NJ Weekend Historical Happenings: 11/26/16 - 11/27/16

 New Jersey Weekend Historical Happenings

A Weekly Feature on www.thehistorygirl.com

Want to submit an event? Use our event submission form.

Friday, November 25 - Bedminster, Somerset County

Liberty Tree Lighting
Children Friendly Event

The Friends of the Jacobus Vanderveer House are hosting a Liberty Tree lighting on Friday, November 25 from 6:00 - 8:00 pm to kick off the 14th Annual Colonial Christmas celebration, which begins Saturday, November 25 and continues Sunday, November 26 and Saturday and Sunday, December 3 - 4.

Sponsored by Investors Bank, the Liberty Tree lighting is free to the community and features caroling with the Harmonium Choral Society, hot chocolate and hot pretzels, and a visit from Santa. The tree, decorated in patriotic red, white, and blue lights, commemorates the Jacobus Vanderveer House's (and the community's) Revolutionary War heritage during the holiday season.

The Jacobus Vanderveer House is located at 3055 River Road (in Bedminster’s River Road Park), Bedminster, NJ. For more information, call 908-396-6053 or visit www.jvanderveerhouse.org.

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Saturday, November 26 - Union Township, Union County
Murder at the Museum

Come solve the Murder at the Museum in this live action version of the game Clue! You'll be transported back in time to the year 1932 as you try and solve the murder of Mr. Fredric Ericson. Was it his wife, who he might no longer be in love with? Or his son-in-law who was supposedly written out of the will? Or perhaps even one of his trusted servants? Will you be able to piece together the clues before anyone else?

Guests will be in teams and become detectives as they are guided throughout the 1st floor of the museum interviewing the 5 suspects to determine who, what, and how exactly Mr. Ericson was murdered. Criminally good refreshments will be served after the game!

Solve the murder at 3 different times: 4:00, 6:00, or 8:00 pm. Cost: $40 per person. Reservations are required. Liberty Hall Museum is located at 1003 Morris Avenue, Union, NJ. For more information, call 908-527-0400, e-mail libertyhall@kean.edu, or visit www.kean.edu/libertyhall.

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Saturday, November 26 - Lawrence Township, Mercer County
A Walk Through History on the Delaware and Raritan Canal

On Saturday morning, take a walk through history on the Delaware and Raritan Canal. Walk 2.6 miles on the canal towpath from Port Mercer to Alexander Road (the meeting place). The walk will take about 2 - 3 hours. Notable sites along the way include the Port Mercer bridgetender's home and Princeton Basin Park. For more information, call Bob Barth, 201-401-3121.

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Saturday, November 26 - Hopewell Township, Mercer County
Thanksgiving Hayrides/Wreath/Sleighbell Sale
Children Friendly Event & Site

Sleigh bells will ring when Howell Living Farm holds its annual Thanksgiving program featuring free horse drawn hayrides, a wreath and sleigh bell sale, and a special children's craft program.

Horse drawn hayrides (or sleigh rides!) will be offered throughout the day. There is no charge for the rides, but everyone is encouraged to bring a non-perishable food stuff to donate to local area food banks as a thank you for the wagon ride. Monetary donations to the food bank are also welcome.

Sleighbells will be sold throughout the day by The Friends of Howell Farm to benefit the Farm's restoration projects. The bells are made by harness maker Mervin Martin, who makes the harnesses and sleigh bells worn by the Farm's workhorses. Brass and nickel plated bells will be sold in straps of six, twelve, and twenty bells. Reproduction cast bells, bell door ringers and bell ornaments will also be available.


Other holiday items featured at the annual fundraiser include fresh evergreen wreaths and door hangings; baskets of the Farm's flour, honey and maple syrup; and beautiful handmade items sewn by the Pleasant Valley Stitchers.

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.org.

