Weekend Historical Happenings: 10/11/14 - 10/12/14

WEEKEND HISTORICAL HAPPENINGS

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Friday - Saturday, October 10 - 11 - Farmingdale, Monmouth County

The Chilling Re-Telling of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow"

Allaire Village is presenting a dramatic rendition of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow"written by Washington Irving and performed by Neill Hartley. The performance takes place in the Allaire Village Chapel on Friday and Saturday, at 7:30 pm.

In an exciting performance, Neill Hartley, brings to life the tale of the Headless Horseman, within the candle-lit Allaire Village Chapel. You will be transported back to a time before television, radio, CDs, and electricity. The seating is limited to 100 for each performance, so advanced purchase is recommended. Only ticket-holders will be admitted to the performances. Ticket cost is $15 per person. To purchase tickets or for information, call 732-919-3500 and have your credit card ready. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.allairevillage.org/tickets.

The Historic Village at Allaire is located in Allaire State Park, 4265 Atlantic Avenue, Farmingdale, NJ. For more information, contact the Allaire Village office during business hours, Monday through Friday, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm, at 732-919-3500 or visit www.allairevillage.org.

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Saturday, October 11 - Hopewell Township, Mercer County

Corn Harvest

Children Friendly

A classic scene from America's past will be recreated at Howell Living History Farm when the fields of ripening corn are cut and shocked against a landscape of early fall colors.

Visitors can join in the work and fun from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm, helping farmers harvest corn in the fields, shell and grind corn, and taste cornbread.

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, October 11 - Little Egg Harbor, Ocean County

Jersey Devil and Beyond

On Saturday, the Tuckerton Historical Society presents "Jersey Devil and Beyond" presented by historian Mark Demitroff. He will shares tales of local folklore and legend surrounding the Pines. This presentation will be held from 2:00 - 4:00 pm at the Giffordtown Schoolhouse Museum, 35 Leitz Blvd., Little Egg Harbor, NJ. For more information, call 609-294-1547.

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Saturday, October 11 - Morris Township, Morris County

Maid's Eye View at the Willows

Children Friendly

On this hands-on guided tour, discover the life of the domestic help at the Foster home, known as The Willows at Fosterfields Living Historical Farm. Assist with some house-hold chores. Program runs from 11:00 am - 12:00 noon. 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, call 973-326-7645 or visit www.morrisparks.net.

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Saturday, October 11 - Manalapan, Monmouth County

Archives and History Day

Join over fifty history organizations who will have exhibit tables for this annual event at the Monmouth County Library Headquarters in Manalapan that began in 1996. Stop by on Saturday and learn about New Jersey's fascinating history and the interesting work and programs offered. The day will include a keynote address by historian Joseph W. Becton who will present a talk on “Music of the Civil War Era”, the Monmouth County History Forum, tours of the Monmouth County Archives, a history Game with many free prizes, and award presentations.

This event is free to attend. The Monmouth County Library Headquarters is located at 125 Symmes Road, Manalapan, NJ. For a program of events on Saturday, visit http://co.monmouth.nj.us/page.aspx?Id=4362.

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Saturday, October 11 - Mount Laurel, Burlington County

Tour Paulsdale and Book Talk
Children Friendly

Paulsdale is open to the public for Second Saturday Tours at 12:00 noon and 1:00 pm. Paulsdale is the birthplace of Quaker suffragist Alice Paul. Tours include a 15-minute presentation about Alice Paul's life and work and a guided tour of the first floor of the property where visitors learn about the Paul family's daily life in the house and its present day use as a girl's leadership center. Tours are $5.00.

From 2:00 - 4:00 pm, Penny Colman, author of Corpses, Coffins and Crypts: A History of Burial will discuss her book. Admission to the talk is $5.00 and included free with all tours on Saturday.

Paulsdale is located at 128 Hooton Road, Mt. Laurel. For information about group tours or future tour dates, contact the Alice Paul Institute at 856-231-1885, e-mail info@alicepaul.org, or visit www.alicepaul.org.

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Saturday, October 11 - Trenton, Mercer County

Art and Artifact Adoption Party II

On Saturday from 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm, the Trenton Museum Society is hosting its second "Art and Artifact Adoption Party" at the Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie in Cadwalader Park, Trenton, NJ. The $15 entrance fee charged at the door includes a wine and cheese reception as well as the opportunity to meet with board members who can  answer questions about the art and artifacts on display in the museum.

