NJ Weekend Historical Happenings: 3/3/18 - 3/4/18

 New Jersey Weekend Historical Happenings

A Weekly Feature on www.thehistorygirl.com

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

Saturday, March 3 - Montclair, Essex County
Hidden Treasures Appraisal Day

Ever wonder about that heirloom that’s been in your family for generations? Or that great buy you found at a garage sale? At the Hidden Treasures Appraisal Day, you can find out the history and the value of your treasured object. A joint fundraiser by the Montclair History Center and the Montclair Women’s Club, the Hidden Treasures Appraisal Day takes place on Saturday from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm. The fee, which benefits both organizations, is $20 for the first object, $15 for the second. Members of either organization receive a $5 discount. Sign up on-line at www.montclairhistory.org. This event will take place at the Women's Club, 82 Union Street Montclair, NJ. For more information, contact the Montclair History Center at 973-744-1796 or visit www.montclairhistory.org.

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Saturday, March 3 - Millstone, Monmouth County
Antique Appraisal

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Saturday, March 3 - Nutley, Essex County
Paranology 101 at Historic Kingsland Manor

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Saturday, March 3 - Hopewell Township, Mercer County
Maple Sugaring
Children Friendly

Sugaring time arrives in late winter at Howell Farm and operations are in full swing. Visitors are invited to join the work and fun with sap collection, firewood cutting, syrup making, butter making, flour milling and pancake eating.

The trees are tapped beginning in early February. School groups, visitors and farm staff collect and boil down sap for several weeks. The sugar maple tree stores starch in their trunks and roots before the winter; the starch is then converted to sugar that rises in the sap in the spring. Freezing nights and thawing days make for heavy sap flow. The trees are tapped by boring holes into their trunks and collecting the exuded sap beginning in early February. The sap is then processed by heating to evaporate much of the water, leaving the concentrated syrup.

Sap gathering will take place at 12:00 noon and 2:00 pm. Tree tapping demonstrations will be held at 11:00 am, 1:00 pm, and 3:00 pm. The sugarhouse will be open from 11:00 am - 3:00 pm. Pancakes will be available from 12:00 noon - 3:00 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.org.

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Saturday - Sunday, March 3 - 4 - 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 4 - Westfield, Union County

A Spot of Tea
Children Friendly Event

The Miller-Cory House Museum will present a program on Sunday entitled “A Spot of Tea,” highlighting the most popular beverage in the world. From religious ceremonies to political statements, tea has come to symbolize more than just a drink. The presentation includes information on tea and a display of different tea varieties. 

Open hearth cooking demonstrations, featuring early American recipes and cooking techniques are resuming in the museum’s Frazee Building.

The program includes tours of the fully restored circa 1740 farmhouse museum. Admission is $4 for ages 13 and older, $3 for ages 3-12, and free age 2 and younger. The Miller-Cory House Museum is located at 614 Mountain Avenue, Westfield, NJ. For more information, call 908-232-1776, e-mail millercorymuseum@gmail.com, or visit www.millercoryhouse.org.

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Sunday, March 4 - 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 4 - Westampton, Burlington County
Hercules: Culinary Artist – Free at Last

Known for his culinary excellence, Hercules cooked for George Washington at Mt. Vernon, New York and Philadelphia. Enjoying privileges that most slaves did not, he dressed extravagantly and walked the streets with a gold-handled cane. One day Hercules walked away, never to be seen or heard from again. Where he once was the master of his kitchen, he now was master of his own destiny. This program will be held from 2:00 - 4:00 pm.

Admission is $10 per person; Friends of Peachfield admitted free of charge. Reservations are recommended as seating is limited. Peachfield is located at 180 Burrs Road Westampton, NJ. For more information and to reserve a seat, call 609-267-6996 or e-mail colonialdamesnj@comcast.net.

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Sunday, March 4 - Morris Township, Morris County
A Winter’s Day on the Farm
Children Friendly Site

Experience life on a 20th century farm! Meet the Jersey cow, horses, sheep and cows, and follow the scent of seasonal foods cooking on the wood-burning cook stove. Climb aboard the open-air, tractor-pulled wagon for a memorable ride around the farm. Pitch in, and help with daily farm chores, and make a craft to take home.

This event takes place between 12:00 noon and 4:00 pm at Fosterfields Living Historical Farm, 73 Kahdena Road, Morris Township, NJ. Cost: Admission is $8 per adult, $7 per senior (65+), $6 per child age 4 - 16, and $4 per child age 2 & 3. FREE for children under age 2, and Friends members are half price with a current membership card. For more information, call 973-326-7645 or visit www.morrisparks.net.

