Weekend Historical Happenings: 8/23/14 - 8/24/14
WEEKEND HISTORICAL HAPPENINGS
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Saturday, August 23 - Wharton, Morris County
Wharton Canal Day Music & Craft Festival
Children Friendly
Children Friendly
The Wharton Canal Day Music & Craft Festival is an old-time country fair that celebrates the Morris Canal and its contributions to the development of the communities along its banks. The festival is now in its 39th year. Come to a day of free family fun featuring unique craft and fine art items from 150 vendors. Learn about local history by taking a guided Morris Canal walking tour provided by the Canal Society of NJ. Visit a Civil War encampment or learn the art of blacksmithing. Experience life on the canal first-hand on a free boat or kayak ride. Take a hayride on the canal towpath or enjoy a free pony ride. The Wallaby Tales Traveling Zoo will delight children of all ages. Dress up your furry friend and enter the Pet Parade and Costume Contest for a chance to win prizes. View the high energy of Roller Derby competition or lay back and enjoy listening to 10 of New Jersey's best musical performers. The festival is held at Hugh Force Canal Park, 170 West Central Avenue, Wharton NJ from 10:00 am - 5:00 pm, rain or shine. For more information, visit www.canalday.org.
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Saturday, August 23 - Sayreville, Middlesex County
Along the Raritan River Book Signing
The Raritan River is the largest river in New Jersey, flowing from the state’s western mountains for approximately sixteen miles toward the tidewaters of New Brunswick, from which point it widens over fourteen miles before reaching the Raritan Bay. By the end of the 20th century, this estuary, known as the Lower Raritan River, was one of the most polluted in the nation. The very industrialization that brought economic prosperity to the communities along the Lower Raritan River was also the origin of the river’s contamination.
Today, however, the waterway is making a comeback. Along the Raritan River: South Amboy to New Brunswick includes historical maps and photographs to tell the story of this changing cultural landscape and its natural beauty and resources, historic floods, economic enterprise, devastating pollution, and continued renewal and recovery.
Admission to the book signing is free. Copies will be available for purchase. The Sayreville Historical Society Museum is located at 425 Main Street, Sayreville, NJ. For more information and to order copies of the book, visit www.sayrevillehistory.org.
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Saturday, August 23 - Branchburg, Somerset County
Raritan River Cleanup - POSTPONED DUE TO RIVER CONDITIONS
Family Friendly
Family Friendly
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Saturday, August 23 - Ocean Grove, Monmouth County
Ocean Grove Postcard Show
This popular summer event is one of a number of annual fund-raising events to benefit and support the public programs and ongoing research projects of the very active Historical Society of Ocean Grove.
A variety of quality dealers will be set up to provide lots of buying opportunities for the beginning collector or the advanced collector. At this show there is always something for everyone at affordable prices. Postcard collecting is one of America's fastest growing hobbies and is, in fact, the third most popular of all hobbies trailing only stamps and coins. For more information, call 732-774-1869 or visit www.oceangrovehistory.org.
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Saturday, August 23 - Madison, Morris County
Madison's 'Villa Lorraine'
In a rare Saturday in August event, the Madison Historical Society, together with the Villa Lorraine Facebook group, will trace the history of Madison's "Villa Lorraine" estate and the family of Theodore Washington Stemmler. The principal speaker will be Stemmler's great-granddaughter, Lorraine Harper. Following Harper's presentation, Society Trustee Cathie Coultas will describe how the current Summerhill Park was created from the estate and adjoining properties.
The event will take place in the Chase Room of the Madison Public Library beginning at 10:00 am. The program is open to the public and there will be no admission charge. Attendees are also invited to join a 1:30 pm tour of the Villa Lorraine/Summerhill Park property led by Cathie Coultas.
Ms. Harper will present some Villa Lorraine artifacts and many archival photographs from her family's collection as she traces the history of her family at Villa Lorraine. She will also relate some of the comments and recollections that have been shared by other members of the Villa Lorraine Facebook group.
"The Villa Lorraine estate house was built in 1875. During the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries it was the home of international business man and prominent Madison rose-grower Theodore Washington Stemmler. He maintained over 36,000 square feet of greenhouses on the property," stated Society program chairman Jim Malcolm.
