Weekend Historical Happenings: 8/2/14 - 8/3/14
WEEKEND HISTORICAL HAPPENINGS
Know about a historical event happening in your area?
Send me an e-mail to let us know!
Saturday, August 2 - Spring Lake, Monmouth County
Summer Walking Tour - Third Avenue Business District
Travel back in time with the Spring Lake Historical Society on Saturday morning. Members of the Spring Lake Historical Society will guide tours of the Third Avenue Business District. Walk through the Third Avenue of horses and carriages, pharmacies, soda fountains, specialty groceries, movie theaters, tailor shops, coffee shops, and more. Those interested in the walking tour should meet at Divine Park flag pole at the intersection of Third and Passaic Avenues in Spring Lake, NJ. Tours will begin at 9:00 am and continue until 12:00 noon. The tour is free and open to the public.
-----------------------------------
Enjoy an interpretive horse-drawn wagon ride at Fosterfields Living History Farm on Saturday while discovering the importance of sustainable farming. Learn about the methods, equipment, crops, and enterprises of Charles Foster’s farm in the early 1900s. Wagon ride from 10:00 am - 12:00 noon and included in regular admission.
From 1:00 - 2:00 pm and again from 2:00 - 3:00 pm, help the farmers wash lambs that were born this spring.
Admission: $6/adult, $5/senior (65+), $4/child (ages 4 -16), $2/child (2 and 3). FREE for children under age 2 and Friends members, with a current membership card. Fosterfields Living Historical Farm is located at 73 Kahdena Road, Morristown, NJ. For more information, visit www.morrisparks.net.
-----------------------------------
-----------------------------------
Saturday, August 2 - Morris Township, Morris County
Horse-Drawn Wagon Ride and Wash and Wear Sheep
Children Friendly
From 1:00 - 2:00 pm and again from 2:00 - 3:00 pm, help the farmers wash lambs that were born this spring.
Admission: $6/adult, $5/senior (65+), $4/child (ages 4 -16), $2/child (2 and 3). FREE for children under age 2 and Friends members, with a current membership card. Fosterfields Living Historical Farm is located at 73 Kahdena Road, Morristown, NJ. For more information, visit www.morrisparks.net.
-----------------------------------
Saturday, August 2 - Trenton, Mercer County
Summer "Taptoe" Concert Series
An enchanting evening of music, refreshments, and living history await you at the Old Barracks Museum's Summer Taptoe Concert Series on Saturday, August 2. Be enveloped by the sounds of the Fifes and Drums of the Old Barracks as they signal to the taverns of Trenton to close the taps and send the soldiers back to their barracks while you relax with refreshments on our balconies or spread a blanket in the grass surrounding the parade ground. With the talented musicians of the Fife and Drums of The Old Barracks performing the unforgettable music from "The Last of the Mohicans," this is one musical experience you will not want to miss. The grounds open at 7:00 pm and the music starts at 8:00 pm.
Tickets: Non-member rates: $25 for reserved balcony seating (including refreshments) and $10 for lawn seating. Member rates: $15 for reserved balcony seating (including refreshments) and $5 for lawn seating. The Old Barracks are located at 101 Barrack Street, Trenton, NJ. For more information and to purchase tickets, call 609-396-1776 or visit the Quartermaster's Store. www.barracks.org
-----------------------------------
+(2).JPG)
Decorate boats and sail them in the mill's tail-race. Please wear closed-toe shoes or boots. Cost: FREE. Boats can be purchased for $10 (Friends members $5), or borrowed for FREE. The Cooper Gristmill is located at 66 Route 513, Chester, NJ. For more information, call 908-879-5463 or visit www.morrisparks.net.
Visit Continental soldiers and others who worked with and for the army. Hear what they have to say about army life, their duties, equipment and experiences in the Continental Army. Programs runs each day from 12:00 noon - 4:00 pm at the Soldier Huts in Jockey Hollow within Morristown National Historical Park, Morristown, NJ. Cost: Free. For more information, call 973-543-4030 or visit www.nps.gov/morr.
Howell Living History Farm represents typical farm life between 1890 and 1910. The farm is operated by the Mercer County Parks Commission. It is located at 70 Wooden's Lane, Lambertville, NJ. For more information. call 609-737-3299 or visit www.howellfarm.org.
Experience life on an Early American farm through hands-on activities and exhibits at Historic Cold Spring Village’s ‘Down on the Farm’ Weekend on Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 am - 4:30 pm. Historic Cold Spring Village, an open-air living history museum, presents the trades, crafts, architecture and lifestyles of an Early American, rural South Jersey farming community. The Village is also home to a working 8-acre organic heritage farm complex. ‘Down on the Farm’ is generously sponsored by Smeltzer & Sons Feed & Pet Supplies.
Special exhibits throughout the Village will include collections of antique and modern farming equipment and hand tools, as well as demonstrations of natural wool dyeing methods. Visitors can tour the historic Gandy Barn, c. 1880, which is now home to Levi the horse and Nugget the calf. In the morning, Levi and the Village farmers will demonstrate horse-driven farming techniques. During the afternoon, visitors can take horse and carriage rides around the Village - free with admission! Guests can also visit the Village sheep, pigs, chickens and calf.
