NJ Memorial Day Weekend Historical Happenings: 5/23/15 - 5/25/15

NJ WEEKEND HISTORICAL HAPPENINGS

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Saturday, May 23 - Westfield, Union County

Aunt Carrie's Attic Sale

Children Friendly

Housewares, books, furniture, linens, toys, and more will be available for sale at the Miller Cory House Museum's annual "Aunt Carrie's Attic Sale" on museum grounds (rain or shine). The sale is scheduled for Saturday from 9:00 am - 2:00 pm. All proceeds benefit the museum. No early birds please.

The Miller-Cory House Museum is located at 614 Mountain Avenue in Westfield. For more information, call 908-232-1776 or visit www.millercoryhouse.org.

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Saturday, May 23 - Ocean Grove, Monmouth County

Memorial Day Weekend Auction

The Historical Society of Ocean Grove continues its 2015 season of Special Fundraising Events with the popular Memorial Day Weekend Auction on Saturday at the Young People's Temple in Ocean Grove, NJ. Preview starts at 9:00 am; Auction at 11:00 am. The 19th Annual Auction will feature collectible and antique dolls, baseball collectibles - many signed, Roseville, including large Corinthian Jardinière and Pedestal, plus Middle Period pieces (1920s) Sunflower, Dahlrose, Blackberry, and Jonquil pieces, vintage pictures and nuttings, Lenox, glassware, tobacco silks, postcards and stereo-views, children's books, old teddy bears, vintage paintings, furniture, a Singer Featherweight sewing machine, stained glass windows, an outstanding large (40") Majolica piece with clock, box lots of collectibles and ephemera, dollhouses, and much more! As in the past, they will also feature a wide array of Ocean Grove, Asbury Park and Shore area memorabilia including early souvenir china, ruby flash glass, sterling spoons, pennants, and rare ephemera. Many items will be on display in the HSOG window. 

The next auction will be held on Labor Day weekend; Friday, September 4, 2015. Directions from the Garden State Parkway: North take exit 100B or South exit 100. Proceed to Route 33 east and proceed five miles to Ocean Grove. Follow signs to the Great Auditorium. The Ocean Grove Young People's Temple is located at 22 Pilgrim Pathway and the corner of McClintock Street across from the Great Auditorium.

Absentee bids are accepted. Buyer's Premium 12% (3% additional for credit card purchases). A complete auction list, with descriptions, is available for $3.00. Refreshments will be available. For more information, call 732-774-1869 or visit www.oceangrovehistory.org.

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Saturday, May 23 -  Morris Township, Morris County

Plant Pole Beans
Children Friendly

Calling all gardeners. Help stake poles and plant a variety of beans from 1:00 - 3:00 pm at Fosterfields Living Historical Farm.

Admission: $6 for adults; $5 for seniors (65+); $4 for children ages 4 – 16; and $2for children ages 2 and 3. FREE for children under age 2 and Friends members with a current membership card. Fosterfields Living Historical Farm is located at 73 Kahdena Road, Morristown, NJ. For more information, visit www.morrisparks.net.

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Saturday, May 23 - Morristown, Morris County

Fort Nonsense: Defenses of War

Children Friendly

Shortly after victories at Trenton and Princeton, the Continental Army under George Washington arrived in Morristown in early January, 1777. Protected by the Watchung Mountains and the Great Swamp, it became the Army's winter camp. Join a park ranger at Fort Nonsense to see for your the advantages of this defensive site and learn how Fort Nonsense got its name. Programs at 1:00, 2:00, and 3:00 pm. Cost: Free. Fort Nonsense is located within Morristown National Historical Park at 30 Washington Place in Morristown, NJ. For more information, call 973-539-2016 ext. 210 or visit www.nps.gov/morr.

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Saturday, May 23 - Princeton, Mercer County

Washington Returns!

Children Friendly

On Saturday from 11:30 am - 5:00 pm, find out how the Battle of Princeton on that cold winter’s day, January 3, 1777, saved the American Revolution. Military encampment and mini-reenactments of the Battle of Princeton, a critical turning point in the American Revolution and the first battle won by the Continental Army against professional British soldiers. 