"Although Mr. Stemmler came from New York City his wife, Jane (Jennie) Taylor Hunting was deeply connected in Madison for many generations. She was the granddaughter of Lt. Col. Stephen Darby Hunting who owned the Madison House (then called 'Waverly House') and entertained Gen. Lafayette upon his July of 1825 visit in to Bottle Hill," added Harper.
Lorraine Harper was named after her great aunt, Lorraine Stemmler. With a background in history and education, she is an avid researcher and collector of family memorabilia. She has worked both in developing hospice in New York State and in museum education and is currently a Shade Tree Commissioner for the City of Allentown, PA. She encourages everyone to remember the importance of telling family stories. She says that "all families are interesting!"
The Madison Historical Society's role is to assemble, record, and preserve all matters of historical interest concerning Madison and its residents. Formed in 1922 to preserve the old Madison House/Bottle Hill Tavern, the Society has organized a significant collection of historic documents, maps and photographs over the intervening years. These are housed at the Local History Center at the Madison Public Library. For more information, call 973-377-0722, ext 8 or visit www.madisonhistoricalsociety.org.
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The event will take place in the Chase Room of the Madison Public Library beginning at 10:00 am. The program is open to the public and there will be no admission charge. Attendees are also invited to join a 1:30 pm tour of the Villa Lorraine/Summerhill Park property led by Cathie Coultas.
Ms. Harper will present some Villa Lorraine artifacts and many archival photographs from her family's collection as she traces the history of her family at Villa Lorraine. She will also relate some of the comments and recollections that have been shared by other members of the Villa Lorraine Facebook group.
"The Villa Lorraine estate house was built in 1875. During the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries it was the home of international business man and prominent Madison rose-grower Theodore Washington Stemmler. He maintained over 36,000 square feet of greenhouses on the property," stated Society program chairman Jim Malcolm.
"Although Mr. Stemmler came from New York City his wife, Jane (Jennie) Taylor Hunting was deeply connected in Madison for many generations. She was the granddaughter of Lt. Col. Stephen Darby Hunting who owned the Madison House (then called 'Waverly House') and entertained Gen. Lafayette upon his July of 1825 visit in to Bottle Hill," added Harper.
Lorraine Harper was named after her great aunt, Lorraine Stemmler. With a background in history and education, she is an avid researcher and collector of family memorabilia. She has worked both in developing hospice in New York State and in museum education and is currently a Shade Tree Commissioner for the City of Allentown, PA. She encourages everyone to remember the importance of telling family stories. She says that "all families are interesting!"
The Madison Historical Society's role is to assemble, record, and preserve all matters of historical interest concerning Madison and its residents. Formed in 1922 to preserve the old Madison House/Bottle Hill Tavern, the Society has organized a significant collection of historic documents, maps and photographs over the intervening years. These are housed at the Local History Center at the Madison Public Library. For more information, call 973-377-0722, ext 8 or visit www.madisonhistoricalsociety.org.
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Saturday, August 23 - Trenton, Mercer County
Children's Craft Day
Children Friendly
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On Saturday from 12:00 noon - 2:00 pm, the 1719 William Trent House Museum will host a children's craft-making and games day. Make delightful colonial rag dolls, plus sachets using herbs and flowers from the Trent House colonial garden. Experience the wooden toys and games of pre-revolutionary times. Free and open to the public.
Guided tours of the magnificent Trent House will be available following the craft-making. Admission: Adults $5.00, seniors $4.00, and children $4.00. Built in 1719 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Trent House is restored and carefully furnished as it would have been in the early 18th century. It is located at 15 Market Street in Trenton NJ, adjacent to the Hughes Justice Complex. Ample free parking. For more information, call 609-989-0087 or visit www.williamtrenthouse.org.
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During the Great Depression of the 1930s, a group of young men changed Jockey Hollow forever. Join a Ranger on a 2.25 mile round-trip hike on the Yellow Trail to discover how these men transformed Jockey Hollow into what we love today while only earning $30 a month! Meet for the hike at 10:00 am at the Jockey Hollow Visitor Center within Morristown National Historical Park, Morristown, NJ. Cost: Free. For more information, call 973-543-4030 or visit www.nps.gov/morr.