The Family Activity Area will feature children’s dress-up clothes, games, and corn husk doll-making. Kids can even navigate a hay maze! The Village will also host the 4th Annual Dog Show on Saturday from 10:00 am - 12 noon.
Historic Cold Spring Village is a non-profit, open-air living history museum that portrays the daily life of a rural South Jersey community of the Early American period. It features 26 restored historic structures on a 30-acre site. From late June to early September, interpreters and artisans in period clothing preserve the trades, crafts and heritage of “the age of homespun.”
Historic Cold Spring Village is located at 720 Route 9, three miles north of Cape May City and four miles south of Rio Grande. Admission during the season is $10 for adults and $8 for children ages 3 to 12. Children under 3 are admitted free. Unlimited free admission is available with Village membership. As a member of the national Blue Star Museums program, Historic Cold Spring Village is proud to offer free admission to active duty military personnel and up to 5 family members. The Village Nature Trail at Bradner's Run is open to the public for free self-guided tours. For more information, call 609-898-2300, ext. 18 or visit www.hcsv.org.
-----------------------------------
The Jefferson Township Museum, also known as the George Chamberlin House, will have an open house on Sunday from 1:00 - 4:00 pm. This month's exhibit will continue the theme "Little House in the Valley" with an emphasis on the parallels between the two families of Laura Ingalls Wilder and the Chamberlains. Also featured will be an exhibit of vintage tools. Costumed docents will give tours of the museum. Admission is free.
The Jefferson Township Museum is located at 315 Dover-Milton Road, Jefferson Township, NJ. Visit Miss Elizabeth's Shoppe located in the original kitchen of the museum, where small antiques, collectibles, handmade, handcrafted and seasonal items will be offered for sale. For further information, call 973-208-8601 or visit www.jthistoricalsociety.org.
Stop by the South River Historical & Preservation Society on Sunday from 1:30 - 3:30 pm and view exhibits on all aspects of Borough history including: schools; churches and houses of worship; local businesses and organizations; daily life; events and celebrations; and more. While you are there, see the cemetery located behind the building, ask questions, drop off donations, or exchange hometown stories with the docents. The museum is located at 64-66 Main Street, South River. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~njsrhps/museum.html
The Lambertville Historical Society will offer a guided walking tour (approximately 60 - 75 minutes) on the first Sunday of each month through October. The tour begins at the James Marshall House, 60 Bridge Street, Lambertville at 2:00 PM. The tour is free but donations are welcomed. For more information, call 609-397-0770 or e-mail info@lambertvillehistoricalsociety.org.
-----------------------------------
.JPG)
-----------------------------------
The American Labor Museum/Botto House National Landmark in Haledon, NJ proudly opens the exhibit "The Mill Girls," a unique three-dimensional display that showcases images of three mill girls on large-scale replicas of the wooden bobbins used in early textile mills, by visual artist Donna Berger. The exhibit will be on view through August 23, 2014.
The exhibit is free and open to the public, though a small donation to the Society would be appreciated. The Little Red Schoolhouse Museum is open on the second and fourth Sundays of every month from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. The Lyndhurst Historical Society was established in 1984 in an effort to preserve the 1893 schoolhouse, located at 400 Riverside Avenue, Lyndhurst, NJ. For more information, call 201-804-2513 (leave a message) or visit www.lyndhursthistoricalsociety.org.
-----------------------------------
The exhibition will also debut Morven's newest acquisition: a pastel portrait of Commodore Robert Field Stockton (1795-1866) completed by Micah Williams around 1821. Stockton was a third-generation resident of Morven, head the Pacific Fleet and a U.S. Senator. With this exhibition, the portrait makes its return to the walls at Morven. "Micah Williams: Portrait Artist" exhibition will be on display at Morven through September 14, 2014.
Morven Museum & Garden is a museum and public garden located at 55 Stockton Street, Princeton, NJ. A National Historic Landmark, Morven was the home to Richard Stockton, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, as well as the former Governor's mansion of New Jersey. Public Hours: Wednesday - Friday 11:00 am - 3:00 pm; Saturday and Sunday 12:00 noon - 4:00 pm. For more information, call 609-924-8144 or visit www.morven.org.
-----------------------------------
This year New Jersey observes the 350th Anniversary of its political establishment in 1664. To commemorate the event, the Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie in Cadwalader Park is hosting a display of items related to the mid-1600s - before there was a place called Trent's-town. "Before There Was Trenton," on view through October 12, 2014 is curated by Trenton Museum Society Trustee David Bosted and son Nicholas Bosted. A formal lecture, "Before There Was Trenton" will be given by the curators on Sunday October 12, at 2:00 pm, on the last day of the display.
