NJ Weekend Historical Happenings: 3/10/18 - 3/11/18

 New Jersey Weekend Historical Happenings

A Weekly Feature on www.thehistorygirl.com

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

Saturday, March 10 - Cape May, Cape May County
50 Years Later: 1968 and the Vietnam War - Fortification of Hué and the Turning of the War

The year 1968 was pivotal in both Vietnamese and United States history. Learn about these changes in this lecture series. marking this anniversary on Saturday at 1:00 pm. This program will be held at the Cape May Lutheran Church, 509 Pittsburgh Avenue, Cape May, NJ. Admission is $5 at the door. Free for all World War II veterans, MAC members and students. Presented by the Friends of the World War II Tower in association with 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, March 10 - Holmdel, Monmouth County
Cookstove Demonstration
Children Friendly Event

On Saturday, visit Historic Longstreet Farm in Holmdel to see what is cooking on the woodstove in the out kitchen. Discover how food, recipes, cooking techniques and the kitchen itself has changed since the 1890s. This free event runs from 11:00 am - 3:00 pm. 

Historic Longstreet Farm is located at 44 Longstreet Road, Holmdel, NJ. For more information, call 732-946-3758 or visit www.monmouthcountyparks.com.

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Saturday, March 10 - Princeton, Mercer County
Einstein Surprise Party
Children Friendly Event

Renowned re-enactor Bill Agress brings Albert Einstein to “life” for children during Princeton's Annual Pi Day celebration at Morven Museum & Garden, where a “surprise” birthday party is held each year as part of Pi Day Princeton. Attendees at this year's surprise party, which starts at 10:00 am, will have an even greater surprise -- they will each take home an historic party favor: a cutting from Einstein's own begonias.

Morven and the Historical Society of Princeton (HSP) are partnering to present Albert Einstein’s surprise birthday for 4, 5, and 6 year olds with HSP providing fun facts about the guest of honor. Morven’s newest exhibition, A Gentleman’s Pursuit: The Commodore’s Greenhouse, together with the Historical Society’s Einstein collection, inform the event.

“We wanted to find a fun and accurate way to connect Einstein to Morven Museum & Garden’s exhibition and we found it through research conducted by Eve Mandel, Director of Programs and Visitor Services at HSP,” Debra Lampert-Rudman, Morven's Curator of Education and Public Programs said.  “I asked Eve if Einstein loved plants or had a greenhouse and she found research stating that he loved begonias and said she even heard that there were possibly people in Princeton who still owned live cuttings.”

The search continued and Vicky Bergman, President of Princeton's Community Without Walls, was found to “indeed have descendants of Einstein's begonias...and was happy to share cuttings with children in the community.”

All “little geniuses” should plan to arrive by 10:00 am to meet and sing “Happy Birthday” to Einstein, enjoy a piece of birthday cake (donated by McCaffrey's of Princeton) learn fun facts and decorate pots to plant their cuttings to take home. 

Registration is limited. Admission is $10 per person. Click here to register through Eventbrite. This program will take place at Morven Museum & Garden, 55 Stockton Street, Princeton, NJ.  For more information, call 609-921-6748 or visit www.princetonhistory.org.

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Saturday, March 10 - Hopewell Township, Mercer County
Maple Sugaring
Children Friendly

On Saturday, children will be riding high at Howell Farm when the Farm's big workhorses will be drafted to "pony ride" duty.

Riders will not sit on saddles, nor will they ride bareback, but will sit atop fully harnessed, three quarter ton workhorses. The horses won't mind, according to the farmers, since giving rides is easier than pulling the plows and wagons used to run the 130-acre living history farm.

The program is intended to give children a taste of early 20th century farm life. So, in order to get a ride, children must first do their farm chores, which include shelling and grinding corn, pumping water, and making fence rails. Riders must be between the ages of 5 and 12 years old, without exception.