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Sunday, March 4  - Piscataway, Middlesex County

Into the West: The Irish Come to New Jersey

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Sunday, March 4 - Boonton, Morris County

New Exhibit Opens

Boonton is Home to American Legion Post #124 and VFW Post #242. The American Legion was chartered by Congress in 1919 as a nonprofit patriotic veterans organization. Focusing on service to veterans, service members and communities, the Legion has a membership of over 2 million in more than 13,000 posts worldwide, and has influenced social change in America, won benefits for veterans, and produced programs for children and youth.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States is a nonprofit veterans service organization comprised of eligible veterans and military service members from the active, guard, and reserve forces. It traces its roots back to 1899 and has a membership of nearly 1.7 million. The VFW has been instrumental in establishing the VA, the GI Bill, and development of the national cemetery system.

To learn more and view the exhibit on these two organizations, visit the historic Dr. John Taylor House, 210 Main Street, Boonton, NJ. The museum is open from 1:00 - 4:00 pm. The Dr. John Taylor House is open Sundays from 1:00 - 4:00 pm and by special appointment. Admission is free.  For more information, call 973-402-8840.

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Sunday, March 4 - Eatontown, Monmouth County
Over Here, Molly Pitcher

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Sunday, March 4 - Readington Township, Hunterdon County
Chocolate Making
Family Friendly

How did a bitter seed become the chocolate that so many of us love? As the drink of choice in Colonial America, and popular among all social classes, it was not unusual to start one’s day with a hot, spicy cup of chocolate. It was perceived to cure common ailments, and was even sold in Benjamin Franklin’s Philadelphia print shop.

Come on Sunday, as Susan McLellan Plaisted MS RD CSP LDN, demonstrates the use of the metate by turning the cacao bean into chocolate. Find out what really went into making chocolate from bean to drink, from drink to sweets, and from sweets to the modern candy.

This Open House Sunday program will be held at the Bouman-Stickney Farmstead, located at 114 Dreahook Road in the Stanton section Readington Township. For GPS use Lebanon, NJ 08833.

This is a free family friendly event, although donations will be gratefully accepted. In case of inclement weather please call the Museums to find out the status of the program. For more information, call 908-236-2327 or visit www.readingtontwp.org/ReadingtonMuseums.html.

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Sunday, March 4 - South River, Middlesex County
Open House

Stop by the South River Historical & Preservation Society on Sunday from 1:30 - 3:30 pm and view exhibits on all aspects of Borough history including: schools; churches and houses of worship; local businesses and organizations; daily life; events and celebrations; and more. While you are there, see the cemetery located behind the building, ask questions, drop off donations, or exchange hometown stories with the docents. The museum is located at 64-66 Main Street, South River. For more information, visit http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~njsrhps/museum.html.

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Sunday, March 4 - Pennsauken, Camden County
Annual Welsh Heritage Day at Griffith Morgan House

The Welsh heritage of the Morgan family that built and occupied historic Griffith Morgan House, among the earliest colonial homesteads in the area, provides the theme of the first public event of the year at Pennsauken’s historic homes. On Sunday, from 11:00 am - 4:00 pm, music, cookery, culture and history of Wales will fill the old Morgan house with song and poetry, dragons and castles, bards and pirates, myth and history!

Did you know that the traditional instrument of Welsh music is the harp? Did you know that Welsh cheeses feature in much of the simple, farmhouse fare of traditional Welsh cuisine, along with a soup or stew known as cawl and hearthstone baked Welsh cakes? Did you know that a number of the notable captains of the golden age of piracy were Welsh? All these features of Welsh culture and history will be demonstrated at Welsh Heritage Day, along with many others!

Hearth cook Ruth Konrad, who has demonstrated her skills at such sites as the Daniel Boone Homestead and the Peter Wentz House, will prepare traditional Welsh dishes at the fireside. Harpist Mary Groce will perform music from Wales, often referred to as the land of song.  Also providing music and much more, the Sea Dogs will hark us back to the days when Welsh pirates roved the high seas, including Captain Morgan and the dread pirate Roberts! Finally, longtime friend of Griffith Morgan House, Christine Schum will demonstrate spinning of wool into thread using the drop spindle, a skill endemic to the pastures of mid-Wales, especially in days of yore.

Learn more of the lore and history of this fascinating, tiny nation. Have a taste of traditional Welsh foods.  Discover the range of Welsh music. Learn a phrase or two of Cymric, the ancient Welsh language. Let the kids make a Welsh-themed craft to take home. In the Welsh tongue, “croeso!”  You are welcome!

Admission is free and there is plenty of free parking available. Griffith Morgan House is located at 243 Griffith Morgan Lane, off River Road between Delair and Route 73.

Visit the Griffith Morgan House or Pennsauken Historical Society pages or the group “Pennsauken History Forum” on Facebook for more details or directions or call 856-486-9561 and leave a message or e-mail to pennsaukenhistoricalsociety@gmail.com.

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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