Children Friendly
Guided tours of the magnificent Trent House will be available following the craft-making. Admission: Adults $5.00, seniors $4.00, and children $4.00. Built in 1719 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Trent House is restored and carefully furnished as it would have been in the early 18th century. It is located at 15 Market Street in Trenton NJ, adjacent to the Hughes Justice Complex. Ample free parking. For more information, call 609-989-0087 or visit www.williamtrenthouse.org.
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Saturday, August 23 - Morristown, Morris County
Civilian Conservation Corps. Hike
Children Friendly
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Saturday, August 23 - Chester, Morris County
Sail, Sail Your Boat
Children Friendly Site
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Saturday, August 23 - Morristown, Morris County
America Writes Its History 1650-1850
Children Friendly
Visit Morristown National Historical Park at 1:00 pm on Saturday for a book talk and signing presented by Morristown NHP's Chief of Cultural Resources, Dr. Jude M. Pfister. His new book, America Writes Its History, 1650-1850: The Formation of a National Narrative, is an introduction to the development of history as a written art form and academic discipline during America's most crucial and impressionable period. Dr. Pfister will present an overview of his book, which addresses the subject of writing American history over two crucial centuries, 1650-1850. During that time writers, not yet historians as we think of the term, sought to determine and fashion the guiding narrative of the unfolding American drama as played out against great upheavals in the social, economic, and political realms of colonial and Revolutionary America.
The talk and signing will be held at the park's Washington's Headquarters Museum, 30 Washington Place, Morristown, NJ. Admission to the book talk is free. There is a $4 admission charge for those who wish to go on a tour of Washington's Headquarters at the Ford Mansion. Dr. Pfister's book will be for sale in the museum's gift shop. All proceeds from the sale of the book benefit Morristown National Historical Park and the park's private partner, the Washington Association of New Jersey. For more information, call 973-539-2016 ext. 210 or visit www.nps.gov/morr.
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Saturday, August 23 - Hopewell Township, Mercer County
Fiddlin' on the Farm
Children Friendly
On Saturday, the Hunterdon Folk Exchange will join with the Friends of Howell Living History Farm to present their 27th annual fiddle contest at the farm. The Folk Exchange Fiddle Contest is the largest and longest running traditional fiddle contest in New Jersey, and annually draws some of the best fiddlers from throughout the tri-state region.
Howell Living History Farm, a 19th century farmstead nestled in a lush valley, is the ideal setting for an old time traditional fiddle contest. The farm is maintained by the Mercer County Park Commission using farming practices and technology in existence at the turn of the (last) century. The music of the fiddle finds a natural home here, having been the favorite instrument at rural dances and social gatherings through much of our nation’s early history.
The Friends of Howell Living History Farm is a volunteer organization that exists to support and promote the farm and its programs. The Hunterdon Folk Exchange is a non-profit organization that seeks to promote traditional folk music in the west-central Jersey area.
Fiddlers will be competing for cash prizes. Each fiddler will perform two old-time tunes of varying tempos, and may use up to two accompanists. Also performing at the contest will be the Jugtown Mountain String Band, a traditional old-time acoustic country string band. Admission to the contest and parking are free. The farm opens to the public at 10:00 am, and the contest will begin at 12:00 noon. Carriage rides and lunch fare will be available for sale.
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.com.
Howell Living History Farm, a 19th century farmstead nestled in a lush valley, is the ideal setting for an old time traditional fiddle contest. The farm is maintained by the Mercer County Park Commission using farming practices and technology in existence at the turn of the (last) century. The music of the fiddle finds a natural home here, having been the favorite instrument at rural dances and social gatherings through much of our nation’s early history.
The Friends of Howell Living History Farm is a volunteer organization that exists to support and promote the farm and its programs. The Hunterdon Folk Exchange is a non-profit organization that seeks to promote traditional folk music in the west-central Jersey area.
