Discover “The Hidden History of Slavery in New Jersey” - February 26, 2017

Discover “The Hidden History of Slavery in New Jersey”
Sunday, February 26, 2017

On Sunday, February 26, at 1:30 pm, at the Wallace House and Old Dutch Parsonage State Historic sites, historian Timothy Hack will uncover the lost and forgotten stories of the slaves who once lived in colonial New Jersey.

From its days of earliest settlement, African American slavery existed in colonial New Jersey. Sometimes slaves succeeded in running away; sometimes they were freed; most often they remained in life-long bondage. Decades before the onset of the American Revolution, slaves at different times and places across the colony planned revolts against their masters, seeking their own freedom. In bondage, slaves raised families, built communities, learned trades, established their own churches and forged connections across race and class barriers. Join historian Timothy Hack as he unfolds their forgotten histories.

Timothy Hack is Chair of the History and Social Science Department at Middlesex County Community College and a Ph.D candidate at the University of Delaware.

There is a five dollar per-person fee to attend this program. All visitors must register for this program in advance. To register, call 908-725-1015 or e-mail whouse3@verizon.net. Please register early, as seating is limited.

The Wallace House, built in 1776, served as George Washington’s winter headquarters during the Middlebrook Cantonment of 1778-1779. The house was the country residence of retired Philadelphia merchant John Wallace; Washington rented the use of half the house for himself and his staff and paid Wallace $1,000 for the use of his house and furniture. During his stay, the General hosted foreign dignitaries and planned strategies for the spring military campaign. The house is fully restored and furnished with period furniture.

The Old Dutch Parsonage was constructed in 1751, by the congregations of three local Dutch Reform Churches. The house was occupied by the Reverend John Frelinghuysen and his family until his death in 1754. His successor, the Reverend Jacob Hardenberg was the principal founder and first president of Queens College in New Brunswick, now Rutgers University.

Both sites are administered by the New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry, and are open to visitors Wednesday through Sunday. The Wallace House and Old Dutch Parsonage are both listed on the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places.

The parking lot entrance and interpretive center for the sites is located at 71 Somerset Street, Somerville, NJ. For directions and more information about the sites, visit www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/historic/olddutch-wallace/odwh-wallacehouse.htm.

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