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, March 10 - Hardwick, Warren County
Maple Sugar Day
Children Friendly Event

Join park rangers and volunteers to celebrate the approach of spring with the North American tradition of maple sugaring at Millbrook Village in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. American Indians, early settlers, and their descendants all looked forward to collecting and boiling the sap of locally abundant sugar maple trees. Experience this tradition for yourself! Visitors will be able to see and participate in the “sugaring” process from the tree to the table. Sap from Millbrook Village maples will be boiled down in cast iron kettles over an open fire to create maple syrup. Woodstove and outdoor cooking demonstrations will showcase the use of maple products in recipes common during the 1800s.

This free event will take place from 11:00 am - 3:00 pm. In case of severe weather, the program will be held on Saturday, March 17.

Millbrook Village is part of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Millbrook Village is located in Hardwick Township, NJ at the intersection of Old Mine Road and Millbrook Road, County Route 602N.  For more information and directions, call 908-841-9531, 908-537-2544, or 973-875-3461 or visit their Facebook page.

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Saturday, March 10 - West Orange, Essex County
NJ Makers Day
Children Friendly Event

On Saturday, there will be two different events going on at Thomas Edison National Historical Park in conjunction with the NJ statewide Makers Day.

From 11:00 am - 1:00 pm:
Lights, Camera, Action: What are movies?  Make stop animation movies using an IPad.

From 2:00 - 4:00 pm:
Edison and Batteries:  Edison is designing and manufacturing a nickel-iron storage battery and generating his own electricity. Learn about electricity and build a battery and work with squishy circuits.

These programs are 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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Saturday, March 10 - Mount Laurel, Burlington County
Tour Paulsdale & Afternoon Program

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

From 2:00 - 3:30 pm, living history presenter Carol Simon Levin will portray Jeannette Rankin, America’s first female member of Congress, telling the intertwined stories of women’s suffrage activism, war service, and the political calculus that finally brought the support of President Wilson, the U.S. Congress, and state legislatures to achieve passage of the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote. Admission to the program is $5/person, or free with a paid $5 tour during Second Saturday Tours from 12:00 - 2:00 pm.

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

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Saturday, March 10 - Galloway, Atlantic County
29th Annual Pinelands Short Course

The Pinelands Short Course is a daylong event (9:00am - 4:00pm) at Stockton University featuring educational presentations that explore the unique history, ecology and culture of the Pinelands. This event is sponsored by the state Pinelands Commission and Stockton University. Learn about coyotes in NJ, frogs and toads, raptors and reptiles, Pinelands history, and trends in biodiversity just to name a few topics! You can also take field trips like the those listed below:

* New: PPA's Director of Conservation Science, Dr. Ryan Rebozo, will lead a field trip into the Pinelands to discuss fire ecology including a visit to the pygmy pine plains!
* Director of Education for Pinelands Adventures, John Volpa will lead a talk on history, geologic time, people and industries of the Pine Barrens (Pine Barrens Time Machine)!
* NEW: Pinelands Adventures staff Jeff Larsen will lead a bus tour to give a glimpse of what life was like in the Pine Barrens along the Wading River in the 1800’s.

To register go to www.stockton.edu/pinelands. Stockton University is located at 101 Vera King Farris Drive, Galloway, NJ. Cost: $50 per person for adults.

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Saturday, March 10 - Piscataway, Middlesex County
Just in Case: Disaster Planning for Cultural Organizations

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Saturday - Sunday, March 10 - 11 - Pemberton Township, Burlington County
Tour Whitesbog

Want to find a special place to visit off the beaten path? Come to the Whitesbog Blueberry and Cranberry museum. There are interesting artifacts and detailed farm history to explore. Its charm will appeal to both the young and the young at heart. This museum has a unique understanding of the area, its people and places that make Whitesbog and the Pine Barrens so important to Jersey. Tours available from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm. Call first at 609-893-4646 to arrange for a tour. Donation of $5 per person requested.

Historic Whitesbog Village is located at 120 West Whitesbog 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@gmail.com or visit www.whitesbog.org.