With muskets, cannon, fifes and drums, there will be tactical formations and drills, and a combined arms assault re-enactment of the two-phased battle, with marching, loading, and firing volleys. A special feature will be the arrival of General Washington who will give his greetings and answer questions. There will also be a duel with pistols between two officers, all with the backdrop and activities of a typical American Revolution military camp with campfires and the cooking and other domestic activities of camp followers.

A special highlight will be training for Young Patriots and marching in formation. Also, fifers and drummers will play various tunes ending with the “Rogue’s March.” Presentations will be given by Paul Loane, Commander of the Second Pennsylvania Regiment, explaining uniforms, weapons and tactics, including the logistics for conducting a duel. The Regiment also will be participating in the Princeton Memorial Day Parade and the Ceremony at the Princeton Battle Monument. The camp will be set up in the morning and struck after 5:00 pm. This year's author in attendance will be Larry Kidder, who was an editor for the book just released by Rutgers University Press, "The American Revolution in New Jersey: Where the Battlefront Meets the Home Front," who will have books for sale and be happy to sign them as well. Visit the Thomas Clarke House, which was constructed circa 1772 and witnessed the battle! Learn more about its future restoration. Hot dogs and ice cream will be available for purchase. Presented by the Princeton Battlefield Society and the Second Pennsylvania Regiment.

This program will be held rain or shine. Princeton Battlefield is located at 500 Mercer Street, Princeton, NJ. For further information, e-mail princetonbattlefieldsocinfo@gmail.com or visit www.theprincetonbattlefieldsociety.com.

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Saturday, May 23 - Hopewell Township, Mercer County

Corn Planting

Children Friendly

If you have been wondering how to tell your children about the origin of their corn flakes, corn chips, polenta, tortillas and hush puppies, bring them to Howell Farm for Corn Planting Day from 10:00 am - 3:00 pm.

Farmers will introduce visitors to some of the earthier facts of farm life by having them help with corn seed selection, fertilizing and planting. Afterwards children can grind and sift cornmeal for baking and sample freshly made cornbread. Special maps will be given to participants to guide them to each production area; those who have their map stamped at all areas will be given a bag of freshly ground cornmeal to take home. Participating children must be accompanied by an adult.

Throughout the day, farmers will use work horses and circa 1900 equipment to prepare and plant cornfields.

Howell Living 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, May 23 - Morristown, Morris County

Remembering the Dead

Disease, battle, execution, and murder were just some of the causes of the death of Washington's soldiers. Commemorate Memorial Day by remembering the soldiers who died during the winter encampments at Morristown. Learn how they died and how they were buried. This program will include a short hike to the Bettin Monument, where an officer who died in camp is memorialized. Two programs will be held at the Jockey Hollow Visitor Center from 1:00 - 2:00 pm and 3:00 - 4:00 pm. Cost: Free. Jockey Hollow is located within Morristown National Historical Park, 580 Jockey Hollow Road (approximate), Morristown, NJ. For more information, call 973-543-4030 or visit www.nps.gov/morr.

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Saturday, May 23 - Farmingdale, Monmouth County

Pitching to the Past 19th Century Baseball Game

Children Friendly

Join us at the Historic Village at Allaire as we cheer on our Bog Iron Boys Baseball Club as they take on the Brooklyn Atlantics and the Elizabeth Resolutes. Learn more about the history of the game, root for your favorite team, play historic children's games, enter a raffle to win baseball items, and more! There will be a special Brooklyn Bridegrooms exhibit in the Enameling Building. Games at 11:15 am and 1:45 pm. Free admission but donations appreciated. The Village will be open from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm.