Attendees can view items such as books, directories, furniture, paintings, and maps in the Society's collection that need repair or restoration and "adopt" them by making a donation. These artifacts are rarely displayed in the museum due to their delicate condition. This year several monumental paintings depicting the John A. Roebling & Sons Company in its hey-day will be available for adoption.

The first Adoption Party, held in 2012, was very successful in raising funds to conserve and restore items in the Trenton Museum Society's collection. The Trustees of the Society are looking forward to reproducing that success. Donations start at $50. By donating money towards a partial or the full restoration of a piece of art or an artifact in the collection, attendees are helping to put more items back on display and preserve the permanent collection. A donation forever links the donor to the preservation of the history of Trenton and the museum. To download a copy of the catalog with items available for adoption, click http://ellarslie.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/AA-Catalogpageorder.pdf. For more information, call 609-989-1191 or visit www.ellarslie.org.

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Saturday, October 11 - Morristown, Morris County

Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author speaks at Washington's Headquarters Museum

On Saturday afternoon at 2:00 pm, Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author Edward J. Larson will speak about the crucial, yet often overlooked period in George Washington's equally distinguished career and life, when Washington retired from the army to lead a quieter life at Mount Vernon in 1783. In The Return of George Washington: 1783-1789, Larson reveals how Washington "saved" the United States by coming out of retirement to not only lead the Constitutional Convention, but to also serve as America's first president. A book signing will follow the talk at 3:00pm.

The discussion will be held at the Washington's Headquarters Museum, within Morristown National Historical Park. Cost: Free. For more information, call 973-539-2016 or visit www.nps.gov/morr.

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Saturday, October 11 - West Orange, Essex County

Leaving a Legacy

Children Friendly

Thomas Edison is best known for the phonograph, light bulb, and motion pictures, but his legacy is much more. Join a ranger to explore Thomas Edison's West Orange laboratory complex and discover the many things that make up Edison's legacy. As part of the program you will make a hand print to leave behind as part of your legacy, just as Edison did.  

The program runs from 10:00 - 11:00 am and is included with regular admission. Tickets must be purchased at the Thomas Edison National Historical Park Laboratory Complex Visitor Center at 211 Main Street, West Orange, NJ. Admission is $7.00, and includes the Glenmont Estate and the Laboratory Complex. Children under age 16 are free. For more information, call 973-736-0550 x11 or visit www.nps.gov/edis.

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Saturday, October 11 - Chester, Morris County

Celebrate Apples!

Children Friendly

On Saturday, have fun with hands-on cider pressing as it was done in 1880s Milltown/Chester at the Cooper Gristmill. Use a hand-cranked apple peeler, decorate an apple, and see a display of apple head dolls. Cost: FREE but donations are welcome. The Cooper Gristmill is located at 66 Route 513, Chester, NJ. For more information, call 908-879-5463 or visit www.morrisparks.net.

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Saturday, October 11 - Morristown, Morris County

The Trial of the (19th) Century:  The Story of Antoine LeBlanc"

On Saturday starting at 10:00 am, learn all about Morristown's most famous murder trial as you sit in the actual courtroom where Antoine LeBlanc was tried in 1833 for the murder of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Sayre and their servant Phoebe. The triple murder trial shocked the entire state and resulted in LeBlanc's execution by hanging on the Morristown Green. The story is told by the Honorable Kenneth C. MacKenzie, retired Judge of the Superior Court of New Jersey, historian, and member of the Board of Trustees of Historic Speedwell. He will share his legal insights into one of Morris County's most notorious trials. The program will be held at the Morris County Tourism Bureau, 6 Court Street, Morristown, NJ. Reservations and pre-payment are a must. For more information, call 973-631-5151 or www.morristourism.org/tours.

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Saturday, October 11 - Byram Township, Sussex County

Waterloo Canal Heritage Day

Children Friendly

Come visit Waterloo Village between 10:00 am and 5:00 pm for a day in this historic Morris Canal town. Enjoy boat rides on the Morris Canal, Smith's Store - a furnished canal-era store with hands-on activities, blacksmithing, see the operating grist mill, guided tours of 1859 Methodist Church, the Canal Museum - with exhibits and videos, and guided walking tours of the village. Admission is free. Waterloo Village is located at 525 Waterloo Road, Byram, NJ. For more information, call 973-292-2755 or visit www.canalsocietynj.org.