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Sunday, March 11 - Morristown, Morris County
Greystone's Legacy: Topic of Upcoming Talk at Morris County Historical Society

The history of our nation’s Kirkbride asylums and the many connections between Greystone and Trans-Atlantic Lunatic Asylum will be the focus of a talk by authors Rusty Tagliareni and Christina Mathews at Acorn Hall on Sunday at 2:00 pm. The program is sponsored by Morris County Historical Society (MCHS).

This is the second of two multimedia presentations by the best-selling authors of the award-winning Images of America book Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital, Greystone’s connection to remaining Kirkbride buildings, and the similarities between Greystone and the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic  Asylum (TALA) in West Virginia, a preserved Kirkbride building. A MCHS trip to TALA, which is open to the public, is scheduled for Thursday through Saturday, April 12-14.

This second event featuring Tagliareni and Mathews will be held on Sunday at 2:00 pm, when the authors will focus specifically on the history of our nation’s Kirkbride asylums and the many connections between Greystone and Trans-Atlantic Lunatic Asylum. The program also will include a vignette screening of Greystone’s Last Stand, highlighting the link between the two asylums and how one could have saved the other from demolition, if only given the chance.

A book signing will follow the presentation. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors, $7 for students, and free for MCHS members, attendees participating in the TALA bus trip, and children under 12.

The Morris County Historical Society is located at Acorn Hall and is open on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11:00 am - 4:00 pm, and on Sundays from 1:00- 4:00 pm. For a tour of Acorn Hall and to see the exhibit is $6 for adults, $5 for seniors, $3 for students, and Free for children under age 12 and MCHS members. To see the exhibit, only, is one half of the price of admission.

The Morris County Historical Society, founded in 1946, is a member-supported, 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Acorn Hall, an Italianate Villa, is located at 68 Morris Avenue, Morristown, NJ. TO RSVP or for more information, call 973-267-3465 or visit www.acornhall.org.

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Sunday, March 11 - 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, March 11 - Galloway, Atlantic County
Lines on the Pines
Family Friendly

On Sunday, attend the 13th Annual Lines on the Pines - a gathering of artists, authors and artisans whose passion is the Pine Barrens of New Jersey! Enjoy a wonderful day meeting Pine Barrens authors, artists and artisans! Over fifty talented Pine Barrens People will be on hand to sign their books, display their artwork or craft, play their music and in general, share their love of the Pine Barrens! The event runs from 11:00 am - 4:00 pm at the Stockton University Campus Center, 101 Vera King Farris Drive, Galloway, NJ. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.linesonthepines.org.

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Sunday, March 11 - Eatontown, Monmouth County
Monmouth County Genealogy Society Topic: “Newspapers: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly”

“Newspapers: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” will be the topic of the Sunday meeting of the Monmouth County Genealogy Society. Shamele Jordon will make a return visit to Monmouth County to present this popular program at 2:00 pm at the Community Center, 72 Broad Street, Eatontown, NJ.

Shamele, a professional genealogist, cable TV producer, and writer, will take her audience into the world of newspapers beyond obituaries to show what researchers can try when traditional records fall short. She will discuss what is available online and how to find sources offline.

Shamele can be seen currently on PhillyCAM public access with her unique “Genealogy Quick Start.” These episodes may be viewed on Facebook at facebook.com/GenealogyQuickStartTV. Shamele describes “Quick Start” as a 30-minute TV series providing the steps needed to begin researching our ancestry. The series explores hot topics with everyday people researching family history, as well as professional researchers.

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Sunday, March 11 - Bedminster, Somerset County
The First Decade of the United States Supreme Court

Join us for a lively discussion with Jude M. Pfister — Author, Historian and Chief of Cultural Resources at Morristown National Historic Park. Jude will discuss his upcoming book The First Decade of the United States Supreme Court, which is due out in August of 2018. Constitutional development in the US Supreme Court is commonly held to have begun with Chief Justice John Marshall. Pfister’s book through analysis and elaboration of several seminal cases brought before the Court under Chief Justices Jay and Ellsworth shows that in fact constitutional jurisprudence began in the US in the decade before John Marshall arrived. Pre-registration is required and registration is limited. 