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Saturday, November 26 - Cape May, Cape May County
Lamplighter Christmas Tour
Family Friendly

Relive the memories of Christmas past on this self-guided evening tour of a selection of Cape May's finest Bed and Breakfast inns and private homes, specially decorated for the holidays, with a unique theme at each location. Innkeepers will share a presentation at each location. The tour also includes a visit to the Carroll Gallery at the Emlen Physick Estate where you can see "An Old-fashioned Christmas" exhibit, receive your souvenir gift and enjoy warm beverages and holiday treats. Adults $20 and children (3-12) $15. Tour runs from 7:00 - 9:00 pm. Purchase tickets at the Emlen Physick Estate. located at 1048 Washington Street, Cape May, NJ. Sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC). For more information, call 609-884-5404 or 800-275-4278 or visit www.capemaymac.org.

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Saturday - Sunday, November 26 - 27 - Bedminster, Somerset County
14th Annual Colonial Christmas
Family Friendly Event

Step back in time (to the winter of 1778-79) and visit Bedminster’s historic Jacobus Vanderveer House and Museum on Saturday and Sunday when it opens its wreath-clad doors for the fourteenth annual Colonial Christmas show house and tour for two consecutive weekends.

The fundraiser features: tours of the museum, which will be decorated for the holidays by Angelone’s Florist, of Raritan; Bedminster Florist; Classic Home & Garden, of Far Hills; and Design Consultants, of Bedminster; holiday shopping with boutique merchants and artisans; Colonial musicians, re-enactors and crafters; caroling; military demonstrations; Clydesdale-drawn wagon rides; a live reindeer program on opening day; Santa visits on Sundays; and gingerbread house workshops both weekends.

Schedule of Events
Saturday, November 26               
10:00 am - 4:00 pm              
* House Tours
* Holiday Shopping
* Colonial Re-Enactors & Crafters
* 13 Skeletons by Outdoor Impressions, Inc.
11:00 am - 1:00 pm 
* The Enslows perform Colonial American Christmas Music
1:00 pm
* Gingerbread house workshop for children accompanied by an adult, courtesy Ms. Gail’s Kids Cooking (Pre-registration required. Visit www.jvanderveerhouse.org or call 908-396-6053)         
* Magic & Miracles Reindeer Program

Sunday, November 29                 
10:00 am - 4:00 pm
* House Tours
* Holiday Shopping
* Colonial Re-enactors
* Chocolate Making with Susan Plaisted
* John Lamb’s Artillery Company Demonstrations
* 13 Skeletons by Outdoor Impressions, Inc.
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm 
* Santa Visit
3:00 - 4:00 pm
* Harmonium Choral Society

Admission is $10 (children 12 and under, free). The house is open from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday. The Jacobus Vanderveer House is located at 3055 River Road (in Bedminster’s River Road Park), Bedminster, NJ. The entrance to the house is via River Road Park. For more information, call 908-396-6053 or visit www.jvanderveerhouse.org.

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Sunday, November 27 through January 15, 2017 - Trenton, Mercer County

William E. Pedrick (1868-1927), Survey of the Artist Exhibit

Opening Sunday, view "William E. Pedrick (1868-1927), Survey of the Artist Exhibit" at the Trenton City Museum, Ellarslie in Cadwalader Park, Trenton, NJ. An opening reception will be held from 1:00 - 4:00 pm.

Born in Mount Holly, William Everitte Pedrick's life was cut tragically short at age 59 when he was killed on his way to work in an automobile accident, leaving behind an enormous portfolio of work that celebrated the personalities and events of the City of Trenton. Well-known throughout Trenton in his day, his paintings hung in the State Capitol, City Hall, the Courthouse, and other public buildings as well as regimental armories, colleges, museums, and courtrooms in other cities.

After studying at the National Academy of Design in New York and attending the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia, he came back to New Jersey and set up a studio at the Masonic Temple in Trenton. There he created caricatures of notable local politicians and personalities that graced the pages of the Trenton Sunday Advertiser and his own Acme Magazine. While portrait painting was his favorite branch of art, he was also a well accomplished landscape artist, specializing in scenes depicting the role that Trenton played during the American Revolution. An amateur historian, he thoroughly researched his subjects and never shrunk from pointing out the inaccuracies of famous paintings, most notably Emanuel Leutze's epic "Washington Crossing the Delaware."