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, May 23 - Morristown, Morris County

“Extra Baggage”: The Women and Children of the Continental Army

Children Friendly

Washington lamented that the women and children of the Continental Army - the families of the soldiers - slowed down the army on the march but he knew that many had nowhere else to go. They often got jobs with the military performing essential tasks needed to keep the army going. Learn about the surprising roles that women and children played in the life of the Continental Army at the Soldiers Huts in Jockey Hollow from 1:30 - 4:00 pm. Cost: Free. Jockey Hollow is located within Morristown National Historical Park, 580 Jockey Hollow Road (approximate), Morristown, NJ. For more information, call 973-543-4030 or visit www.nps.gov/morr.

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Saturday - Monday, May 23 - 25 - Walpack, Sussex County

Annual Opening of the Van Campen Inn and Rosenkrans Museum

From Saturday through Monday, attend the Walpack Historical Society's Annual Opening of the Van Campen Inn and Rosenkrans Museum. Both sites are free to visit and the public is welcomed. The Van Campen Inn will be open Saturday, Sunday, and Monday from 1:00 - 5:00 pm and the Rosenkrans Museum on Sunday from 1:00 - 4:00 pm.

The Van Campen Inn is located on the unpaved section of Old Mine Road and the Rosenkrans Museum is located on Main Street, Walpack Center, Sussex County,  NJ within the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Van Campen Day is free and the public is invited. For more information, call 973-948-4903 or visit www.walpackhistory.org.

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Sunday, May 24 - Princeton, Mercer County

Historic Princeton Walking Tour

Children Friendly

Enjoy a 1.9 mile, two-hour walk around downtown Princeton and the University campus as you learn about historic sites in the area, including Bainbridge House, Nassau Hall, the University Chapel, and Palmer Square. The early history of Princeton, the founding of the University, and the American Revolution are just some of the stories from Princeton’s history that you will learn on your tour.

Admission: $7 per adult; $4 children ages 6 to 12; free for children age 5 and under. Tickets are sold at Bainbridge House, 158 Nassau Street, Princeton, NJ starting at 12:00 noon. Tour begins at 2:00 pm and ends at 4:00 pm. Space is limited. For more information, call 609-921-6748 or visit www.princetonhistory.org.

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Sunday, May 24 - Bridgewater, Somerset County

Battle of Short Hills

On Sunday at 2:00 pm at the Van Horne House in Bridgewater, attend a presentation about the June 1777 Battle in which the British tried to engage the American Army in the plains below the Watchung Mountains, only to be thwarted by 5,000 Americans who were at the Short HIlls.

The presentation will also include how the Metuchen Edison Historical Society was able to find evidence of the battle in the woods of Edison.

Walter R. Stochel began to investigate the Battle of the Short Hills in 1999 when a new drug store was slated to be built on a portion of the battlefield. In 2009, he coordinated for MEHS an application for a grant from the National Park Service American Battlefield Preservation Program for a project to place the battlefield on the National Register of Historic Places.

From 2010 to 2014 he managed the project for MEHS, and the Battlefield was placed on the Register in May 2014.  Along the way, the research changed what was known about the battle, and surprisingly they found artifacts related to the battle.

The program is free but reservations are required. Reservations can be made online or by calling 732-356-8856. The program will be held at the Van Horne House, 941 East Main Street, Bridgewater, NJ. Free parking is available behind Target or at the Patriots Ballpark across the street. For more information, visit www.heritagetrail.org.

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Sunday, May 24 - Morristown, Morris County

Going Loomy

Children Friendly

Visit the Jockey Hollow Visitor Center for hands-on instruction about the basics of weaving using a table loom or tape loom. Learn about the clothing of the 18th Century and how families worked together to prepare their clothes. Programs will be held at the Jockey Hollow Visitor Center from 11:00 - 11:30 am, 1:00 - 1:30 pm, and 3:00 - 3:30 pm. Cost: Free. Jockey Hollow is located within Morristown National Historical Park, 580 Jockey Hollow Road (approximate), Morristown, NJ. For more information, call 973-543-4030 or visit www.nps.gov/morr.

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Sunday, May 24 - Maywood, Bergen County

Open House

Children Friendly

The Maywood Station Museum, located at 269 Maywood Avenue, Maywood, NJ will be open Sunday from 12:00 noon - 3:00 pm. The museum features a wide assortment of displays, artifacts, and photographs on exhibit and visitors are invited to climb aboard restored Caboose 24542 and view its operating model train layout and additional photographs and displays. Admission is free. For more information, visit www.maywoodstation.com.