The Jacobus Vanderveer House & Museum will be open for tours from 1:00 - 4:00 pm. Admission for the program is $10 per person and can be purchased online.  Members free. Children 12 and under, free. Registration suggested. The Jacobus Vanderveer House is located at 3055 River Road (in Bedminster’s River Road Park), Bedminster, NJ. For more information, visit www.jvanderveerhouse.org.

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Sunday, March 11 - Holmdel, Monmouth County
Blacksmith Demonstration
Children Friendly Event

On Sunday, visit Historic Longstreet Farm in Holmdel to take a step back in time to watch blacksmiths perform their craft. They will be shaping iron into everyday products. Blacksmiths were as common as an auto mechanic in towns and on farms of the 1890s. This free event runs from 11:00 am - 3:00 pm. Historic Longstreet Farm is located at 44 Longstreet Road, Holmdel, NJ. For more information, call 732-946-3758 or visit www.monmouthcountyparks.com.

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Saturday, March 11 - Flemington, Hunterdon County
Base Ball Lecture Hunterdon County Historical Society

Baseball historian and author John Zinn is the guest speaker at the Hunterdon County Historical Society’s spring meeting on Sunday at 2:00 pm. The meeting and lecture will be held at the Presbyterian Church, 10 East Main Street, Flemington, NJ.

Since 2010, John Zinn has been an independent historian with special interest in the history of baseball. He is the author of three books about the Brooklyn Dodgers including the first full- length biography of Dodger owner Charles Ebbets to be published in the spring of 2018.  Mr. Zinn is serving as the guest curator for an exhibit on early New Jersey baseball history at the Morven Museum in Princeton, opening in June of 2018. He is also writing the companion book to the exhibit.

The afternoon lecture will begin with the early days of organized baseball describing New Jersey’s important role during the antebellum period. After looking at baseball during the Civil War, the focus will shift to the post war years in New Jersey. The 19th century baseball game and how it differs from the modern version will be discussed along with a look at the Flemington Neshanock, one of Hunterdon County’s first baseball teams. In his spare time, Mr. Zinn is the score keeper for the Neshanock vintage baseball team!

A resident of Verona, New Jersey, Mr. Zinn holds BA and MBA degrees from Rutgers University and is a Vietnam veteran. He is the chairman of the board of the New Jersey Historical Society and chaired New Jersey's committee on the Civil War Sesquicentennial.

The talk will last about 50 minutes, followed by questions; refreshments will be served. For more information, call 908-782-1091 or visit www.hunterdonhistory.org.

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Saturday, March 11 - Chester, Morris County
The Incredible Journey of the Black River Playhouse

On Sunday, at the Chester Library at 2:00 pm, The Chester Historical Society and the Chester Library are pleased to host: "The Incredible Journey of the Black River Playhouse" presented by Edward Ng of the Chester Historical Society.

The Black River Playhouse is one of the most iconic buildings in Chester. It is certainly the most mysterious, windowless building in the historic village. The building has had an incredible 164 year journey, physically and functionally. Trials, tribulations, trauma, finally ending in triumph. This is the story of how a bankrupt Bedminster Baptist church became the Black River Playhouse, home to the Chester Theatre Group for the last 50 years. House of worship, house of government, house of burlesque, house of silent and talkie movies, and after much turmoil the Black River Playhouse. Luckily our story is not a tragedy, but there are heroes, heroines, and rats. Let the play begin! This program is free and open to the public. It will be held at the Chester Library, 250 W. Main Street, Chester, NJ. There will be complimentary refreshments.

In addition, for the month of March, the Chester Historical Society and the Chester Theatre Group will have an exhibit at the Chester Library presenting a selection of images from 50 years of 8 of the most loved plays by the Chester Theatre Group. Check to see if one of them is your favorite: Thurber's Carnival, Cabaret, The Importance of Being Earnest, Nine, Grey Gardens, The Norman Conquests, Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, and Our Town.

