NJ Weekend Historical Happenings: 6/27/15

NJ WEEKEND HISTORICAL HAPPENINGS

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~~Saturday, June 27~~ - Byram Township, Sussex County

Waterloo Canal Heritage Day

Moved to Sunday, June 28 due to expected rain

Children Friendly

Come visit Waterloo Village between 10:00 am and 4:00 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 gristmill, seamstress shop, carpenter's shop, take guided tours of 1859 Methodist Church, the Canal Museum - with exhibits and videos, and guided walking tours of the village. Admission is free but there is a $5 per car parking fee. Rain date Sunday, June 28. 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, June 27 - Mount Holly, Burlington County

Colonial Era Bottles
Children Friendly

On Saturday, explore the world of Colonial-era glass production and bottle collection with Joe Butewicz, President of the New Jersey Antique Bottle Club, through the excavation of an 18th century Philadelphia privy. The 10-foot use layer dates up to 1760 and includes many remnants including examples of bottles and glassware and earthenware. The artifacts were recovered over the several day dig in 1999 and were found in the last 10 feet of a 25-ft brick lined privy. Suitable for ages 12 and up.

Sponsored by the Society of Colonial Wars in the State of New Jersey. Program begins at 12:00 noon and will be free and open to the public. It will take place at the Burlington County Lyceum, 307 High Street, Mount Holly, NJ. Pre-registration is requested. For more information, call 609-267-7111, or e-mail bclhns@bcls.lib.nj.us.

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Saturday, June 27 - Morris Township, Morris County

Meet the Irish Servant and the Cook at the Willows
Children Friendly

On Saturday at Fosterfields Living Historical Farm, discover the life of domestic help at the Foster home on a guided tour. Assist the maid with household chores and see what the cook has prepared using the wood-burning stove. Two tours times available: 1:00 - 2:00 pm and 2:00 - 3:00 pm.

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

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Saturday, June 27 - Pemberton Township, Burlington County

Whitesbog Blueberry Festival

Children Friendly

Celebrate all things blueberry at this old-fashioned festival on Saturday from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm. Enjoy blueberry picking, live country music, lots of children's activities, exhibits, great food, historical presentations and tours, Pinelands artists and crafters, our famous blueberry pie eating contest and lots more. This annual celebration of all things blueberry - the official state fruit of New Jersey - is considered to be one of the finest "old-fashioned" festivals in the tri-state region. The festival features the pioneering work of Whitesbog's own Elizabeth C. White to domesticate the very first blueberry, traditional Pinelands musicians, artists and crafters, fantastic festival food, wagon and walking tours, lectures, living history actors, demonstrations and dozens of children's activities will all be featured at the day-long festival. But the real star of the show is, of course, the blueberries!

Top attractions at the day-long festival include fifty of the Pinelands best crafters and an "artists row" featuring fine art and photography, a Model-T exhibit, Pinelands Antique Engine Association's displays, living history tours, and interactive experiences festival goers can enjoy throughout the day. For the children, activities such as the outrageously fun blueberry pie-eating contest, a hunt for the Jersey Devil, face painting, hands-on crafts, traditional games and blueberry picking, will keep the young ones entertained all day. Live bluegrass music will provide the perfect atmosphere for the festival, which the Burlington County Times has described as "a reminder that good old country life is alive and well" in the region.

The Pinelands, New Jersey's blueberry and cranberry industries and our region's rich history intersect in delicious ways in this corner of the state. History buffs can tour explore Whitesbog's agricultural museum, visit the restored Cranberry Research Substation, tour a cottage that depicts what life was like for Whitesbog's workers in the 1920s, and shop in Whitesbog's authentic General Store. Fresh fruit enthusiasts will delight in picking their own blueberries at the celebration. Whitesbog is home to the world's oldest test fields for domesticated blueberries, which will be open at the Blueberry Festival to give people an opportunity to experience firsthand a bit of our State's agricultural history.

