, the school transformed Dover into a landmark destination for commercial and narrative art education.

We understand that the property and surrounding land are slated for development. However, we strongly urge the Town of Dover and the developers to designate the original mansion as a historic landmark and integrate it as a preserved focal point within the housing complex.

Our Vision & Recommendation: Rather than demolishing a piece of American comic art history, we propose that the mansion be preserved and adaptively reused as a non-profit museum and cultural art center. This facility could:

Celebrate Dover's Heritage: Serve as a permanent gallery showcasing historic artwork, original pages, and memorabilia from Joe Kubert, renowned faculty, and distinguished alumni.

Benefit the Community: Offer public exhibits, educational workshops, and cultural events for residents and visitors, adding lasting prestige and value to the new residential development.

Honor Visual Arts Legacy: Provide a dedicated destination celebrating the art of sequential storytelling and visual communication created by artists trained within those very walls.

Demolishing this historic estate would destroy an irreplaceable piece of Dover’s cultural history and the legacy of the comic art industry. Preserving the mansion enriches both the local community and the global artistic heritage rooted in Dover.

We stand with the leadership of Dover in finding a viable preservation pathway, and we respectfully request that historic preservation status and public adaptive reuse be made central conditions of the site’s development.