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Saturday, March 11 - Chatham, Morris County
Discovery of a Masterpiece

The Chatham Township Historical Society hosts Mallory Martillaro, curator of collections for the Hartley Dodge collection in Madison, NJ who will speak about discovering a lost Auguste Rodin sculpture of Napoleon Bonaparte. Ms. Mortillaro identified, researched, and authenticated the Rodin sculpture after she located it in the Madison Borough Hall. The sculpture had been lost for eight decades.  This program will be held from 2:00 - 4:00 pm at the Chatham Township Municipal Building, 58 Meyersville Road, Chatham Township, NJ. Admission is free. For more information, visit www.chathamtownshiphistoricalsociety.

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Through Sunday, March 25, 2018 - Paterson, Passaic County

Urban / Rural: Landscapes of Passaic by William P. Campbell (1943-1992) Exhibit

The Passaic County Historical Society would like to announce the opening of its newest exhibit Urban / Rural: Landscapes of Passaic by William P. Campbell (1943-1992). This exhibit is a career spanning retrospective, featuring the landscape paintings of local artist William P. Campbell (1943-1992). A Paterson native formally trained at Newark School of Fine and Industrial Arts and the School of Fine Arts at William Paterson College, Campbell spent his life painting the landscapes of Northern New Jersey, while working as a letter carrier for the United States Postal Service in Passaic.

This exhibition of Campbell’s work focuses on the urban landscape of the City of Passaic. Many of the pieces reflect Campbell's interest in how industry and urban development mingle with, and sometimes overwhelm, the natural beauty of the Passaic River.

The paintings will be on display in Lambert Castle through March 25, 2018. The exhibit is located on the 3rd floor of the museum and can be viewed as a part of the self-guided museum tour. Regular admission applies (adults $5, seniors $4, and children $3).

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, home of the Passaic County Historical Society, is located at 3 Valley Road, Paterson NJ. For more information regarding museum hours and admission, visit the Passaic County Historical Society’s website at www.lambertcastle.org or call 973-247-0085.

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Through Friday, March 30, 2018

All Aboard…Trains! Exhibit at the Gloucester County Historical Society Museum

All Aboard…Trains!, our new exhibit at the Gloucester County Historical Society Museum, will be a hit for the whole family! The main attraction will be the running train displays throughout the museum. Also featured will be the extensive Tyco Train collection which was once the private collection of the Tyler family, founder of Tyco. Railroad memorabilia from throughout the years will also be on display, in addition to vignettes from Victorian times to the 1950’s. 

This exhibit will run until March 30, 2018.  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 notice. Regular admission from January - March: 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.gchsnj.org.

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Through Sunday, April 15, 2018 - Cape May, Cape May County
“Franklin Street School: From Segregation to Unification”

Until Sunday, April 15, view the Center for Community Arts (CCA) Exhibit in the Carroll Gallery on the grounds of the Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington Street, Cape May, NJ.

From its opening in 1928, the Franklin Street School was a symbol of segregation and separation. It stood as a reminder of a racial divide, even after school integration in 1948. For two decades the Center for Community Arts has worked to preserve, stabilize and restore the school. Now a collaborative effort by CCA and the City of Cape May aims to renew the school as a community center, offering meeting space, arts and history programs, exhibits, events and senior activities and services to bring together all the people of Cape Island. The exhibit will include photographs, artifacts and recorded oral and video histories to chronicle the history of the school, the initial efforts to preserve and rehabilitate the building, and plans for the building’s expansion and completion.

Admission to the exhibit is free. Presented by the Center for Community Arts (CCA) in association with the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC). For information on the exhibit, call 609-884-7525 or visit www.CenterforCommunityArts.org. For gallery hours, call 609-884-5404 or visit www.capemaymac.org.

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Through Saturday, April 28, 2018 - Haledon, Passai County
Frederick Douglass Series 2017 Exhibit

The American Labor Museum/Botto House National Landmark located in Haledon, New Jersey proudly has opened the exhibit Frederick Douglass Series 2017. Frederick Douglass Series 2017 is an exhibit of contemporary paintings and drawings about the life of Frederick Douglass, slave, abolitionist, and statesman. Artist Mark Priest states, "In the United States of America many slaves were safely carried to freedom. This monumental undertaking that has virtually gone unnoticed has been the subject of my work over the past eleven years. My current focus is on Frederick Douglass, Slavery in Maryland, and Underground Railroad Conductor, Harriet Tubman."