Parking is $10.00 per car and $5.00 per person arriving by foot, bike, or bus. All proceeds benefit the Whitesbog Preservation Trust in their continuing efforts to restore and interpret Historic Whitesbog Village and the surrounding Pinelands. Parking is set on the Whitesbog airstrip - a 2-minute drive from the festival grounds. Shuttle buses bring visitors from this remote parking area to the village throughout the day.

Historic Whitesbog Village is located at 120 North Whites Bogs Road, Browns Mills, NJ. It is located at mile marker 13 on County Route 530 (Pemberton Township). For more information, call 609-893-4646, e-mail whitesbogpreservationtrust@comcast.net or visit www.whitesbog.org.

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Saturday, June 27 - Hopewell Township, Mercer County

Ice Cream Party and Wheat Harvest

Children Friendly

On Saturday, between 12:00 noon and 3:30 pm, Howell Living History Farm invites the public to enjoy an old fashioned "ice cream party." Featured activities include music, wagon rides, games and contests, a children’s craft program, and lots of ice cream making and eating.

Ice cream making will begin and visitors are invited to help draw and grind ice from the Farm's ice house. The first batch of homemade ice cream will be ready for dipping at noon. Ice cream sodas and sundaes will be served until 3:30 pm.

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, June 27 - Morristown, Morris County
A Close Shave

Children Friendly

Henry Wick's trees provided the raw materials for building his fine home. Visit a park ranger as he demonstrates some tool work and learn about some of the tools Mr. Wick used to complete that project. Program runs from 2:00 - 4:00 pm behind the Wick House at Jockey Hollow, a unit within Morristown National Historical Park. Cost: Free. For more information, call 973-539-2016 ext. 210 or visit www.nps.gov/morr.

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Saturday - Sunday, June 27 - 28 - Cape May, Cape May County

29th Annual Quilt and Fiber Arts Show

Children Friendly

Historic Cold Spring Village is featuring all things fiber arts at the 29th annual Cape May Quilt and Fiber Show on Saturday and Sunday. The event will be held from 10:00 am - 4:30 pm both days and will feature demonstrations and vendors of quilting, textiles, knitting, crocheting, lace making, basket weaving, broom making, wool dyeing, sheep shearing and more.

On Saturday, visitors may vote for their favorite quilts in the Welcome Center at the Viewer’s Choice Quilt Show, and on Sunday continue to enjoy the display and see the winners. A rare wedding quilt, c. 1714, handmade by Cape May Countian Sarah Spicer, will be on display in the Welcome Center for its annual appearance. The quilt was restored in 2012 through a grant from the Cape May County Culture and Heritage Commission.

The event’s keynote speaker is Mark Lipinski, world-renowned artist and founder of the Slow Stitch Movement. At 2:00 pm on both Saturday and Sunday, Lipinski will discuss the Slow Stitch Movement, helping guests recharge their quilting creativity. Clare Juechter, Chief Administrative Officer for the Village, will present the history of Early American Knitting and the Cape May Mitten Trade at 11:00 am on both Saturday and Sunday. The Corson-Hand House, home to fiber arts demonstrations at the Village, will feature use of the “Great Wheel” along with wool preparation and dyeing. Bobbin lace making and tatting will also be demonstrated by a fourth generation artisan. Seasoned fiber artists and newcomers alike will learn from these discussions and demonstrations.

Historic Cold Spring Village is located at 720 Route 9, three miles north of Cape May City and four miles south of Rio Grande. Admission during the season is $10 for adults and $8 for children ages 3 to 12. Children under 3 are admitted free. Unlimited free admission is available with Village membership. As a member of the national Blue Star Museums program, Historic Cold Spring Village is proud to offer free admission to active duty military personnel and up to 5 family members. The Village Nature Trail at Bradner's Run is open to the public for free self-guided tours. For more information, call 609-898-2300, ext. 18 or visit www.hcsv.org.