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Saturday, October 11 - Browns Mills, Burlington County

Whitesbog Moonlight Walk

Whitesbog Preservation Trust (WPT) will host a moonlight walk at Historic Whitesbog on Saturday from 7:00 - 9:00 pm. By the soft glow of moonlight, walk through the dark, mysterious pines, along white sugar sand roads, to the shimmering cranberry bogs. The air will be alive with birdsong. The leader will offer stories of the people who built Whitesbog, the local "Piney" folk, and the more recent American immigrants, all of whom worked here to make it one of the most successful agricultural enterprises in New Jersey. The Moonlight Walks were featured as one of the "Best of South Jersey" attractions by SJ Magazine, and have been referred to as "almost magical" in the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The walk is weather permitting. $5 donation per person. Whitesbog Village is located at 120 North Whites Bogs Road, Browns Mills, NJ. For more information, call 609-893-4646 or visit www.whitesbog.org.

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Saturday, October 11 - Trenton, Mercer County

18th Century Science at The Old Barracks Museum

Children Friendly

Join The Old Barracks Museum for "Keeping Current: Electricity and Other Marvels in 18th Century Science," a day of exploring science! Come learn how to fly a model of the 18th century Montgolfier hot air balloon, watch recreations of Henry Cavendish and Joseph Priestley's early gas experiments, and partake in early field surveying and field engineering! We are also delighted to once again be able to host Mr. Michael Kochan as Dr. Benjamin Franklin, who will lead participatory experiments, including demonstrations of a scale model of the first ever submarine! You will also be treated to 18th century medical presentations, as well as open house tours of the museum throughout the day. This hands-on event will make for a delightful and educational family outing you will not want to miss!

The event will be held on Saturday from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm, at the Old Barracks Museum. The Old Barracks Museum is located at 101 Barrack Street, Trenton, NJ. Parking the day of the event is free in the small lot directly next to the museum. Admission: $12 adults, $10 seniors/students, $4 members, and free for active military personnel and children under 6 years old. For more information, call 609- 396-1776 or visit www.barracks.org.

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Saturday, October 11 - Roebling, Burlington County

History in Your Own Backyard

Children Friendly

The Roebling Museum is launching a new series of family programming  on Saturday from 12:00 noon - 1:30 p.m. "History in Your Own Backyard" is a series of programs and activities created specifically for families with children ages 4 - 15. Attendees will explore the early days of family, home, community and work life in the Village of Roebling, and share memories and photos by creating their own "Then & Now Family Album," and bridging the past with present-day life.

"History in Your Own Backyard" is a chance to get to know the Roebling legacy through photos, first-hand stories, and family-friendly activities. Families of up to four people only $12. Workshop, materials, and museum admission included. Space is limited. The Roebling Museum is located at 100 Second Avenue, Roebling, NJ. Parking is available at the back of the museum just off Hornberger Avenue. To register and for more information, call 609-499-7200 or visit www.roeblingmuseum.org.

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Saturday - Sunday, October 11 - 12 - Morris County

The Pathways of History

Children Friendly

The Pathways of History Weekend Tour on Saturday and Sunday offers an admission-free opportunity to visit 20 northern Morris County landmark sites. Pathways began in 2010 when five neighboring museums established the event to entice visitors to their historic properties. In 2014, the group has grown to include 18 historic groups in Boonton, Boonton Township, Denville, Dover, Jefferson Township, Kinnelon, Lake Hopatcong, Mine Hill, Montville Township, Mount Olive, Mount Tabor, Parsippany, Pequannock Township, Randolph, Rockaway Township, Roxbury Township and Washington Township. The properties are all independently operated, but for the Pathways Weekend Tour on Saturday from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm and on Sunday from 12:00 noon - 4:00 pm, all sites will open their doors in simultaneous welcome.

There is something for everyone to experience and enjoy on this family-friendly tour. Whatever your interest - it’s certain to be covered by this notable assemblage of small, volunteer-run historic groups. Some highlights of themes and subjects include: New Jersey’s original inhabitants, the Lenape people; Morris County’s pivotal role in the American Revolution; iron mines and forges during the American Revolution and in the years following; and the continued commemoration of the Civil War Sesquicentennial. Exhibits document how the Morris Canal, railways, industry, mining, commerce and agriculture have influenced and shaped the Pathways communities through the years. The museum buildings themselves, many listed on the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places, present an outstanding collection of architectural periods and styles. Venerable 18th century homes offer examples of Dutch Stone, Georgian and Saltbox construction. Designs of the 19th century are represented in buildings of varied uses and sizes including a Folk Victorian Camp Meeting Cottage, a Second Empire Victorian, an 1890’s Colonial Revival, a diminutive two-family iron miner’s dwelling included on the New Jersey Women’s Heritage Trail, schoolhouses, a railway station, a Morris Canal lock tender’s house, a general store, a church and several wonderful examples of vernacular farmhouses. 