A founder of the Trenton Arts Society and the Trenton Art Alliance, he strove to make an art museum possible in the City of Trenton. As an organizer of the Trenton Fair Art Club, he helped choose a painting of an outstanding artist each year to be placed in the municipal collection with the goal of making Trenton a place of recognition in the world of art.

The exhibit is being guest-curated by Laura M. Poll, Archivist at the Trentoniana Collection, Trenton Free Public Library. Paintings are being loaned to the exhibit by the Trenton Free Public Library and The Old Barracks Museum, among others. An introduction to the exhibit will be given by the guest curator at 1:30 p.m.

The Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie Mansion is located within Cadwalader Park, Trenton, NJ. For more information, call 609-989-3632 or visit www.ellarslie.org.

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Sunday, November 27 - Sparta, Sussex County

Lime Crest Quarry Exhibit & Open House

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Sunday, November 27 - Princeton, Mercer County

Historic Princeton Walking Tour
Children Friendly Tour

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. Tours begin in front of the Bainbridge House, 158 Nassau Street, Princeton, NJ. Tour begins at 2:00 pm and ends at 4:00 pm. Walk up ticket sales are cash only; guides cannot provide change. Space is limited. For more information and to reserve tickets, call 609-921-6748 or visit www.princetonhistory.org.

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Sunday, November 27 - West Orange, Essex County
Harry's Magical Invention Bag
Children Friendly

Learn about invention and the important role Edison played in taking invention from a cottage/hobby activity to a full commercial activity - practiced by all major corporations. Hear Harry Roman, a Thomas Edison National Historical Park volunteer, retired engineer, as well as inventor and patent holder, as he discusses the major role NJ plays in the national invention scene-and all the great inventions NJ inventors have brought into our world.

Harry, a nationally known inventor, was a critical player in establishing the NJ Inventors Hall of Fame in 1989, and later went on to chair the organization from 1996-2004. The Hall of Fame honored him with an Inventor of the Year award in 2005 for his pioneering work in robotics, and honored him again in 2012 with a special achievement award for his dedication to the organization.

The program runs from 1:00 - 2:00 pm and 3:00 - 4:00 pm 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 $10.00, 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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Through Sunday, November 27- Paterson, Passaic County
29th Annual Lambert Castle Holiday Boutique

From November 5th through November 27th, Lambert Castle, home of the Passaic County Historical Society will present the 29th annual Lambert Castle Holiday Boutique. Open Wednesday through Friday from 10:00 am - 8:00 pm, Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 am - 5:00 pm, the boutique invites you to enjoy shopping for this year's assortment of festive holiday gifts, jewelry, seasonal decorations, crafts, collectibles, and gourmet food in the historic atmosphere and ambiance of Lambert Castle.

Admission to the Boutique is $7 for opening weekend, November 5th - 6th and $6 for the duration of the show. All admission fees include two return visits. Children under 12 years are admitted free of charge. No child strollers or carriages are permitted inside the Castle. Visa and Mastercard are accepted for purchases. The café will return to the third floor serving a variety of soups, sandwiches, as well as hot and cold drinks. All proceeds from this fundraiser benefit the Passaic County Historical Society.

The Passaic County Historical Society, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, was founded to cultivate interest among individuals and the community-at-large in the rich history of Passaic County. To this end our museum in Lambert Castle showcases examples of the County's cultural and artistic diversity, as well as examples of the County's natural, civil, military, and ecclesiastical history. The Society also maintains a library and archive, which houses manuscripts, books and photographs of historical and genealogical interest.