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Saturdays & Sundays through October 25, 2015 - Ringwood, Passaic County

Child’s Life Tour at Ringwood

Children Friendly

The “A Child’s Life” tour was developed for children and is all about the Hewitt children. The program uses first-hand accounts to help younger visitors understand what it was like to spend summers at the Ringwood estate 150 years ago. If you thought living without modern entertainment like television, DVDs, and computers was boring, think again! Designed to be fun and amusing, these tours are great for families and visitors of all ages!

Like any family, the Hewitt children were full of energy. With 22,000 acres of property, they could often be found fishing, hunting, swimming, and horseback riding. The large, rambling mansion provided plenty of indoor fun with activities like hide-and-go-seek and sliding down the staircase banisters. In addition, Eddie and his brother Cooper were getting into all sorts of trouble at their summer home, going on adventures and playing many practical jokes on their guests. So, if you’d like to hear about the family’s pet bear, or how the Hewitt boys played a prank using a raccoon and a suitcase, this tour is for you!

“A Child’s Life” tour is approximately 45 minutes long and takes visitors through the historic house while these amusing stories are being told. All thirty of the rooms open to the public are shown, but the tour proceeds at a faster, more energetic pace. Scavenger hunts are provided to encourage visitors to look for some of the unusual features in the manor. At the end of the tour, children and adults are invited to play with reproduction 18th and 19th century toys on the front lawn of Ringwood Manor.

“A Child’s Life” tours will be offered to the public at 1:00 pm every Saturday and Sunday through October 25th. Tours are $3 for adults, $1 for children ages 6-12, and children 5 and under are free. Ringwood Manor is located at 1304 Sloatsburg Road, Ringwood, NJ, within Ringwood State Park. For more information, call 973-962-2240 or visit www.ringwoodmanor.org.

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Sunday, June 28 - Walpack, Sussex County

Walpack Historical Society's Meeting

On Sunday at 1:00 pm, attend the Walpack Historical Society's Meeting which will include a tour of the One Room Schoolhouse. The meeting takes place at the Walpack M.E. Church, Walpack Center, Sussex County, NJ within the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. The meeting will be followed by a tour of the Walpack One-Room Schoolhouse, built circa 1893. The meeting and tour are free and the public is welcome. For more information call 973-948-4903 or visit www.walpackhistory.org.

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Sunday, June 28 - Upper Freehold, Monmouth County

Roots of Root Beer
Children Friendly

Health inducing tonic or sweet refreshment? Either way root beer has a history as long and varied as the many ingredients used to create its unique flavor. Drop-in on Sunday to sample our brew, see how many ingredients you can identify, and raise your glass to a bit of family-friendly history from 11:00 am - 4:00 pm.

While there, visit the large, elegant Walnford home built in 1774, the 19th century gristmill and the farm buildings set in a beautiful landscape. Walnford is located at 62 Walnford Road, 08501. For more information, call 609-259-6275 or visit www.monmouthcountyparks.com.

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Sunday, June 28 - 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 justifying 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, June 28 - Farmingdale, Monmouth County

1836 Independence Day Celebration

Children Friendly

Celebrate America's Independence at The Historic Village at Allaire! 1836 marks America's 60th anniversary as a country and the historic villagers will be holding celebrations from 12:00 noon - 4:00 pm on Sunday! Join us for a day of speeches, toasts, music, games, and more! Tour the historic buildings and homes, talk with our interpreters and be sure to visit the Bakery and General Store (both open 10:00 am). This will be a day filled with family fun! There will be a $5 parking fee for this event.