Prior to 1664, New Netherland was a colony founded by the Dutch on the east coast of North America. The Dutch colony extended from Hartford, CT in the east to Albany, New York, in the north to Delaware in the south, encompassing parts of what are now the states of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Connecticut and Delaware. The New Netherland colony included three major Rivers: Nord (North River, now the Hudson River), Sud (South River, now the Delaware River) and the Versche (Fresh) River (now the Connecticut River). The English wrested control of the colony from the Dutch in 1664, turning its capital, New Amsterdam, into New York City.
The Dutch colonial efforts were mostly directed toward trade with Native Americans. However, their permanent settlements in some cases caused conflict with native peoples as well as with several other European powers, especially England, Sweden and France.
Beaver pelts were especially sought after for the fur trade. Marten, fox, otter and mink were also bartered. In 1624 (the year New Amsterdam was first settled), Dutch settlers shipped 1,500 beaver and 500 otter skins to Europe. Thereafter, the fur trade grew enormously under the Dutch. Fort Orange (now Albany) and New Amsterdam (now New York City) were the centers of the fur trade, reaching deep into the Lenni Lenape and Mohawk tribal territory, and promoting contact between the Dutch and the Native peoples.
"Before There Was Trenton" recalls that early period of exploration, contact and settlement. Among the items on display are items highly valued in the fur trade: hand-forged trade axes, knives and other metal tools; easily transportable and popular trading commodities like the red "white heart" glass trade beads made in Venice; objects reflecting Dutch nautical exploration and the fur trade; and Lenni Lenape stone tools from the Delaware Valley as well as early agricultural items. Tobacco, another highly desirable trade commodity, is represented in the display by early tobacco pipes. Because tobacco was so expensive, the 17th century pipe bowls were small, holding only a pinch of tobacco.
The Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie is located in Cadwalader Park in Trenton, NJ. For more information about the exhibit or the talk, call 609-989-1191, e-mail tms@ellarslie.org, or visit www.ellarslie.org.
-----------------------------------
The Old Barracks Museum will feature the sculpture of AbOminOg Intl. Arts Collective in an exhibit entitled "Founding the Future: A Continuum of Iron Casting in Trenton with AbOminOg Intl. Arts Collective." The exhibit will run from April 26 to October 31, 2014.
The Old Barracks Museum is pleased to feature the metal sculpture of members of one of Trenton's illustrious artist collectives in an exhibit entitled, "Founding the Future: A Continuum of Iron Casting in Trenton with AbOminOg Intl. Arts Collective." Exhibiting artists include Kate Graves, Aylin Green, Bruce Lindsay, Rory Mahon, Steve Morse, Joanna Platt, Matt Reiley, David Robinson and Scot Thompson.
This outdoor exhibit is part of the statewide celebrations of the 350th anniversary of the founding of New Jersey by representing the connection between the history that the Old Barracks Museum interprets and AbOminOg Intl.'s focus on the revolutionary industrial material of iron. As the first art installation at the Old Barracks, it will allow the visiting public a new perspective on the relationship between the past and the present in the formation of the future.
The Old Barracks Museum is adjacent to Petty's Run, site of the only excavated Colonial steel furnace in America. Trenton's history of industry, manufacturing and self-reliance is reflected in the AbOminOg Intl. model of collaboration through sweat equity, upcycling crushed iron scrap into sculpture. The essence of the artist collective's cause- to teach and facilitate artists of diverse backgrounds, age groups and skill levels in the creation of cast-metal sculptural artworks within an inspiring, supportive and sustainable setting while positively affecting the community and the art world at large- has remained the same since their inaugural iron pour in a Trenton backyard on December 31, 1999. The Old Barracks Museum is located at 101 Barracks Street, Trenton, NJ. For more information, call 609-396-1776 or visit www.barracks.org.
-----------------------------------
The Gloucester County Historical Society Museum hours are Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays from 1:00 - 4:00 pm and the last Sunday of the month from 2:00 - 5:00 pm. Adult admission $5; children 6-18 years $1; children under 6 free. The Gloucester County Historical Society Museum is located at 58 North Broad Street, Woodbury, NJ. For more information, call 856-848-8531 or visit www.rootsweb.com/~njgchs.
-----------------------------------
Regular Museum admission is $5.00 for adults, $3.00 for seniors, students & children (ages 6 and older), and free for members and children under 6. Family maximum admission $13.00. The Museum is open Tuesday - Saturday from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm and Sunday from 12:00 noon - 5:00 pm. The Museum of Early Trades & Crafts is located at 9 Main Street in Madison, NJ just two blocks from the Madison train station. For more information, please call 973-377-2982 x10 or visit www.metc.org.
-----------------------------------
Since prehistoric times, where we live has been about much more than shelter (think of those cave paintings). A new exhibit explores just how our human instinct to nest has played out in the structures we inhabit and the stuff we put in them. "The History of Houses and the Things that Make Them Home" is on display in the Richmond Gallery of the Eden Woolley House / Township of Ocean Historical Museum.
The exhibit examines the influences on the design and content of the American home - from the traditions early settlers brought with them, to the availability of materials, to the transforming power of technology. It takes guests on a virtual house tour, revealing room by room how things have changed and how those changes have shaped our lives.