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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Saturdays and Sundays through December 11, 2016 - Harrison Township, Gloucester County

Game on! Exhibit

A century of sports and recreation in Harrison Township is celebrated in Game On!, a new exhibition at Mullica Hill’s Old Town Hall Museum. Over 100 photographs, artifacts, and rare movie footage of a Mullica Hill Quakers Pop Warner Midget Football Championship game in 1958 feature local teams and athletes from the early 1900s through the 21st century. Objects come from many from private collections as well as the Museum’s holdings, most of which are on exhibit for the first time.

Some of the oldest pieces in Game On! focus on the early history of baseball. Mullica Hill, Richwood, Ewan, and Ferrell all had their own teams, whose players were young men who sometimes played on more than one team just to have the opportunity to play the game.

It wasn’t until the 1940s that Little League teams began to take the place of the young men’s leagues, which gradually disappeared.  The exhibition includes photographs and uniforms from both leagues.

The Township has also been home to a number of notable athletes, including football stars and coaches Robert C. Folwell, Jr. and Jim Leonard, major league baseball player and coach, Jeff Datz, outstanding track star William “Peanut” Gaines, and legendary athlete and Clearview High School coach, Lorriane Boyd Ledden.

Clearview’s early sports history is also represented, including programs for the then newly-opened school’s first interscholastic football game, played on October 8, 1960 at Woodstown.

The exhibition opens on the 56th anniversary of that first game and continues on Saturdays and Sundays, 1:00 - 4:00 pm, through December 11, 2016. Admission is free. Town Hall is located at the intersection of South Main Street and Woodstown Road in the heart of Mullica Hill’s Historic District. For more information, call 856-478-4949 or visit www.harrisonhistorical.com.

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Through December 31, 2016 - Morristown, Morris County

History of NJ Diners
Children Friendly

When was the last time you ate at a diner? If you are like millions in New Jersey, the answer is not too long ago. Dubbed “the land of diners,” New Jersey’s highways and main streets are dotted with silver airstreams and neon signs of the classic American diner. Moreover, New Jersey was and still is the diner manufacturing industry’s hub. This exhibition at the Morris Museum explores the rich history of the Garden State’s favorite casual eatery through classic photographs and historical artifacts, as well as original oil paintings by Wyckoff, NJ based artist Mark Oberndorf. Admission: adults, $10; seniors and children ages 3-18 $7; children under 3, free. The Morris Museum is located at 6 Normandy Heights Road, Morristown, NJ. For more information, call 973-971-3706 or visit www.morrismuseum.org.

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Through December 31, 2016 - Far Hills, Somerset County
More Than a Game Exhibit at the USGA Museum
Children Friendly

Visitors to the USGA Museum in Far Hills will be surprised to learn that there is much to discover about the game of golf. Originally installed in February of 2014, the exhibit "More Than a Game" focuses on how the creation of African-American golf clubs positively impacted the community, despite the pervasive prejudice and racism of the Jim Crow era. They founded institutions that celebrated the game, and their culture, setting a new standard for what a free and open society could be.

Local schools and youth groups are invited to arrange a field trip to the museum to learn about diversity in golf through the exhibit's centerpiece which is the story of William "Bill" Powell and the Clearview Golf Club. Founded in 1946 in East Canton, Ohio, Clearview is the only public golf course in the United States designed, built, owned, and operated by an African American. Celebrating their 70th anniversary this year, its existence is a testimonial to the vision, determination and integrity of Powell, who overcame numerous obstacles in the pursuit of his dream. Lesson plans are available upon request for teachers and group leaders prior to or following their onsite experience.

Powell's Clearview Golf Club was not the only African-American golf institution founded in this era. The exhibit also honors other clubs that made significant contributions to minority golf including Shady Rest Country Club in Scotch Plains, NJ, home course of John Shippen, the first American and the first African American to play in a U.S. Open Championship in 1896. Also featured are significant trophies from the United Golfers Association and many other various artifacts that celebrate the men and women who made sacrifices in an effort to realize their dream of equality on the greens.