Mark Priest is a working artist and professor at the University of Louisville in Louisville, Kentucky. Mr. Priest graduated from Yale School of Art in 1989. He is a productive artist with exhibition experience and, he continues teaching studio art to college students.

Frederick Douglass Series 2017 exhibit by Mark Priest is on view at the museum through April 28, 2018. The American Labor Museum is headquartered in the historic Botto House National Landmark, located at 83 Norwood Street, Haledon, NJ. The museum's hours of operation are Monday through Friday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm. Tours are offered Wednesday through Saturday from 1:00 - 4:00 pm or by appointment. For more information, call 973-595-7953, visit www.labormuseum.net or e-mail labormuseum@aol.com.

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Through Sunday, May 13, 2018 - Morristown, Morris County
The Cutting Edge: Medicine in Morris County, 1876 - 1976

Morris County Historical Society will feature the many contributions Morris County doctors, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies and veterinarians have made to the field of medicine at both the local and global levels at its upcoming exhibit, "The Cutting Edge: Medicine in Morris County, 1876-1976." The exhibit will open on Sunday, September 10 and run through Sunday, May 13, 2018.

Morris County is a hub of innovation in the medical field. The "Grandfather of the Epidural," James Leonard Corning, MD, lived at Acorn Hall, now the MCHS headquarters; the country's first Doctor of Veterinary Medicine was born in Mount Olive; the biggest studies disproving the benefits of lobotomies took place at Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital; and the Right-to-Die controversy first made national headlines through the case of Karen Ann Quinlan in the 1970s and 1980s.

Morris County also is home to The Seeing Eye, Bayer's North American Headquarters, and Morristown Medical Center, a nationally-ranked hospital in the fields of cardiology and orthopedics.

The exhibit will honor the 125th anniversary of Morristown Medical Center, include stories and photos of and objects from Greystone Park never before exhibited, and commemorate the 100th anniversary of the burning of the original All Souls' Hospital. It also will explore the history of The Seeing Eye, right-to-die cases, veterinarian medicine, local pharmaceutical giants, impact of diseases, such as tuberculosis and Spanish Flu, and notable medical professionals who treated Morris County residents.

A formal Exhibit Opening will be held on Thursday, September 21 at 6:00 pm. Morris County Historical Society is located at Acorn Hall, 68 Morris Avenue, Morristown, NJ and is open Wednesdays and Thursdays, 11:00 am - 4:00 pm, and Sundays, 1:00 - 4:00 pm. Admission, which includes the exhibits and landscaped grounds, is $6 for adults, $5 for seniors, $3 for students, and is free for children under 12 and MCHS members. For more information, call 973-267-3465 or visit www.MorrisCountyHistory.org.

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Through June 3, 2018 - Princeton, Mercer County
A Gentleman’s Pursuit: The Commodore’s Greenhouse

Morven Museum & Garden presents A Gentleman’s Pursuit: The Commodore’s Greenhouse, which reveals the remarkable findings at Morven from Hunter Research’s excavation of one of New Jersey’s earliest greenhouses on view from through June 3, 2018.

Research done in the 2000s, revealed that Commodore Robert F. Stockton (1795-1866) had built the greenhouse during his tenure at Morven. Account books showed that the Commodore had paid for the installation of gutters on the building in October 1854, placing its construction at approximately 1852-54. An inventory upon his death indicated that the greenhouse contained 15 lemon trees, 100 Japonicas, 10 cati, 4 azaleas, 3 Daphnes and “Misc. plants.” Based on research it is believed that the greenhouse was torn down in the 1880s.