What is home? It's where the heart is and there's no place like it. Beyond shelter, our homes express our tastes, values, and social status. Our neighborhoods abound with homes that illustrate the point, and the new exhibit asks us to see our familiar surroundings in a new light. It reveals the lineage of familiar house styles--colonial, neoclassical, Victorian, and modern, for example. It explains that the colonists of the new world built houses in the style of the old. That the founding fathers, all men of the Enlightenment, adapted the designs of Greeks and Romans whose rationality they admired. That the clutter and ornamentation of the Victorians expressed their fascination with goods made possible by the Industrial Revolution and made available by the railroads. And that twentieth century architects rejected Victorian fussiness in favor of designs that challenged old assumptions and took advantage of new technologies and building techniques.
House design is just the beginning. The exhibit takes us inside, room by room. For all but the rich, our earliest homes were one-room dwellings. The very concept of a single-purpose room (living, dining, bathing, etc.) is relatively new. And even in early multiple-room houses, people moved from room to room more in pursuit of sunlight and warmth than specific activity. In effect, all rooms were "living rooms."
Revolutionary new technologies - indoor plumbing, central heating, and electric light, in particular - made room specialization practical. The bathroom, bedchamber, dining room, library, and parlor emerged as distinct spaces in ways that both reflect and influence life style.
Take the living room (aka parlor, drawing room, sitting room, and salon). It has come full circle. As parlor, it was a room often reserved to receive visitors. In time, it became the place where the family "withdrew" to gather around the piano - later the radio and then television. Today, the "great room" has assumed that role and in many homes, the living room is again a more formal space reserved for entertaining guests.
The exhibit makes that case that every house has a story, every room has a history. "The History of Houses and the Things that Make Them Home" will be up through June 2015. The Township of Ocean Historical Museum is open to the public on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays (1:00 - 4:00 pm), Thursday evenings (7:00 - 9:00 pm) and the first and second Sundays of each month (1:00 - 4:00 pm). The Township of Ocean Historical Museum is located at 703 Deal Road, Ocean, NJ. For more information, please call 732-531-2136 or visit www.oceanmuseum.org.
-----------------------------------
Tickets: Non-member rates: $25 for reserved balcony seating (including refreshments) and $10 for lawn seating. Member rates: $15 for reserved balcony seating (including refreshments) and $5 for lawn seating. The Old Barracks are located at 101 Barrack Street, Trenton, NJ. For more information and to purchase tickets, call 609-396-1776 or visit the Quartermaster's Store. www.barracks.org
-----------------------------------
Saturday, August 2 - Chester, Morris County
Sail, Sail Your Boat
Children Friendly
-----------------------------------
Saturday - Sunday, August 2 - 3 - Morristown, Morris County
People of the Continental Army
Children Friendly
Visit Continental soldiers and others who worked with and for the army. Hear what they have to say about army life, their duties, equipment and experiences in the Continental Army. Programs runs each day from 12:00 noon - 4:00 pm at the Soldier Huts in Jockey Hollow within Morristown National Historical Park, Morristown, NJ. Cost: Free. For more information, call 973-543-4030 or visit www.nps.gov/morr.
-----------------------------------
Saturday - Sunday, August 2 - 3 - Hopewell Township, Mercer County
Mercer County 4H Fair/Wheat Threshing
Children Friendly
In the 1920s and early 1930s, the local Pleasant Valley Calf Club held an annual fair at the Pleasant Valley Schoolhouse and grounds adjacent to Howell Farm. These fairs, organized by the school children and their parents, drew visitors from many parts of Mercer and Hunterdon Counties. "With this historical basis in mind, we thought the 4-H Fair was a great match for us," said Pete Watson, Howell Farm director. "With our visitor center barn, we're now well equipped to handle a fair like this."
Highlights of the 96th Annual Fair will include cow milking, a sheep show, a goat show, a poultry show, and a small animal show. Tents for the animals and exhibits will be located near the farm's visitor center.
Howell Farm's farmers will contribute by running hayrides, giving tours, and conducting historical farming demonstrations out in the fields. Free Admission, Free Parking. The fair will run Saturday from 10:00 am - 8:00 pm and Sunday from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm.
Wheat Threshing
The first threshing methods involved beating grain by hand with a flail, or trampling it by animal hooves. An early threshing machine, patented in 1837 by Hiram A. and John A. Pitts, Winthrop, Maine, was powered by horses walking on a treadmill. Improvements were made to the original machine until late in the 1800s. The threshing machines used early in the 20th century were basically the same, except for the power source. About 1890, steam engines replaced horses and mules.
Highlights of the 96th Annual Fair will include cow milking, a sheep show, a goat show, a poultry show, and a small animal show. Tents for the animals and exhibits will be located near the farm's visitor center.
Howell Farm's farmers will contribute by running hayrides, giving tours, and conducting historical farming demonstrations out in the fields. Free Admission, Free Parking. The fair will run Saturday from 10:00 am - 8:00 pm and Sunday from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm.