The USGA is one of the world's foremost authorities on research, development and support of sustainable golf course management practices. It serves as a primary steward for the game's history and invests in the development of the game through the delivery of its services and its ongoing "For the Good of the Game" grants program. Additionally, the USGA's Course Rating and Handicap systems are used on six continents in more than 50 countries.

For more information about the museum, this exhibit and field trip opportunities, please contact Kim Gianetti at 908-326-1948 or by email at kgianetti@usga.org. For more information about the USGA, visit www.usga.org.

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Through December 31, 2016 - Tuckerton, Ocean County
Festival of Trees
Children Friendly Site

Roll out the holly and sharing in some holiday cheer at Tuckerton Seaport's Festival of Trees. The Festival of Trees will feature dozens of trees, each one decorated for a local nonprofit organization with a unique theme. Open 10:00 am - 5:00 pm. General admission: adults $8, seniors $6, ages 5-12 $5, under five free and Seaport members free. The Tuckerton Seaport and Baymen's Museum is located at 120 West Main Street, Tuckerton, NJ. For more information, call 609-296-8868 or visit www.tuckertonseaport.org.

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Saturdays and Sundays through January 8, 2017 - Princeton, Mercer County
Festival of Trees

Morven Museum and Garden's annual Festival of Trees has become a must-see Princeton holiday tradition. Enjoy the museum’s elegant galleries decorated for the holidays and adorned with trees artfully decorated by local businesses, garden clubs, and non-profit organizations.

This year’s Festival of Trees museum decorators include: Contemporary Garden Club, Dogwood Garden, Garden Club of Princeton, Keris Tree Farm & Christmas Shop, Jazams, McCarter Theater, Princeton Public Library, Princeton Symphony Orchestra, Stony Brook Garden Club, VanDerveer Design, West Trenton Garden Club, and Morven Museum & Garden.

No reservations necessary. Morven is open to the public on Wednesdays through Sundays from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm. Morven Museum & Garden is closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day.

Admission $10, $8 for Seniors, and special pricing for families during Festival of Trees, $15 per group. Friends of Morven, free. Please note that during the Festival of Trees in December and early January, no formal tours are given, but docents are available to answer any questions. 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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Through January 29, 2017 - Morristown, Morris County
Race to the Finish: Newspaper Coverage of Presidential Elections, 1789-2008 Exhibit

In recognition of the 2016 presidential election, the Morris County Historical Society offers the thought-provoking Race to the Finish: Newspaper Coverage of Presidential Elections, 1789-2008 through January 29, 2017 at Acorn Hall in Morristown, NJ.

Featured in the exhibit are rare, original, historic presidential newspapers from the personal collection of local historian, author, and MCHS Board of Trustees member Peter J. Tamburro, Jr. Newspaper headlines and articles illustrate the campaign promises, electoral obstacles, and political gaffes of more than 20 U.S. presidents and their rivals. See early newspaper coverage of George Washington's election through Barack Obama's 2008 campaign, and an authentic copy of the 1948 "Dewey Defeats Truman" headline of the Chicago Daily Tribune.

Complementing the newspapers are period clothing such as an 1876 dress worn to an inauguration party for President Rutherford B. Hayes, political paraphernalia including campaign buttons for Adlai Stevenson and Franklin Roosevelt, and a 1917 telegram sent by President Woodrow Wilson and other cultural artifacts - all from the extensive collections of the MCHS. The exhibit closes on January 29, 2017.

The Morris County Historical Society, founded in 1946, is a member-supported, 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Its headquarters, Acorn Hall, is an Italianate Villa mansion open to the public on Wednesdays and Thursdays (11:00 am - 4:00 pm) and Sundays (1:00 - 4:00 pm). Acorn Hall is located at 68 Morris Avenue, Morristown, NJ. For more information, call 973-267-3465 or visit www.acornhall.org.