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Monday, May 25 - Hackensack, Bergen County

Memorial Day Wreath Laying

Children Friendly

At 10:00 am on Monday, join the Bergen County Historical Society as they honor the veterans of all wars with a wreath-laying at the grave of General Enoch Poor in the burial ground of the First Dutch Reformed Church on the Green, 42 Court Street, Hackensack, NJ. Excerpts from chaplain Israel Evans' graveside funeral oration will be read at the ceremony, followed by a tour of the historic cemetery.

Brigadier-General Enoch Poor, of New Hampshire, died at 44 years of age from either typhus fever or diphtheria on September 8, 1780, while about 14,000 Continental troops were encamped on "a high Ridge of land in a place called Steenrapie," the old name for the high ground extending from northern River Edge through Emerson. The main cantonment was situated between River Edge Avenue in River Edge to the vicinity of Soldier Hill Road, where Oradell, Emerson and Paramus intersect. While encamped at Steenrapie between September 4 and 20, 1780, the Continental army lost no fewer than twenty-three soldiers to disease. General Poor's body was brought from "Paramus" to the Brower House on Main Street, River Edge, where it was placed in a mahogany coffin for burial in the churchyard of the Dutch Reformed Church-on-the-Green in Hackensack on September 10, 1780. Six generals served as pallbearers while officers of the New Hampshire Brigade followed the coffin, together with officers of the new light-infantry brigade, which General Lafayette assigned to General Poor’s command shortly before his death. General George Washington, who made headquarters in the Zabriskie-Steuben House at New Bridge, marched with other generals in the funeral procession. On July 14, 1825, General Lafayette stopped at General Poor’s grave in Hackensack on his return tour of the United States as the Nation’s Guest and last living Major General of the American Revolution.

Edward Erie Poor, President of the National Park Bank of New York City, decorated General Poor’s grave every Memorial Day between 1864, when he first settled in Hackensack, and his death in 1900. The then newly organized Bergen County Historical Society organized the successful effort effort to construct a monument to General Enoch Poor on the Hackensack Green, gathering contributions of $1,000 from the State of New Jersey, $500 from the State of New Hampshire, and $500 from the Sons of the Revolution. Emilio Platti sculpted the figure, which Ernest Vatier cast in his Newark foundry. John and William Passmore Meeker, of Newark, N. J., designed the granite pedestal. The Poor monument was dedicated on Memorial Day 1904. For more information, visit www.bergencountyhistory.org.

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Monday, May 25 - Jersey City, Hudson County

Honoring Our Heroes

Children Friendly

The Jersey City & Harsimus Cemetery will present their 7th annual "Honoring Our Heroes" event, a military and musical tribute on Monday at 1:00 pm. This FREE public event is a very moving and patriotic one hour program, and at the end of the program, all guests are welcomed to participate by placing a flag on a Hero's grave. Our thousands of Veterans participated in battles from Revolutionary era War of 1812, Civil War and up through Desert Storm.

The cemetery has once again contracted a small group of new 'helpers', a herd of young goats, who will spending the summer with a special task - a special ecological project of eradicating acres of invasive weeds on some of the property's hilly and and rough terrain. 

Families are encouraged to attend and bring the children to our Memorial Day tribute, and then enjoy the afternoon touring the grounds (including the underground War of 1812 bunker and vaults). Children and adults are also welcomed to meet, greet, pet, and feed the friendly little goats, and watch them do their magic as they start their mission of chowing down the Japanese knot-wood and poison ivy that is not only tasty to them, but good for their four-stomach digestive system.

Refreshments will be served. The Jersey City & Harsimus Cemetery is located at 435 Newark Avenue, Jersey City, NJ. For more information, call 201-707-0738 or  973-204-9888 or visit www.jerseycitycemetery.org.