Wheat Threshing
The first threshing methods involved beating grain by hand with a flail, or trampling it by animal hooves. An early threshing machine, patented in 1837 by Hiram A. and John A. Pitts, Winthrop, Maine, was powered by horses walking on a treadmill. Improvements were made to the original machine until late in the 1800s. The threshing machines used early in the 20th century were basically the same, except for the power source. About 1890, steam engines replaced horses and mules.
Howell Living History Farm represents typical farm life between 1890 and 1910. The farm is operated by the Mercer County Parks Commission. It is located at 70 Wooden's Lane, Lambertville, NJ. For more information. call 609-737-3299 or visit www.howellfarm.org.
-----------------------------------
Saturday - Sunday, August 2 - 3 - Holmdel, Monmouth County
Potato Harvest
Children Friendly
Potato Harvest
Children Friendly
On Saturday and Sunday from 12:00 noon - 2:00 pm, visit Historic Longstreet Farm in Holmdel to learn about how potatoes are grown and handled. Help the staff check out the potato field. Learn about the farm machinery used on this important crop. If conditions are right, we’ll hook up the team for the harvest. Stop by the summer kitchen for a look at how potatoes are used. Historic Longstreet Farm is located at 44 Longstreet Road, Holmdel, NJ. For more information, call 732-946-3758 or visit www.monmouthcountyparks.com.
-----------------------------------
Saturday - Sunday, August 2 - 3 - Cape May, Cape May County
Down on the Farm Weekend
Children Friendly
Special exhibits throughout the Village will include collections of antique and modern farming equipment and hand tools, as well as demonstrations of natural wool dyeing methods. Visitors can tour the historic Gandy Barn, c. 1880, which is now home to Levi the horse and Nugget the calf. In the morning, Levi and the Village farmers will demonstrate horse-driven farming techniques. During the afternoon, visitors can take horse and carriage rides around the Village - free with admission! Guests can also visit the Village sheep, pigs, chickens and calf.
The Family Activity Area will feature children’s dress-up clothes, games, and corn husk doll-making. Kids can even navigate a hay maze! The Village will also host the 4th Annual Dog Show on Saturday from 10:00 am - 12 noon.
Historic Cold Spring Village is a non-profit, open-air living history museum that portrays the daily life of a rural South Jersey community of the Early American period. It features 26 restored historic structures on a 30-acre site. From late June to early September, interpreters and artisans in period clothing preserve the trades, crafts and heritage of “the age of homespun.”
Historic Cold Spring Village is located at 720 Route 9, three miles north of Cape May City and four miles south of Rio Grande. Admission during the season is $10 for adults and $8 for children ages 3 to 12. Children under 3 are admitted free. Unlimited free admission is available with Village membership. As a member of the national Blue Star Museums program, Historic Cold Spring Village is proud to offer free admission to active duty military personnel and up to 5 family members. The Village Nature Trail at Bradner's Run is open to the public for free self-guided tours. For more information, call 609-898-2300, ext. 18 or visit www.hcsv.org.
-----------------------------------
Saturday - Sunday, August 2 - 3 - Brick Township, Ocean County
Civil War Encampment
Family Friendly
The Brick Township Historical Society will host the 61st New York Volunteer Regiment for a Civil War Encampment on Saturday all day and Sunday until 2:00 pm at the Havens Homestead Museum, 521 Herbertsville Road, Brick Township, NJ. The soldiers will camp on the museum property and march, fire guns and explain what life was like during an encampment. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, call 732-785-2500.
-----------------------------------
.JPG)
On Saturday and Sunday, don't miss out on a chance to walk into the past! The Red Mill Museum Village in Clinton, NJ will host the annual Revolutionary War Days. The event will feature Patriot and Loyalist encampments. Infantry, militia, artillery, and cavalry units from the Continental Army and British Brigade will face each other in daring skirmishes. Demonstrations including mounted horsemen practicing cavalry tactics and so much more, will wow spectators each day from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm. Watch war-time drills, weapons firing, period demonstrations, first person portrayals of influential Revolutionary War figures, open fire cooking, a blacksmith and even a replica Revolutionary War boat. Come learn about how families in the town of Clinton and surrounding area felt about the war, while listening to the hammer dulcimer and fiddle carry the tunes of the 18th century. The event will be held rain or shine at the Red Mill Museum Village, located at 56 Main Street in Clinton, NJ. Admission is $9 adults, $7 seniors, active military and veterans, $5 children 6-12, free for members and children under 6. Municipal parking is available near by. For more information, call 908-735-4101 or visit www.redmill.org.
-----------------------------------
-----------------------------------
Saturday - Sunday, August 2 - 3 - Clinton, Hunterdon County
Revolutionary War Days
Children Friendly
-----------------------------------
Sunday, August 3 - Upper Freehold, Monmouth County
"You Scream, I Scream for Ice Cream"
Children Friendly
Family fun and food history intertwine at Historic Walnford as we crank and then sample batches of cold sweet ice cream made using historic recipes and techniques. Develop a new appreciation for a treat we may take for granted today. This program will be held from 3:00 - 4:00 pm and is FREE!