Little else was known about the greenhouse until a 2013 archaeological dig conducted by Hunter Research, Inc., who is partnering with Morven for his exhibition, uncovered the brick and stone foundation of the structure. Excavations over the next two summers revealed thousands of cultural artifacts, including the remains of the cast iron furnace which heated the greenhouse, and glass from the window panes that allowed sunlight in. The greenhouse denotes the refined gentleman’s pastime of the Commodore, reflecting his social prominence and financial standing to enjoy such an exquisite hobby. Due to New Jersey’s gradual emancipation law, the Commodore no longer owned any enslaved people by the time the greenhouse was constructed.  The maintenance of the structure and plants within was likely left to a trained gardener and paid farm hands.

“This exhibition is unique in that it allows visitors to follow the process of archaeologists and historians as they work their way from identifying archaeological digs, unearthing and dating artifacts, researching primary documents, and comparing contemporaneous sites to reveal a fuller picture of what Morven’s greenhouse would have been like,” says, Elizabeth Allan, Curator of Collections & Exhibitions.

“The exhibit shows how archaeology opens a fascinating window into the greenhouse that serviced Morven’s gardens,” says Richard Hunter, President/Principal, Hunter Research, Inc. For the past 30 years, Trenton-based Hunter Research, a historic preservation and cultural resources consulting firm, has been actively engaged in interpreting historic sites for the benefit of the general public.

A Gentleman's Pursuit: The Commodore’s Greenhouse is on view at Morven Museum & Garden, 55 Stockton Street, Princeton, NJ, through June 3, 2018. Admission: Adults - $10, Seniors (60+)/Students/Active Military Personnel - $8, Children 6 and under - Free, Friends of Morven - Free. Morven’s Hours: Wednesday through 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 2018 - Ocean Township, Monmouth County
New Jersey and the Great War: Local Stories of World War I 

Bringing World War One Home
Though overshadowed by its sequel, World War One had profound and lasting effects on politics, social order, and individual lives. “New Jersey and the Great War: Local Stories of World War One,” the exhibit opening to the public at the Eden Woolley House, Sunday, June 25, sets out to make that case—with particular emphasis on the people and happenings of our state.

The Big Picture
The Great War reshaped the world. The U.S. emerged a world power. The seeds were sown for the rise of fascism and the spread of communism. Middle Eastern national boundaries were redrawn, fueling ethnic conflicts that continue to threaten.

At home, the scope and power of the U.S. government grew. A national army took over state militias. National security clashed with civil rights. Ethnic tensions grew--as did opposing organizations that either fed or defended against them. Women entered the work force in unprecedented numbers—and developed a irreversible taste for independence.

New Jersey’s Role
New Jersey was an industrial powerhouse that supplied the Allies even before we entered the war—and for that drew the attention of saboteurs. Once in the war, we boosted our manufacturing output. The army built facilities here that played major roles in the war effort, including Camps Dix, Merritt (a major embarkation base), and Vail (later Fort Monmouth).

New Jersey supplied two high-profile figures of the war era, most notably, the President himself. Wilson was a former New Jersey governor who ran his presidential campaigns from right here in Monmouth County. His nemesis during the war years, Alice Paul, was a militant suffragist from Burlington County who labelled the president “Kaiser Wilson.” Her White House picketing and arrest drew national attention and in large part led Wilson to reverse his opposition to the 19th Amendment.

One Man’s Story 
Behind the headlines are the stories of people. The exhibit tells, among others, of Joe Marino (born Giuseppe Maranaccio). Joe ended up in Asbury Park, U.S. citizen, father of four, and owner of Marino’s Bar on Main St. But he started life in Accadia, Italy. 

Italy, originally allied with Germany, remained neutral at the onset of war, then sided with the Allies. Nearly 6 million Italians served—including a teenaged Joe Marino. He was captured and imprisoned for years in Austria. Near the end of the war, he escaped and walked under cover of  darkness the hundreds of miles back to his village. His sweetheart, assuming him dead, had married. Heartbroken, Joe moved to Rome where he worked three years to save the money to immigrate to the states.

This exhibit runs through June 2018. 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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Through December 30, 2018 - Piscataway, Middlesex County
Over There, Over Here: New Jersey During orld War I 

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