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Through Sunday, February 5 - Morristown, Morris County

Fashion for the Far East: Collecting Chinoiserie at Macculloch Hall

Like many collectors at the time, W. Parsons Todd (1877 - 1976) delighted in objects made in China and Japan and those created in Europe inspired by Asian design during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. This exhibition traces the popularity among early twentieth century collectors for decorative objects made in or inspired by the East through a selection of carpets and porcelain in the Museum's collection. Objects on display will include the fine antique carpets woven in China, the Rose Medallion china made in China for export to the West, a pair of monumental Satsuma Vases urns made in Japan, and a pair of monumental vases created in an Asian style in Dresden, Germany.

Admission is $8, Adults; $6, Seniors and Students; $4, Children 6-12; and free for Members and children under 5. Macullouch Hall is located at 45 MacCulloch Avenue, Morristown, NJ. For more information, call 973-538-2404 or visit www.maccullochhall.org.

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Through Friday, April 28, 2017 - Trenton, Mercer County
Toy World Exhibit
Children Friendly

Bring the whole family to enjoy this fun new exhibition spotlighting the little-known history of toy manufacturing in New Jersey. Step back to another era and enjoy a bit of nostalgia with more than 100 toys made in New Jersey between 1880 and the late 1960s, during New Jersey's golden era of manufacturing. See how world events helped shape the toys produced here, from tin toys, porcelain dolls, and model trains, through the development of plastics, which ushered in little green army men, Colorforms, Suzy Homemaker ovens and more. Innovations such as the first "talking" doll, created by Thomas Edison, will also be featured.

The exhibition features a play area for children and a spot to share your favorite childhood toy memories. Randomly selected memories will be featured on the Museum's Facebook page throughout the exhibition. "Toy World" will be on view from through April 28, 2017. 

“Toy World” will be on view in the Riverside Gallery on the New Jersey State Museum's second floor. The Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday, 9:00 am to 4:45 pm and closed on all State holidays. The Museum is located at 205 W State St, Trenton, NJ. For more information, visit www.statemuseum.nj.gov.

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Through Sunday, May 21, 2017 - Princeton, Mercer County
Bruce Springsteen: A Photographic Journey

Like Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, and Bob Dylan before him, Bruce Springsteen is a pillar of American music. Springsteen has turned his guitar into an instrument of change, using it to tap into the American psyche and connect with the blue-collar man and woman through his melodies and lyrics. From his humble beginnings of rehearsing in New Jersey garages to selling out arenas around the world, Springsteen's career has spanned decades and crossed genres-and has never wavered from its upward trajectory.

This fall, Morven Museum & Garden presents Bruce Springsteen: A Photographic Journey. Traveling from the GRAMMY Museum in Los Angeles, this exhibition features forty photographs of the rock legend and video interviews with five of the six noted photographers: Danny Clinch, Ed Gallucci, Eric Meola, Barry Schneier, Pamela Springsteen, and Frank Stefanko. Together they revisit Springsteen's career as a frontman and songwriter, capturing his charisma and off-stage vulnerability.

The exhibition is on view from November 18, 2016 through May 21, 2017 at Morven Museum & Garden, 55 Stockton Street, Princeton, NJ. Hours: Wednesday - Sunday 10:00 am - 4:00 pm. For more information, call 609-924-8144 or visit www.morven.org.

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Through June 2017 - Ocean Township, Monmouth County
Presidents at the Monmouth County Shore Exhibit

One hundred years ago this September, 25,000 people gathered on the grounds of what is today Monmouth University—then a private estate called Shadow Lawn—to see Woodrow Wilson officially accept the nomination of the Democratic Party for a second Presidential run. Wilson was following a popular tradition among American Presidents to retreat to our slice of the Jersey Shore to escape the heat and hubbub of Washington. At the Eden Woolley House, this major exhibit tells the wide-ranging stories of eleven Presidents who spent time here, at the Monmouth County shore.

Mrs. Lincoln got the ball rolling
There’s a case to be made that it all started with Mary Todd Lincoln. Mrs. Lincoln travelled to Long Branch in the summer of 1861, probably at the invitation of William Newell, family friend and then supervisor of the life-saving services in New Jersey. Long Branch was already a popular resort, and national coverage of the First Lady’s visit added immeasurably to its fame and appeal.