While there, visit the large, elegant Walnford home built in 1774, the 19th century gristmill and the farm buildings set in a beautiful landscape. Walnford is located at 62 Walnford Road, Upper Freehold, NJ. For more information, visit www.monmouthcountyparks.com.
-----------------------------------
-----------------------------------
Sunday, August 3 - Jefferson Township, Morris County
Open House
Children Friendly
Children Friendly
The Jefferson Township Museum is located at 315 Dover-Milton Road, Jefferson Township, NJ. Visit Miss Elizabeth's Shoppe located in the original kitchen of the museum, where small antiques, collectibles, handmade, handcrafted and seasonal items will be offered for sale. For further information, call 973-208-8601 or visit www.jthistoricalsociety.org.
-----------------------------------
Sunday, August 3 - South River, Middlesex County
Open House
-----------------------------------
Sunday, August 3 - Lambertville, Hunterdon County
Lambertville Historical Society Monthly Walking Tours
-----------------------------------
Saturdays and Sundays Through October 2014 - Ringwood, Passaic County
Grounds and Garden Tour
.JPG)
Did you ever wonder what all that “stuff” is placed around the grounds at Ringwood Manor? What about all those other buildings on the property? What were they used for? If you have ever been curious about the estate at Ringwood Manor, this tour is for you! The 2 hour guided walking tour will take visitors around the main property at Ringwood Manor, discussing the historic objects, the planned gardens & landscape features, the out-buildings, and the cemetery. Historic photographs of the property will also be shown. These free tours meet at 2:00 pm in front of Ringwood Manor every Saturday and Sunday from June - October. It is advised that participants wear walking or hiking shoes, dress appropriately for the weather, and bring bug spray and sun block. Steady Rain cancels. No reservations necessary. For more information and to call ahead to confirm a tour, call 973-962-2240. Ringwood Manor is located at 1304 Sloatsburg Road, Ringwood, NJ, within Ringwood State Park. For more information, visit www.ringwoodmanor.org.
-----------------------------------
Sundays through August 30, 2014 - Cranbury, Middlesex County
"At Long Last...Summer" Exhibit
The Cranbury Historical and Preservation Society is bringing a bit of the seashore to its museum in Cranbury. After a harsh winter, the society is happy to present a new exhibit at the Cranbury Museum, entitled, "At Long Last...Summer." Featuring treasures of the sea and seashore, the exhibit includes oil paintings, watercolors, a rare sea glass collection, antique whale bone, shells, Sailor valentines, ephemera, and vintage toys and souvenirs. The exhibit will continue through August 30, 2014. Celebrate summer and join us on Sunday afternoons from 1:00 - 4:00 pm, to view the exhibit! The Cranbury Museum is located at 4 Park Place East, Cranbury. For more information, visit www.cranburyhistory.org.
-----------------------------------
Through August 23, 2014 - Haledon, Passaic County
"The Mill Girls" Exhibit
The American Labor Museum/Botto House National Landmark in Haledon, NJ proudly opens the exhibit "The Mill Girls," a unique three-dimensional display that showcases images of three mill girls on large-scale replicas of the wooden bobbins used in early textile mills, by visual artist Donna Berger. The exhibit will be on view through August 23, 2014.
The Botto House National Landmark, home of the American Labor Museum, is located at 83 Norwood Street, Haledon, NJ. It was the meeting place for over 20,000 silk mill workers during the 1913 Paterson Silk Strike. The Museum's hours of operation are Monday through Friday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm. Tours are offered Wednesday through Saturday from 1:00 - 4:00 pm and by appointment. For more information, call 973-595-7953, visit www.labormuseum.net, or e-mail labormuseum@aol.com.
-----------------------------------
Through August, 2014 - Lyndhurst, Bergen County
Let's Play! An Exhibit of Beloved Toys
Children Friendly
From a china-head doll to a Lionel train, several toys are on display at the Little Red Schoolhouse Museum as the Lyndhurst Historical Society recalls fun times with favorite toys. The new exhibit, "Let's Play! An Exhibit of Beloved Toys," is open now through August 2014.
The exhibit is free and open to the public, though a small donation to the Society would be appreciated. The Little Red Schoolhouse Museum is open on the second and fourth Sundays of every month from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. The Lyndhurst Historical Society was established in 1984 in an effort to preserve the 1893 schoolhouse, located at 400 Riverside Avenue, Lyndhurst, NJ. For more information, call 201-804-2513 (leave a message) or visit www.lyndhursthistoricalsociety.org.
-----------------------------------
Through Sunday, September 14, 2014 - Princeton, Mercer County
Micah Williams: Portrait Artist Exhibition
Traveling portrait artist and New Jersey resident Micah Williams (1782 - 1837) was a prolific artist who has 272 known existing works. His works are represented in many major museums and are highly sought after by folk art collectors. Yet, there has never been an exhibition dedicated solely to the work of Micah Williams. "Micah Williams: Portrait Artist," on loan to Morven from the Monmouth County Historical Association, tells a story about the new America of the 19th century. With over 40 portraits on view, visitors can come face-to-face with the state's nineteenth century farmers, orchard growers, militia officers, politicians, silversmiths, potters, carpenters, and their families.