If your own community museum or heritage site is part of the Pathways group you might begin your tour there; perhaps a specific property you’ve always wanted to visit would make the perfect starting point. During the event a brochure and map will be available at each venue to guide you to your next history stop of choice. Visit one, two, five, ten, or more! Helpful “Tours Within the Tour” have been suggested to assist in planning your route. Whatever Pathways you choose will lead you to a warm welcome and an enlightening historical journey. At sites along the way, you will see docents in period costume demonstrating crafts such as spinning, weaving and hearth cooking. Music and light refreshments are featured at some venues for your added enjoyment. Various locations will include special activities for children. Many of the museums have wonderful shops offering a selection of books, gifts, and souvenirs.

For more information, a full list of participating sites, and directions, call 973-316-0976 or visit www.pathwaysofhistorynj.com.

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Saturday - Sunday, October 11 - 12 - Boonton, Morris County

Boonton Historical Society

Children Friendly

Victorian elegance and the magic of puppetry will be featured when the Boonton Historical Society joins the Pathways of History historic places tour on Saturday and Sunday. At the museum at 210 Main Street (the Dr. John Taylor House) in Boonton, the exhibit room has been transformed into Mrs. Taylor's parlor with Victorian furniture, artifacts and pictures of the era. In addition, the museum gift shops abound with gift items, books, postcards and Boontonware.

At the Miller Kingsland House, 445 Vreeland Avenue, marionettes rule. The Kingsland Marionettes were famous in their heyday beginning in the 1930s. The marionettes were owned, created, and operated by Mabel Kingsland Head and her husband Cedric Head. Mabel was the last of the Kingslands to live in Boonton's oldest recorded home, the  circa 1740 Miller Kingsland House.

As well as a display of marionettes from different eras, story boards tell the story of the Kingsland Marionettes, billed as "The World's Greatest Traveling Marionette Show," and the world of puppetry. Antique and modern marionettes help tell the story as we discover another little known piece of Boonton history.

Cedric Head had an outstanding collection of marionettes from all over the world, many of them rare or museum pieces. He was immensely proud of his collection which he housed in a large barn on the Kingsland farm property. In addition to the exhibit, marionette shows will be performed by Penny Rapicano with the Fun On A String marionettes at 2:00 pm on both Saturday and Sunday. For more information, visit www.boonton.org.

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Saturday - Sunday, October 11 - 12 - Somerset County
Somerset County Weekend Journey Through the Past

Children Friendly

Somerset County's ninth annual Weekend Journey through the Past, a collaborative heritage tourism program, will showcase 26 significant historic sites countywide that will be open to the public free of charge on Saturday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and Sunday from 12:00 noon to 4:00 pm. There will be a wide range of tours and activities to provide an enjoyable free weekend outing for the entire family.

This  annual event, initiated and widely promoted by the Somerset County Cultural & Heritage Commission in cooperation with the county Board of Freeholders, brings the past to life through the dedicated efforts of the many participating historical societies and organizations, municipal historic commissions and their enthusiastic and knowledgeable volunteers.

Through the enthusiastic involvement, collaborative partnerships and support of Somerset County's many historic societies and commissions, the event features many special activities, including a contest for prizes; interpreted tours led by costumed docents; special collections and exhibitions; period military drills and encampment with living  history reenactors; open-hearth cooking; colonial tavern life; traditional blacksmithing; 19th-century firefighting wagons and apparatus and much more.

There also will be antiques sales; arts and crafts; live period music performances and participatory colonial dance instruction; a scheduled theatrical performance; guidance on genealogical resources; daily chores of 18th century life; military history; demonstrations; local history videos; antique cameras, music boxes and unique musical instrument collections; participatory activities; interesting architecture; access to some sites not generally open to the public.

For comprehensive details, participating historic sites featured this year (including three new, first-time participating sites), information about how to qualify to win one of many pre-paid gasoline gift cards and advance information about the new "What in the World is That" kids/family detective investigation activity, call 908-231-7110 or visit www.SCHistoryWeekend.com.

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Saturday - Sunday, October 11 - 12 - Bound Brook, Somerset County

Old Presbyterian Graveyard Tours

Children Friendly

The Old Presbyterian Graveyard in Bound Brook is the final resting place of Bound Brook’s earliest citizens, as well as many Revolutionary War soldiers, veterans of the Mexican War, and the Civil War.