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Monday, May 25 - Mahwah, Bergen County
Museum Open House

The Old Station Museum and Caboose in Mahwah will open on Memorial Day from 9:30 am - 12:00 pm. Stop in and visit before or after the ceremony. The museum is located at 1871 Old Station Lane, Mahwah. Additionally, the Old Station Museum and Caboose will be open on Sundays, beginning June 28 until October, from 2:00 - 4:00 pm. Admission is free on Memorial Day. For more information, visit www.mahwahmuseum.org.

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Through June 28, 2015 - Paterson, Passaic County

Highlights of the Paterson Evening News Collection Exhibit and Reception

The Passaic County Historical Society announces its newest exhibit, Highlights of the Paterson Evening News Collection. On exhibit until Sunday June 28, 2015, the display will showcase this newly digitized photograph collection. The Paterson Evening News Collection consists of over 16,000 images, dating from 1946 through 1972. Together these photographs offer an invaluable look at the history of Passaic County and the State of New Jersey. Over seventy photographs have been selected for this exhibit to highlight the variety of subjects incorporated within the collection. Visitors can access the exhibition during regular museum hours (Wednesday - Sunday). General museum admissions apply.

Hear more about the collection at the exhibit reception held at Lambert Castle on Saturday, April 18, 2015 at 2:00 pm. Co-curator and digitization specialist Boris Von Faust will discuss his digitizing process and share more of his favorite images from the collection. The reception is free for members; otherwise regular museum admission applies.

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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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 July 2015 - Ridgewood, Bergen County

"Hemlines" Exhibit

The Ridgewood Historical Society and the Schoolhouse Museum are pleased to announce their new exhibit, Hemlines, open through July 2015. This exhibit features women's hats, shoes, handbags, jewelry, furs, wedding attire, and fabulous dresses from 1900 to 1969. Hemlines will run through the end of July. The Schoolhouse Museum is open Thursdays and Saturdays from 1:00 - 3:00 pm and Sundays from 2:00 - 4:0 pm. Hemlines is a "must see" exhibit for anyone interested in fashion! The Schoolhouse Museum is located at 650 East Glen Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ. For more information, call 201-447-3242 or visit www.ridgewoodhistoricalsociety.org.

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Through July 2015 - Morristown, Morris 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 Avenue, Morristown, NJ. For more information, call 973-538-2404 ext. 10 or visit www.maccullochhall.org.

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Through August 16, 2015 - Morristown, Morris County
275th Anniversary of the Founding of the Township of Morris, 1740-2015

In conjunction with the Mayor and Township Committee of Morris Township and The Historic Preservation Commission of Morris Township, The Morristown and Morris Township Library is hosting an exhibit celebrating the 275th anniversary of the founding of Morris Township. The exhibit will be on display in the second floor, F.M. Kirby Gallery from through August 16, 2015. The exhibit is also supported by the Friends of the Morristown & Morris Township Library.

The colonial legislature of New Jersey created Morris County on March 15, 1739 naming the county, for the Governor of New Jersey, Colonel Lewis Morris (for which the Township and Morristown would later also be named). The county was initially divided into three townships in 1740: Pequannock, Hanover, and Morris. Morris Township originally took up half of the county but has been subdivided many times since and now encompasses 15.45 square miles. In its first two hundred years, the Township was primarily farmland but this changed drastically over time as much of New Jersey morphed into the “urban” designation tagged currently with the U.S. Census Bureau. The anniversary exhibit will focus not only on Morris Township’s agricultural past, but also its part in the American Revolution and its fame as home to Gilded Age, New York City millionaire mansions. The exhibition will also examine the history of the Township’s fire and police departments, The Seeing Eye, the College of Saint Elizabeth and other institutions as well as famous Township residents.

The Morristown and Morris Township Library is located at 1 Miller Rd, Morristown, NJ. For more information, call the Library’s North Jersey History & Genealogy Center at 973-538-3473 or visit www.jfpl.org/NJHistoryHome.cfm.