The exhibition will also debut Morven's newest acquisition: a pastel portrait of Commodore Robert Field Stockton (1795-1866) completed by Micah Williams around 1821. Stockton was a third-generation resident of Morven, head the Pacific Fleet and a U.S. Senator. With this exhibition, the portrait makes its return to the walls at Morven. "Micah Williams: Portrait Artist" exhibition will be on display at Morven through September 14, 2014.
Morven Museum & Garden is a museum and public garden located at 55 Stockton Street, Princeton, NJ. A National Historic Landmark, Morven was the home to Richard Stockton, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, as well as the former Governor's mansion of New Jersey. Public Hours: Wednesday - Friday 11:00 am - 3:00 pm; Saturday and Sunday 12:00 noon - 4:00 pm. For more information, call 609-924-8144 or visit www.morven.org.
-----------------------------------
Through Sunday, October 12, 2014 - Trenton, Mercer County
"Before There Was Trenton" Exhibit
This year New Jersey observes the 350th Anniversary of its political establishment in 1664. To commemorate the event, the Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie in Cadwalader Park is hosting a display of items related to the mid-1600s - before there was a place called Trent's-town. "Before There Was Trenton," on view through October 12, 2014 is curated by Trenton Museum Society Trustee David Bosted and son Nicholas Bosted. A formal lecture, "Before There Was Trenton" will be given by the curators on Sunday October 12, at 2:00 pm, on the last day of the display.
Prior to 1664, New Netherland was a colony founded by the Dutch on the east coast of North America. The Dutch colony extended from Hartford, CT in the east to Albany, New York, in the north to Delaware in the south, encompassing parts of what are now the states of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Connecticut and Delaware. The New Netherland colony included three major Rivers: Nord (North River, now the Hudson River), Sud (South River, now the Delaware River) and the Versche (Fresh) River (now the Connecticut River). The English wrested control of the colony from the Dutch in 1664, turning its capital, New Amsterdam, into New York City.
The Dutch colonial efforts were mostly directed toward trade with Native Americans. However, their permanent settlements in some cases caused conflict with native peoples as well as with several other European powers, especially England, Sweden and France.
Beaver pelts were especially sought after for the fur trade. Marten, fox, otter and mink were also bartered. In 1624 (the year New Amsterdam was first settled), Dutch settlers shipped 1,500 beaver and 500 otter skins to Europe. Thereafter, the fur trade grew enormously under the Dutch. Fort Orange (now Albany) and New Amsterdam (now New York City) were the centers of the fur trade, reaching deep into the Lenni Lenape and Mohawk tribal territory, and promoting contact between the Dutch and the Native peoples.
"Before There Was Trenton" recalls that early period of exploration, contact and settlement. Among the items on display are items highly valued in the fur trade: hand-forged trade axes, knives and other metal tools; easily transportable and popular trading commodities like the red "white heart" glass trade beads made in Venice; objects reflecting Dutch nautical exploration and the fur trade; and Lenni Lenape stone tools from the Delaware Valley as well as early agricultural items. Tobacco, another highly desirable trade commodity, is represented in the display by early tobacco pipes. Because tobacco was so expensive, the 17th century pipe bowls were small, holding only a pinch of tobacco.
The Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie is located in Cadwalader Park in Trenton, NJ. For more information about the exhibit or the talk, call 609-989-1191, e-mail tms@ellarslie.org, or visit www.ellarslie.org.
-----------------------------------
Through October 31, 2014 - Trenton, Mercer County
Trenton's Old Barracks Museum Shows Iron Art
The Old Barracks Museum will feature the sculpture of AbOminOg Intl. Arts Collective in an exhibit entitled "Founding the Future: A Continuum of Iron Casting in Trenton with AbOminOg Intl. Arts Collective." The exhibit will run from April 26 to October 31, 2014.The Old Barracks Museum is pleased to feature the metal sculpture of members of one of Trenton's illustrious artist collectives in an exhibit entitled, "Founding the Future: A Continuum of Iron Casting in Trenton with AbOminOg Intl. Arts Collective." Exhibiting artists include Kate Graves, Aylin Green, Bruce Lindsay, Rory Mahon, Steve Morse, Joanna Platt, Matt Reiley, David Robinson and Scot Thompson.
This outdoor exhibit is part of the statewide celebrations of the 350th anniversary of the founding of New Jersey by representing the connection between the history that the Old Barracks Museum interprets and AbOminOg Intl.'s focus on the revolutionary industrial material of iron. As the first art installation at the Old Barracks, it will allow the visiting public a new perspective on the relationship between the past and the present in the formation of the future.