Come and learn about this hallowed ground on Saturday from 10:00 am - 5:00 pm and on Sunday from 12:00 noon - 4:00 pm. See the impressive artwork on memorial stones. Learn the meaning behind the inscriptions and epitaphs. Glimpse into the hearts and minds of Bound Brook’s earliest citizens.

Bound Brook Memorial Library Reference Librarian Mary Nelson will provide guided tours of the graveyard. The tours will feature the intact gravestones of fifteen Revolutionary War soldiers and the gravesite of Dr. William McKissack, a captain in the Revolutionary War and a founder of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons for the State of New Jersey.

The Old Presbyterian Graveyard is located on the corner of East Street & East High Street, adjacent to Bound Brook Library, Bound Brook, NJ.

This event is part of Somerset County Cultural and Heritage Commission’s Weekend Journey Through the Past. It is free and open to the public. For more information, call 732-356-0043.

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Saturday - Sunday, October 11 - 12 - Sussex County

Sussex County Heritage Tour

Children Friendly

On Saturday and Sunday, historical museums and heritage organizations throughout Sussex County will join with the Sussex County Arts and Heritage Council for a Heritage weekend. It is a wonderful opportunity to explore the history and uniqueness of Sussex County. Several participating organizations will be open including the Byram Historical/Roseville Schoolhouse Museum, DAR Elias Van Bunschooten Museum, Franklin Mineral Museum, Franklin Historical/Heritage Museum, High Point Monument State Park, Ogdensburg Historical Schoolhouse and Firehouse Museum, Peter's Valley Craft Center, Space Farms Museum, Sterling Hill Mining Museum, Stillwater Historical Museum, Sussex County Harvest and Honey Festival, Sussex County Arts and Heritage Council, Sussex County Historical Society, Vernon Historical Price's Switch Schoolhouse, Walpack Historical Van Campen Inn, Waterloo Village Heritage Day. The societies do not charge admission - but appreciate donations.

The Sussex County Arts and Heritage Council is located at 133 Spring Street, Newton, NJ. For additional information and an updated schedule of corresponding events call 973-383-0027 or visit www.scahc.org. 

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Saturday - Sunday, October 11 - 12 - Morristown, Morris County

International Steampunk City at Speedwell

Steampunk is a whimsical genre based around the Age of Steam. Steam City is a little like a Renaissance Faire, only focused on a 19th-century world of mad science and madcap adventure. All are welcome! Come dressed any way you’d like – and you don’t need to know anything special or be part of any group or organization. Come out, bring your family, have some fun, meet nice people, and support a fantastic cause!

Tickets are available in advance at http://jme.ticketleap.com/iscs14 - save money and time by buying your tickets in advance. They'll be waiting for you at the door! The event is open from 12:00 noon - 5:00 pm Saturday and Sunday and held rain or shine.

The event benefits its location - Historic Speedwell - the birthplace of the telegraph! 

Entertainment by Unwoman; the most danceable tupperware band in the world, AHaloCalledFred; Psyche Corporation; the Looking Glass Revue, a Burlesque and Comedy Troupe; and more!

The professional historians and keepers of Speedwell will be speaking and giving demonstrations, including:

· What is Steampunk?
· Public Sanitation in the Victorian Period
· Vampirism in Early Modern London
· Learn about the telegraph - at its birthplace!
· The Strange Fate of Antoine LeBlanc

The International Steampunk City is a concept developed and created by Jeff Mach. It is a blueprint for creating a charity benefit to help museums and historic buildings gain visibility, funding, and enthusiastic visitors, as well as bringing tourism and good times to a historic town!

Steam City at Speedwell is an interactive festival in the park, on a beautiful autumn weekend, when people can come out and have a good time. Feel free to dress however you’d like, bring family and friends, and get ready for a great time! Historic Speedwell is located at 333 Speedwell Avenue, Morristown, NJ. For more information, visit www.internationalsteampunkcity.com.

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Sunday, October 12 - Montclair, Essex County

Historic House Tours

Family Friendly

On Sunday, visit the 1796 Israel Crane House and Nathaniel Crane Houses and discover life 200 years ago in early Montclair (108 Orange Road), then make your way over to the 1896 Charles Shultz House (Evergreens, 30 North Mountain Avenue) and see this time capsule for the turn of the century. The Crane House is newly reinterpreted to reflect the YWCA period from 1920-1965. At the Charles Schultz House, celebrate the ghosts and goblins that come with Halloween, as docents will conduct special ghost tours, complete with real-life spine-tinglers.