The Historic Village at Allaire is located at 4263 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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Sunday, June 28 - Morristown, Morris County

"Currier & Ives: More Than A Christmas Card"

This spring Macculloch Hall Historical Museum (MHHM) will have a small number of "Currier & Ives" prints from the museum's collection on display throughout the second floor. The nineteenth- century lithography firms of N. Currier and Currier & Ives produced images of America that remain as popular today as when they were made. Creatively marketing to a new consumer group, the middle class created by the burgeoning Industrial Revolution, Nathanial Currier and James Merritt Ives brilliantly tapped into an enthusiastic desire for affordable art for myriad applications. Embracing new technology, marketing techniques, and leading artists of the period, company methods and outcomes proved enormously successful and pioneered many contemporary commercial art endeavors.

MHHM has three "Currier & Ives" pieces by Thomas Nast from 1863 and N. Currier lithographs from the series "Life of a Fireman" and the Museum has four of a set of six made in 1854. These were purchased by the Museum founder W. Parsons Todd who was an avid collector of a range of decorative art, including paintings and prints. Todd also purchased a wide collection of works by Thomas Nast directly from the artist's son, Cyril. This superb collection includes drawings, prints, published engravings, photographs, artifacts, and paintings among others. The museum's collection of "Currier & Ives" will be on display February through June during touring hours.

This spring MHHM presents a series of programs related to the current exhibits on display at the museum on the last Sunday of the month at 4:30 p.m. On Sunday, Steve Miller will present "Currier & Ives: More Than a Christmas Card." Miller will present an illustrated history of the sequential firms showing the wide range of pictures they produced that go beyond their well-known winter scenes. Steve Miller is the Executive Director of Boscobel Restoration, Inc., Garrison, NY and past Executive Director of the Morris Museum and the Bickford Theatre in Morristown, NJ. He also works as a museum consultant, writer, educator and a past project includes working with the Currier & Ives Print Collection Project at the Museum of the City of New York.

Speaker tickets will remain on sale until 4:30 pm. The museum's collection of Currier & Ives prints on display throughout the second floor of the museum and the second floor "The Civil War Through the Eyes of Thomas Nast" and "Canals of New Jersey" (opens March 15th) exhibits will remain on view until 4:30 pm. The first floor "Thomas Nast: Unknown Works and American Icons" exhibit will close 3:30 - 4:00 pm in preparation for the program. Tickets to hear the speaker are Adults $8; Seniors & Students $6; Children 6 - 12 $4. Members and children under 5 are admitted free.

The museum is open for house and exhibit tours on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays from 1:00 - 4:00 pm. Adults $8; Seniors and Students $6; Children 6 - 12 $4. Members and children under 5 are free. Macculloch Hall Historical Museum 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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Sunday, June 28 - Montclair, Essex County

Historic House Tours and Book Signing
Family Friendly

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 - Plainfield, Union County

Plainfield's Local Clubs & Organizations Collection, 1884 to 2015

The Plainfield Public Library announces their new spring-summer exhibition. The library is displaying a variety of materials from our collection of records of significance from local clubs and organizations that date back to 1884. The 120-piece exhibit consists of wall exhibits and display cases on both levels of the library. The oldest items on exhibit are the 1884 board meeting minutes from the Plainfield Reform Club, a temperance organization, and an 1884 letter from Craig Marsh announcing the first meeting of the Union Club, a conservative men's social club.

The entire Local Clubs & Organizations Collection contains records from over 100 clubs and documents over a century of community activities in the City of Plainfield. Twenty-two clubs are represented in the displays, which feature the Monday Afternoon Club, Plainfield Garden Club, and Freemasons - including a rare panoramic photograph of African-American Masonic Lodge members from New Jersey attending the 1937 annual convention held in Plainfield. Other organizations in the exhibit are the Plainfield B.P.O. Elks, Boy & Girl Scouts, Camera Club, Laurel League, Ric-Charles Choral Ensemble, Shakespeare Club, and twelve others. The exhibit presents thirty-nine photographs and postcards, forty-five pieces of paper ephemera and documents, fifteen newspaper articles, twelve artifacts, five examples of ledgers and manuscripts, as well as several loaned items.

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

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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

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