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Through August 2015 - Lyndhurst, Bergen County
Lyndhurst Business: Building a Community

From a ship's horn manufactured by Leslie Company to photos of steel and heat-treating plant Benedict-Miller, Inc., the Lyndhurst Historical Society is showcasing just a sampling of the many businesses that contributed to the community and beyond in its latest exhibit, "Lyndhurst Business: Building a Community," which runs from now until August 2015.

"It's New Jersey's 350th birthday and, in addition to celebrating the state as a whole, we wanted to give a nod to our local community," said Doris Bergquist, who, along with members Dale Jankowski and Doris Ludwig, curated the exhibit. "There have been and continue to be many highly regarded businesses in Lyndhurst. The Leslie Company, for example, was once in Lyndhurst and built one of the horns used on the Queen Mary."

The exhibit is free and open to the public, though a small donation to the society would be appreciated. The Little Red Schoolhouse Museum, located at 400 RIverside Avenue, Lyndhurst, NJ is open on the second and fourth Sundays of every month from 2:00 - 4:00 pm. For more information, call 201-804-2513 or visit www.lyndhursthistoricalsociety.org.

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Through September 1, 2015 - Morristown, Morris County
Treasures from the Collection

There's something for everyone to enjoy in the Morris County Historical Society's new exhibit, "Treasures from the Collection," now featured at Acorn Hall through September 1, 2015. See everything from clothing to documents, militaria to fine arts, and furniture to photography, and more in this treasure trove display from Morris County, and beyond. Highlights include heirlooms from notable local families such as the McEwans, the Condits, the Lindsleys, and the Bonsalls, and spectacular stickpins from the remarkable collection of MCHS Board Member Emeritus Learned T. Bulman.

Pieces from across the country include an 1876 ball gown worn to the Centennial Celebration in Washington, D.C., an assortment of 19th-century U.S. flags, a scarab stick pin from the reign of Ramesses II, and various 19th-century weaponry and artifacts related to the Civil War. Compare earlier fashion trends to the haute couture Pucci-inspired mini-dress, circa 1960s. For the furniture aficionados, marvel at a Victorian-era papier-mâché chair, a mahogany Chippendale chair, and a Hitchcock-style chair from Morristown furniture maker, H. Frazee. Travel with ease to faraway Japan, and experience Asian art in the form of wood block prints and porcelain vases.

Admission to tour Acorn Hall and to see the exhibit is $6 for adults; $5 for seniors; $3 for students, and free for children age 12 and under and MCHS members. To view the exhibit, only, is one half of the admission. Acorn Hall is open for tours on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11:00 am - 4:00 pm, and on Sundays from 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm. For more information, call the Morris County Historical Society at 973-267-3465 or visit www.acornhall.org.

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Through September 13, 2015 - Oceanville, Atlantic County
Pine Barrens: Life and Legends

This historic exhibition at The Noyes Museum of Art of Stockton University revisits the work and play of life in the Pine Barrens. Industries of charcoal, glass, paper and iron once thrived in the Pines, while music and merrymaking filled the dance halls and stories of witches and the Jersey Devil abounded. The exhibition is a collaboration between the South Jersey Culture & History Center (SJCHC) and the Noyes Museum of Art. Admission to the museum is: Adults $5; Seniors (60 and older) $4; Students with ID $4; Stockton Students, Faculty, and Staff with ID Free; Members Free; and Children (6 and under) Free. The Noyes Museum of Art of Stockton University is located at 733 Lily Lake Road, Oceanville (Galloway Township), NJ. For more information, call 609-652-8848 or visit www.noyesmuseum.org/exhibitions.html.