Fiddlers will be competing for cash prizes. Each fiddler will perform two old-time tunes of varying tempos, and may use up to two accompanists. Also performing at the contest will be the Jugtown Mountain String Band, a traditional old-time acoustic country string band. Admission to the contest and parking are free. The farm opens to the public at 10:00 am, and the contest will begin at 12:00 noon. Carriage rides and lunch fare will be available for sale.
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.com.
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Saturday - Sunday, August 23 - 24 - Cape May, Cape May County
Seafarers’ Weekend
Children Friendly
Valhalla’s Pirates will join the event, bringing thrilling fight scenes both days at 12:00 noon and 3:00 pm. Captain Black and his crew will also meet with guests throughout the day to take pictures and tell tales of the sea. The Sea Dogs, an authentic maritime reenactment crew, will perform sea shanties on both Saturday and Sunday. Other highlights include a display from the Cape May Maritime Museum, antique boats, decoy carving, face painting and more!
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.
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Sunday, August 24 - Chester Township, Morris County
National Milling Day
Children Friendly
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National Milling Day
Children Friendly
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On Sunday at Cooper Gristmill, celebrate the birthday of Oliver Evans, a 1780s inventor, who created the first automatic flour mill, amphibious vehicle, and high-pressure steam engine. As part of National Milling Day, learn about gristmills across the country from 1:00 - 4:00 pm. Cooper Gristmill is located at 66 Route 513 Chester Township, NJ. This program is free. For more information, call 908-879-5463 or visit www.morrisparks.net.
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Sunday, August 24 - Brown's Mills, Burlington County
Whitesbog Village Living History Tour
Children Friendly
Children Friendly
On Sunday at 1:00 pm, learn about Whitesbog’s founder and legendary cranberry grower, Joseph J. White, his daughter and blueberry innovator, Elizabeth C. White, and other residents of Whitesbog from scientists to berry pickers. Docents in period dress will guide you through the fascinating buildings in this unique agricultural village. The tour will last approximately two hours.
Fee: $10 donation/ per person. All proceeds benefit the Whitesbog Preservation Trust in their on-going efforts to restore and protect Historic Whitesbog Village and its surrounding Pinelands. Reservations are requested. Whitesbog Village is located at 120 W. Whites Bogs Road #34, Browns Mills, NJ. For more information and to register, call 609-893-4646, visit www.whitesbog.org, or e-mail whitesbogpreservationtrust@comcast.net.
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Sunday, August 24 - Morris Township, Morris County
Meet the Irish Servant and Cook at the Willows
Children Friendly
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Sunday, August 24 - Mt. Laurel, Burlington County
Women Rock the 19th Amendment at Paulsdale
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Saturdays and Sundays Through October 2014 - Ringwood, Passaic County
Grounds and Garden Tour
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Through Sunday, October 5, 2014 - Paterson, Passaic County
The History of the Silk City Diner Company of Paterson Exhibit
On exhibit through Sunday October 5, 2014 in Lambert Castle, home of the Passaic County Historical Society, view "Pancakes, Patties, and Pies...the History of the Silk City Diner Company of Paterson." The humble origin of American diners can be traced back to 1872. Since then, diners have evolved to become an iconic representation of the American lifestyle. This type of dining, with its comfort foods, distinct architecture, and unique aesthetics has captivated the appetites and imaginations of generations. In this exhibit, learn how the Paterson Vehicle Company contributed to this phenomenon with their Silk City Diners. Exhibit co-curated by Clifton native and author Michael Gabriele. Visitors can access the exhibition during regular museum hours (Wednesday-Sunday). General museum admissions apply.
Admission: Adults $5.00, Senior Citizens (65+) $4.00, Children ages 5-17 $3.00, and children under age 5 and members of the Historical Society are free. Lambert Castle is located at 3 Valley Road, Paterson, NJ. For more information, call 973-247-0085 or visit www.lambertcastle.org.
Admission: Adults $5.00, Senior Citizens (65+) $4.00, Children ages 5-17 $3.00, and children under age 5 and members of the Historical Society are free. Lambert Castle is located at 3 Valley Road, Paterson, NJ. For more information, call 973-247-0085 or visit www.lambertcastle.org.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Some event listings courtesy of the League of Historical Societies of New Jersey
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