Both sites are open from 1:00 - 4:00 pm. Admission: $8 per adult and $5 per child for both properties with same day admission. Or come as a family (1 or 2 adults with up to 3 children) for $25. Free admission for members! For more information, call 973-744-1796, e-mail mail@montclairhistorical.org, or visit www.montclairhistorical.org.

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Sunday, October 12 - Holmdel, Monmouth County
Blacksmithing Demonstration
Children Friendly

On Sunday, visit Historic Longstreet Farm in Holmdel to take a step back in time to watch blacksmiths perform their craft. They will be shaping iron into everyday products. Blacksmiths were as common as an auto mechanic in towns and on farms of the 1890s. This free event runs from 1:00 - 3:00 pm. Historic Longstreet Farm is located at 44 Longstreet Road, Holmdel, NJ. For more information, call 732-946-3758 or visit  www.monmouthcountyparks.com.

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Sunday, October 12 - Bedminster, Somerset County
Meet John & Abigail Adams

On Sunday, visitors to the Jacobus Vanderveer House will be transported back to year 1790 as re-enactors portraying John and Abigail Adams recount major events in their lives during the birth of our nation. John and Abigail Adams were active in American politics for most of their married lives. Their four children grew up during the Revolution and were beginning careers and families of their own. The Adams wanted their nation to remain independent and their children to hold responsible places in its future. Their spirited dialogue will offer unique insight into the couple’s keen minds and loving bond. John Adams will be played by Peyton Dixon and Abigail Adams by Kim Hanley, actors affiliated with the American Historical Theatre in Philadelphia.

Admission to the presentation is free, but space is limited. To reserve a seat in advance, visit: http://jvanderveerhouse.givezooks.com/events/a-visit-with-john-and-abigail-adams or call 908-396-6053.


The Jacobus Vanderveer House will also be open for tours on Saturday from 10:00 am - 5:00 pm and Sunday from 12:00 noon - 4:00 pm during Somerset County’s 9th Annual Weekend Journey Through the Past. Tours are free. The Jacobus Vanderveer House is located at 3055 River Road (in Bedminster’s River Road Park), Bedminster, NJ. For more information, visit www.jvanderveerhouse.org.

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Sunday, October 12 - Farmingdale, Monmouth County

All Hallows' Eve

Children Friendly

Stop by the Historic Village at Allaire on Sunday for their 19th Century All Hallows' Eve Celebration! The Village will be open from 12:00 noon - 4:00 pm. Admission is $5 per person and those under 6 are free. Free pumpkins (limited quantity for first come first serve). There will be a costume parade with prizes for children under age 12. Face Painting and village activities for children of all ages!

Other events include:
• Cider pressing at Manager’s House 
• Children’s games and town ball at Gardner’s Cottage 
• Cooking in Manager’s House
• Storytelling in Carriage House
• Pumpkin painting at Carriage House (limited quantity, first come first serve)
• Arts and crafts across from Carriage House
• Face painting/balloon art/glitter tattoos next to General Store

Allaire Village, Incorporated is licensed by the State of New Jersey to operate the 40-acre, Historic Village at Allaire, the site of James P. Allaire's Howell Iron Works Company in the 1830s. Allaire Village, Inc. receives no state funding towards the educational programming presented throughout the year, but is strongly supported through private donations, membership fees, fund-raising events, and patronage of their retail stores. 

The Historic Village at Allaire is located in Allaire State Park, 4265 Atlantic Avenue, Farmingdale, NJ. For more information, contact the Allaire Village office during business hours, Monday through Friday, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm, at 732-919-3500 or visit www.allairevillage.org.

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Saturdays and Sundays Through October 2014 - Ringwood, Passaic County

Grounds and Garden Tour

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 and 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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Through Sunday, October 12, 2014 - Trenton, Mercer County

"Before There Was Trenton" Exhibit - LAST WEEKEND

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 - Plainfield, Union County

The Charles H. Detwiller, Jr. Architectural Drawings Collection, 1887-2002

The Plainfield Public Library announces a new exhibition in honor of New Jersey's 350th anniversary celebration. The library is displaying never-before seen examples from its collection of historical blueprints that date back to 1887. The 70-piece exhibit consists of wall exhibits and display cases on both levels of the library. The featured blueprints represent thirty-five different sets of drawings by 24 architects. The oldest drawing on exhibit is of the Plainfield Golf Club dating from 1896.