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Through October 30, 2015 - Morristown, Morris County

“Canals of New Jersey” Exhibit

Macculloch Hall Historical Museum (MHHM) has partnered with the Canal Society of New Jersey (CSNJ) to present their traveling exhibit “Canals of New Jersey”. The exhibit was created in 1985 in part to commemorate the Society’s 25th anniversary. The display consists of panels that tell the story of New Jersey’s two towpath canals, the Morris and the Delaware and Raritan. In 1824, the Morris Canal & Banking Company was chartered to build a canal that would carry coal to developing markets along the eastern seaboard. The Morris Canal would pass through the heart of New Jersey’s iron district and provide the long-needed transportation system that would promote commercial activity and enable rustic settlements to grow into thriving industrial towns. The canal extended 102 miles from Pennsylvania, across varied terrain through New Jersey, ending at Newark. By the early 1900s the canal had become obsolete. Today, the Morris Canal Greenway, a partnership between local communities and the Canal Society of New Jersey, seeks to preserve the surviving historic remains of the canal, interpret canal sites, and offer recreational opportunities to the public. 

For the installation at MHHM the exhibit has gotten a facelift, with new titles and new art work. The CSNJ’s display is supplemented by objects including some from MHHM’s collection and information about Macculloch Hall founder George Macculloch who had the idea for the Morris Canal. In the early 1820s, George Macculloch had a vision of a waterway to connect the Delaware River to the Hudson River in Northern New Jersey. This exhibit in part celebrates Macculloch’s part in the vision, promotion, and impact that the Morris Canal had on New Jersey. The canal would become an engineering feat of its day, using locks and inclined planes to climb the elevation differences in the land. The canal was a technical marvel of its time and helped to spur the economy in New Jersey by allowing goods to reach further afield than ever before. The exhibit shares some of the stories of the workers and families who lived and worked on the canal, as well as other details about its construction using photographs and drawings, as well objects including model canal boats and images. The “Canals of New Jersey” exhibit will be on display in the second floor gallery during touring hours from March 15th through October 30, 2015.

MHHM 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. MHHM is open for house and exhibit tours on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays from 1:00 - 4:00 pm. The last tour ticket is sold at 3:00 pm. Adults $8; Seniors and Students $6; Children 6 – 12 $4. Members and children under 5 are free. Macculloch Hall is located at 45 Macculloch Avenue, Morristown, NJ. For more information, call 973-538-2404 ext. 10 or visit www.maccullochhall.org.

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Through January 6, 2016 - Woodbury, Gloucester County

Gloucester Abbey: Downton Style Fashions Exhibit

Gloucester Abbey: Downton Style Fashions is currently on display at the exhibit at the Gloucester County Historical Society Museum in Woodbury, New Jersey. The exhibit will conclude on January 6, 2016. This remarkable exhibit features ladies’ fashions from the society's collection from the time period covered by the popular PBS Masterpiece Theater series Downton Abbey. Over 100 vintage dresses/ensembles from the museum’s collection dating from 1910 through the 1930s are showcased, including period wedding gowns. Also on display are ladies accessories, including hats, shoes, purses, jewelry, and lingerie. Don’t miss this fantastic exhibit!

The Gloucester County Historical Society Museum hours are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 1:00 - 4:00 pm, and the last Sunday of the month from 2:00 - 5:00 p.m. Private tours may be booked for days/times other than our regular public hours. Adult admission $5; children 6-18 years $1; children under 6 free. The Gloucester County Historical Society Museum is located at 58 N. Broad Street, Woodbury, NJ 08096. For more information, call 856-848-8531 or visit www.rootsweb.com/~njgchs.

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Through June 26, 2016 - Piscataway, Middlesex County

The Icons of American Culture: History of New Jersey Diners Exhibit

Children Friendly

When was the last time you ate at a diner? If you are like millions of New Jerseyans, the answer is not too long ago. Dubbed “the land of diners,” New Jersey has forged a unique relationship with these casual eateries. Stainless steel, neon, and menus that go on for days are part of the Garden State landscape. Come explore their rich history with us! This seven-room exhibit tells the story of some of the of the Garden State’s most iconic eateries. This exhibit runs from April 12, 2015 - June 26, 2016 and is free of charge.

The exhibit is open Tuesday – Friday from 1:00 – 4:00 pm and Sundays from 1:00 – 4:00 pm. Closed Mondays, Saturdays, and Holidays. The Cornelius Low House Museum is located at 1225 River Road, Piscataway, NJ. For more information, call 732-745-4177 or visit www.co.middlesex.nj.us.

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