The Old Barracks Museum is adjacent to Petty's Run, site of the only excavated Colonial steel furnace in America. Trenton's history of industry, manufacturing and self-reliance is reflected in the AbOminOg Intl. model of collaboration through sweat equity, upcycling crushed iron scrap into sculpture. The essence of the artist collective's cause- to teach and facilitate artists of diverse backgrounds, age groups and skill levels in the creation of cast-metal sculptural artworks within an inspiring, supportive and sustainable setting while positively affecting the community and the art world at large- has remained the same since their inaugural iron pour in a Trenton backyard on December 31, 1999. The Old Barracks Museum is located at 101 Barracks Street, Trenton, NJ. For more information, call 609-396-1776 or visit www.barracks.org.
-----------------------------------
Through December 29, 2014 - Woodbury, Gloucester County
Be Prepared: Scouts of Yesteryear
Children Friendly
Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts have been a tradition in America for over a century. The Gloucester County Historical Society Museum is presenting a remarkable exhibit with scouting artifacts from over the decades. Numerous uniforms, merit badges, equipment, manuals, and accessories from the 1930’s on are on display.
The Gloucester County Historical Society Museum hours are Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays from 1:00 - 4:00 pm and the last Sunday of the month from 2:00 - 5:00 pm. Adult admission $5; children 6-18 years $1; children under 6 free. The Gloucester County Historical Society Museum is located at 58 North Broad Street, Woodbury, NJ. For more information, call 856-848-8531 or visit www.rootsweb.com/~njgchs.
-----------------------------------
Through February 13, 2015 - Madison, Morris County
The American Revolution in New Jersey
Children Friendly
New Jersey spent much of the American Revolution as a theater of war. A new exhibit at the Museum of Early Trades and Crafts, "The American Revolution in New Jersey: Where the Battlefront Meets the Homefront," explores the rarely told story of New Jersey's farmers, women, and tradesmen and their actions during the war. Topics discussed include the local civil wars that erupted between revolutionaries and loyalists, the multiple roles that women took on as their men went off to war, and how civilian life was affected by the regular presence of troops. The exhibit will be open until February 13, 2015.
Regular Museum admission is $5.00 for adults, $3.00 for seniors, students & children (ages 6 and older), and free for members and children under 6. Family maximum admission $13.00. The Museum is open Tuesday - Saturday from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm and Sunday from 12:00 noon - 5:00 pm. The Museum of Early Trades & Crafts is located at 9 Main Street in Madison, NJ just two blocks from the Madison train station. For more information, please call 973-377-2982 x10 or visit www.metc.org.
-----------------------------------
1st and 2nd Sundays through June 2015 - Ocean Township, Monmouth County
The History of Houses and the Things That Make Them Home
The exhibit examines the influences on the design and content of the American home - from the traditions early settlers brought with them, to the availability of materials, to the transforming power of technology. It takes guests on a virtual house tour, revealing room by room how things have changed and how those changes have shaped our lives.
What is home? It's where the heart is and there's no place like it. Beyond shelter, our homes express our tastes, values, and social status. Our neighborhoods abound with homes that illustrate the point, and the new exhibit asks us to see our familiar surroundings in a new light. It reveals the lineage of familiar house styles--colonial, neoclassical, Victorian, and modern, for example. It explains that the colonists of the new world built houses in the style of the old. That the founding fathers, all men of the Enlightenment, adapted the designs of Greeks and Romans whose rationality they admired. That the clutter and ornamentation of the Victorians expressed their fascination with goods made possible by the Industrial Revolution and made available by the railroads. And that twentieth century architects rejected Victorian fussiness in favor of designs that challenged old assumptions and took advantage of new technologies and building techniques.
House design is just the beginning. The exhibit takes us inside, room by room. For all but the rich, our earliest homes were one-room dwellings. The very concept of a single-purpose room (living, dining, bathing, etc.) is relatively new. And even in early multiple-room houses, people moved from room to room more in pursuit of sunlight and warmth than specific activity. In effect, all rooms were "living rooms."
Revolutionary new technologies - indoor plumbing, central heating, and electric light, in particular - made room specialization practical. The bathroom, bedchamber, dining room, library, and parlor emerged as distinct spaces in ways that both reflect and influence life style.
Take the living room (aka parlor, drawing room, sitting room, and salon). It has come full circle. As parlor, it was a room often reserved to receive visitors. In time, it became the place where the family "withdrew" to gather around the piano - later the radio and then television. Today, the "great room" has assumed that role and in many homes, the living room is again a more formal space reserved for entertaining guests.
The exhibit makes that case that every house has a story, every room has a history. "The History of Houses and the Things that Make Them Home" will be up through June 2015. The Township of Ocean Historical Museum is open to the public on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays (1:00 - 4:00 pm), Thursday evenings (7:00 - 9:00 pm) and the first and second Sundays of each month (1:00 - 4:00 pm). The Township of Ocean Historical Museum is located at 703 Deal Road, Ocean, NJ. For more information, please call 732-531-2136 or visit www.oceanmuseum.org.
-----------------------------------
Some event listings courtesy of the League of Historical Societies of New Jersey
.JPG)
+-+Copy.JPG)
Comments
Post a Comment
Thanks for the comments!