The Charles H. Detwiller, Jr. Architectural Drawings Collection contains over 16,000 sets of drawings, documenting over a century of residential and commercial architecture in the greater Plainfield area. This collection of blueprints that document the growth of a suburban community is unique in the United States.

Over 500 architects are represented, including African-American architect George Ernest Robinson, who was a nationally known architect in firehouse design. Plainfield's Fire Headquarters building, designed by him in 1925, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Preservation of the aging documents began by the library in 1998. The processing of the collection is still ongoing. The cost of microfilming, digitization, and cataloging is entirely supported through grant funding and volunteer assistance. Major funders include The Institute for Museum and Library Services; The New Jersey Historical Commission, a division of the Department of State; the Plainfield Foundation; and the Friends of the Plainfield Public Library.

The exhibition will run through October 2014 and is free to the public. The Plainfield Public Library is located at 800 Park Avenue, Plainfield, NJ. For more information, call 908-757-1111 or visit www.plainfieldlibrary.info.

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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 November 2014 - Ocean Township, Monmouth County

New Exhibit - The Story of the Morro Castle

Children Friendly

On Saturday, September 8, 1934, the burning hulk of the disabled luxury liner Morro Castle broke free of its towline and drifted dangerously near Convention Hall to run aground just yards off the Asbury Park beachfront.  The tragedy (at the time the worst in U.S. merchant marine history) made national headlines. It turned local lifesavers into heroes and Asbury into a sightseeing mecca for the next six months.

Eighty years later, the Township of Ocean Historical Museum, located in the Eden Woolley House at the Ocean Township Library complex on Deal Road, opens a mini-exhibit remembering  the Morro Castle.  The highlight of the September 7 opening is a dramatization of a radio interview with fictional Morro Castle survivor Ellen Van Brunt. Imagining a WCAP ("City of Asbury Park") broadcast from Convention Hall, the performance, scheduled for 1:30 pm and repeated at 3:00 pm, brings events to life.

Visit the Eden Woolley House through November to learn the full story of this tragedy. The exhibit will be up through the end of November.

The Township of Ocean Historical Museum is located in the Eden Woolley House, one of the few 18th century structures still in existence in Ocean Township and 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 pm - 4:00 pm). The Museum is located at 703 Deal Road, Ocean, NJ. For more information, call 732-531-2136 or visit www.oceanmuseum.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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Sundays through January 25, 2015 - Trenton, Mercer County

Form, Function and Fine: Two Hundred Years of American Ceramics

From teacups to chamber sets, New Jersey to California, the Cranbury Historical and Preservation Society presents a new exhibit, providing a sample of American ceramics from the 19th and 20th century. Redware, yellowware, spongeware, and salt glazed crocks will be displayed along with early Lenox and Trenton pottery. Roseville, Stangl, Pfaltzgraff and Homer Laughlin pieces are some of the other American ceramics featured. The exhibit will continue through January 25, 2015. Come to the table and join us on a Sunday afternoon from 1:00 - 4:00 pm to view this exhibit! The Cranbury Museum is located at 4 Park Place East, Cranbury, NJ. For more information, call 609-409-1289 or visit www.cranburyhistory.org.

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Saturdays through December 31, 2014 - Freehold, Monmouth County
Farm: Agriculture in Monmouth County 1600 - 2013 

Monmouth County Historical Association's newest exhibition, "Farm: Agriculture in Monmouth County 1600-2013," is open to the public at the museum in Freehold and will be on display through December 31, 2014. The history of agriculture and farming in Monmouth County has long roots deep in the past, as does New Jersey itself, from earliest days of pre-European settlement, when Lenape Indians harvested corn, squash, and beans to the modern reintroduction  of organic agricultural practices.

Monmouth County Historical Association's exhibition, "Farm: Agriculture in Monmouth County 1660 - 2013," explores and celebrates Monmouth County's vibrant agricultural past, present, and future. The exhibit examines the means by which Monmouth men and women worked with their surroundings to feed themselves, their families, the community, and the rest of America as well. Through artifacts, diaries, letters, maps, paintings, prints, and photographs, Farm will bring Monmouth's rich agricultural history alive. Visitors will appreciate the innovation and diversity of Monmouth farmers, horticulturalists, gardeners, and livestock breeders who overcame challenges and secured the county's reputation as a source of high-quality produce and livestock for more than two hundred years.