That fame and appeal continued to draw the wealthy and influential—including the seven presidents who vacationed in resort city, starting with Ulysses Grant.

Seven Presidents in Long Branch
In 1870, a group of wealthy businessmen who summered in the Elberon section of Long Branch presented President Grant with an oceanfront cottage where he vacationed for the next 15 years. When Grant died in 1885, city officials feared the resort might lose its cachet. They needn’t have worried. Six of the next ten Presidents--Hayes, Garfield, Arthur, Harrison, McKinley, and Wilson--chose to spend time in Long Branch.

The most tragic of these Presidential visits was James Garfield’s last. Mrs. Garfield was in Long Branch recuperating from illness, when, on July 2, 1881, Garfield was shot by an assassin in the Washington train station. He was taken to the White House, where his condition worsened. In hope the sea air might help, Garfield was taken to Elberon. Famously, locals worked through the night to build the spur to carry the President’s railroad car from Elberon Station to the ocean side cottage. He died there 12 days later, September 19.

Beyond Long Branch
Long Branch was not the only Monmouth County destination of Presidents. Teddy Roosevelt, FDR, and Richard Nixon visited our area, if only, in some cases, for a political rally. And then, of course, there’s Warren Harding, whose local connection was a bit less public and a good deal more scandalous. Join us June 26 to learn the full story. The new exhibit is on view through June 2017.

The Township of Ocean Historical Museum offers exhibits on the history of coastal Monmouth County and a full calendar of events. The Museum also houses a library and archive of local history. It is open, free of charge, 1:00 - 4:00 pm, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursday, 7:00 - 9:00 pm Thursday evenings, and 1:00 - 4:00 pm the first and second Sundays of each month. The Township of Ocean Historical Museum is located at 703 Deal Road, Ocean, NJ. For more information, visit www.oceanmuseum.org.

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Sundays through June 30, 2017 - Piscataway, Middlesex County
A Revolutionary Legacy: the Cornelius Low House 275 Exhibit

The newest exhibit to open at the Middlesex County Museum exhibit delves into the history of the Low family and the role they played in the shaping of the United States. A Revolutionary Legacy: the Cornelius Low House 275 exhibit is housed inside the County’s Historic Cornelius Low House/Middlesex County Museum. 

This seven-room exhibit contains artifacts that date to the 1700s and includes handcrafted furniture from New Brunswick, paintings by artist Micah Williams, a document signed by Cornelius Low and his wife Johanna, portrait miniatures of several Low family members, and a chair that George Washington used on a visit to the New Brunswick area. These items are on loan from the DAR Jersey Blue Chapter Buccleuch Mansion, the Suffolk County Historical Society and private collections.

The Cornelius Low House/Middlesex County Museum is open on Sundays from 1:00 - 4:00 pm and is located at 1225 River Road, Piscataway, NJ. For more information, call 732-745-4177 or visit www.middlesexcountynj.gov.

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Last Sunday of the month through Fall 2017 - Woodbury, Gloucester County
White Lace and Promises: Two Centuries of Weddings Exhibit

White Lace and Promises: Two Centuries of Weddings, is the Gloucester County Historical Society Museum's most comprehensive wedding exhibit to date! This gorgeous exhibit features over 50 wedding gowns from the museum’s collection, representing the time period from the 1810’s through most of the 20th century. From the hooped dresses and bustles of the 19th century, to the many variations of gowns during the 20th century, nearly every popular wedding gown style is represented. Also showcased are bridal accessories including headpieces, veils, shoes, fans, lingerie, and jewelry. Documentation such as invitations and wedding certificates, along with beautiful photographs from many of these weddings, are also on display. This extensive exhibit will be up until fall of 2017 – do not miss it!

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. If interested in scheduling a private tour during non-public hours to see this exhibit, this may be organized for you and/or your group with advance. 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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Some event listings courtesy of the League of Historical Societies of New Jersey