The Monmouth County Historical Association's museum is located at 70 Court Street, Freehold NJ. Regular admission to the museum is $5 and $2.50 for students and seniors. Admission is free for members. Museum hours are Tuesday - Saturday, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm. For more information, call 732-462-1466 or visit www.monmouthhistory.org.     

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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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Through March 29, 2015 - Princeton, Mercer County

Hail Specimen of Female Art! New Jersey Schoolgirl Needlework, 1726-1860

This landmark exhibition will be the first to focus on the important contribution of New Jersey in the creation of schoolgirl needlework in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. With over 150 works on view, this exhibition will undertake the first survey of schoolgirl needlework completed in the state or by New Jersey girls prior to 1860. This exhibition and accompanying catalogue will create a lasting record of the best known examples. As part of the museum’s mission to showcase the cultural heritage of the Garden State, the curators will bring new light to the needlework done in New Jersey during this important period of American history.

Organized geographically, the exhibition will feature works from every region of the state. Although many elaborate and important examples of New Jersey needlework will be featured in the exhibition, the curators have also included more modest examples that highlight other aspects of the educational environment, social class and familial situation experienced by young girls in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. In some cases, the exhibit will reunite, for the first time, needlework created by the same girl; sisters; cousins; schoolmates and other close relations.

The exhibition will feature loans from across the country including needlework completed in every New Jersey County (accounting for the numerous re-organizations of New Jersey counties in the nineteenth century). In presenting examples from every part of the state, the exhibition will distill the educational environment that existed in New Jersey from Cape May to Sussex. The exhibition will also compile an accurate picture of girls academies and the instructresses who taught at them.

The exhibition will occupy 1,709 square feet in five galleries within the second floor of the Morven mansion. This exhibition also coincides with the 350th anniversary of New Jersey and extensive state-wide celebration and programming.

The title of the exhibition is borrowed from a needlework stitched by Trenton-born Anne Rickey (1783-1846) “Hail Specimen of Female Art” was stitched onto her sampler in 1798. Anne Rickey was the daughter of Quaker merchant, John Rickey (1751-1829) and his wife Amey Olden (1757-1849).

Morven Museum and Garden is located at 55 Stockton Street, Princeton, NJ. For more information, call 609-924-8144 or visit www.morven.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

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.

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Through June 2015 - Morristown, Monmouth County

The Civil War through the Eyes of Thomas Nast

Before radio, TV, or the Internet, there was political cartoonist Thomas Nast. Nast illustrated battles, Union and Confederate troop movements, and their activities throughout the Civil War. He also captured the poignancy of those back home, who worried about their family members in combat. Nast covered both the home and battle fronts; his work was the main source of information about the war for many people. His illustrations in publications like "Harper's Weekly" brought the information about what was happening into the homes of the American public, the way mass media does today. Like all media agents, he not only depicted what was happening by reporting on the events taking place, but also created propaganda by trying to stir emotions and support for the Union side. Mounted to commemorate the final year of the Civil War Sesquicentennial (2011-2015), this second floor exhibit will include a number of these stirring images. "The Civil War through the Eyes of Thomas Nast" opens September 7, 2014­ and will be on exhibit through 2015.

Thomas Nast (1840-1902) is one of the most recognized names in the world of political cartoons.  Often called the father of American political cartooning, Nast's images remain popular today.  His well-known depictions of the Democratic donkey and Republican elephant, conceived more than 100 years ago, continue to represent both parties.  Uncle Sam and Columbia, two of his favorite figures to draw, are still recognized as symbols for the United States of America.  His spirit lives on through his iconic representations of Santa Claus. The classic images which Nast popularized of the jolly old elf still appear on a variety of surfaces each year during the holiday season, and Nast's Civil War images of battlefront and home front were powerful tools for bringing the war into people's homes.

Macculloch Hall Historical Museum preserves the history of the Macculloch-Miller families, the Morris area community, and the legacy of its founder W. Parsons Todd through its historic site, collections, exhibits, and educational and cultural programs. The Museum is open for house and exhibit tours on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays from 1:00 - 4:00 pm. The last tour leaves at 3:00 pm. Adults $8; Seniors & Students $6; Children 6 - 12 $4. Members and children under 5 are free. Macculloch Hall Historical Museum, 45 Macculloch Ave., Morristown, NJ. For more information, call 973-538-2404 ext. 10 or visit www.maccullochhall.org.

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Some event listings courtesy of the League of Historical Societies of New Jersey