NJ Labor Day Weekend Historical Happenings: 8/31/19 - 9/1/19

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 New Jersey Weekend Historical Happenings
A Weekly Feature on www.thehistorygirl.com
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Saturday, August 31 - Toms River, Ocean County
Antiques and Collectibles Faire

Celebrate Labor Day with your family and friends at the Ocean County Historical Society's Antiques and Collectibles Faire on Saturday at the Ocean County Parking Garage at the intersection of Madison and Hadley Avenues in Toms River, NJ from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm. Join the fun as you shop for antiques and collectibles as well as items crafted by a local wool spinner, basket maker, and decoy carver. Buy a 50-50 raffle ticket sponsored by OCHS.

History buffs will be thrilled to know that they can chat with Civil War reenactors who make history come alive. Children are welcome to participate in games and crafts of the Civil War era. Families may visit the medical tent and learn more about the work of the full Union surgeon, carrying the rank of major, who will display surgical, dental, and other medical instruments and explain where the full surgeon worked during the Civil War.

There will be a classic car display presented by N.J. Shore Regional National Chrysler Products Club. Food trucks will be available. Tour the OCHS museum and its current exhibitions. The event will be held rain or shine! For more information, visit www.oceancountyhistory.org.

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Saturday, August 31 - Holmdel, Monmouth County
Cookstove Demonstration
Children Friendly Site & Event

On Saturday, visit Historic Longstreet Farm in Holmdel to see what is cooking on the woodstove in the out kitchen. Discover how food, receipts, cooking techniques, and the kitchen itself has changed since the 1890s. This free events run 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, August 31 -  Morris Township, Morris County
Farm Know-How on the Go: Granary and Ensilage Pits
Children Friendly Event and Site

On Saturday at Fosterfields Living Historical Farm from 2:00 - 3:00 pm, take a guided walk to the Granary and Ensilage Pits to discover how they were used. Help prepare ensilage, a livestock feed made by chopping green corn. 

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

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Saturday, August 31 -  Morris Township, Morris County
Meet the Servants at The Willows
Children Friendly Event and Site

 On Saturday at Fosterfields Living Historical Farm, at 1:00 and 2:00 pm, during a hands-on guided tour, learn about the role of the domestic servants at the Foster home, The Willows, during the WWI era. Help the maid with household chores, and learn it was a full workout to keep a proper house. At the end of the tour, you can help the cook prepare historic foods using the wood-burning cook stove.

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

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Saturday, August 31 - Tewksbury, Hunterdon County
25th Annual Tewksbury Flea Market

The Tewksbury Historical Society is hosting its 25th annual Flea Market, which is one of its main fundraisers, on Saturday, from 8:00 am - 3:00 pm in the Johnson Family/Cedar Lane Farm Field located ½ mile north of the village of Oldwick on County Route 517. The rain date will be Sunday, September 1. This is one of the largest flea markets in New Jersey on Labor Day weekend. There will be 113 vendors in attendance; all vendor spaces were sold out in mid-July. Last year saw over 1,200 people in attendance. Admission to the Flea Market is $2/car suggested donation, collected at the exit. Vendors will display old and new items of all types including antiques, toys and collectibles, farm fresh produce, household items, and more. The Pottersville Volunteer Fire Company will be serving breakfast and lunch for sale to raise funds for their organization. Admission to the Flea Market is $2 per car, collected at the exit. Early birds can gain admission from 7:00 am - 8:00 a.m. at a cost of $10 per person.  Early Birds should enter the site via Homestead Road. Proceeds from the Flea Market help support the Society’s on-going programs as well as a permanent archives repository.

 The Tewksbury Flea Market is easily accessible off Exit 24 of the Interstate 78.  Following the signs for Oldwick/County Route 523/517 north or from Route 206 south from Chester. For more information, contact the Tewksbury Historical Society at 908-832-6734 or visit www.tewksburyhistory.net.

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Saturday, August 31 - Farmingdale, Monmouth County
Back to School Bash
Children Friendly Site & Event

 Join Allaire Village for a day of activities celebrating going Back-to-School on Saturday from 11:00 am - 4:00 pm! A full day of family entertainment right before school starts!

Activities include:
* Costumed Characters from the 501st Legion
* NJ State Police Helicopter Landing (approximately 12 noon)
* Make your OWN Bookmark!
* Make your OWN Historic Hat!
* Live Music from Clarizio's Music Center of Point Pleasant
* Bubble Fairy
* Touch-a-Truck
* Glitter Tattoos
* Food Truck from Pilsen Gourmet
* Live Demonstrations & More!

 This event is pet friendly. Admission: Children and Adults $8 each and children under 1 are FREE. Purchase tickets here. There will be NO PARKING FEE on Saturday for this event. No event day ticket purchases will occur if this event is sold out.

 The Historic Village at Allaire is located at 4263 Atlantic Avenue, Farmingdale, NJ. For more information, contact the Allaire Village office during business hours, Monday through Friday, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm, at 732-919-3500 or visit www.allairevillage.org.

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Saturday, August 31 - Hopewell Township, Mercer County
Plowing Match
Children Friendly Event

Howell Living History Farm will hold its Annual Plowing Match on Saturday and the public is invited to watch and participate in the event, which features old-fashioned plowing and log pulling competitions, a craft and pony rides for children, and lots of food, music and old fashioned fun.

A dozen teams of draft animals from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York are entered in the match, which tests the performance of farmers, their horses and oxen, and their plows as they turn furrows. Judging will take place from 10:00 am until 12:00 noon. Winners of the Fine Plowing Class will receive trophies, ribbons and cash prizes.

Members of the general public aged 16 and older can try their hand at plowing in the Visitor Plowing event. Winners receive ribbons.

Sheep, chickens and pigs can be seen in the farmyard area all day.

Beginning at 12:00 noon, hungry plowers and visitors can lunch on roast pork sandwiches, a chicken BBQ, Kosher franks, and Howell Farm potatoes and sweet corn. Noontime festivities will include music by the Jugtown Mountain String Band, door prizes, and plowing award presentations.

After the plowing competition, visitors can watch as teamsters use their animals to navigate an obstacle course. Cash prizes for professional classes are furnished by the Friends of Howell Farm, and made possible through donations.

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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Saturdays through August 31 - Hardwick, Warren County
1800s Village Life at Millbrook
Family Friendly

Stroll at your leisure through Millbrook Village. Several buildings are open and staffed with rangers and volunteers demonstrating traditional skills and reminiscing about 1800s life in the village. The village will be open from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm.

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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Saturdays through September 28 - Byram Township, Sussex County
Summer at Waterloo
Family Friendly

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Saturday, August 31 - Cape May, Cape May County
Cape Mayhem & Victorian Oddities Trolley Tour

They Did What??!! Headless Photography? Electric Corsets? Coffin Torpedoes? Explore some of the strange beliefs, superstitions, oddities,  fads, curiosities, and mysteries from the end of the 19th century - the Victorian era - in this half hour trolley tour through the gaslit streets of Cape May. Hear stories from Cape May’s history that are bizarre, unexplained or just downright weird! This Saturday tour at 8:30 and 9:30 pm begins and ends at the Washington Street Mall Information Booth at Ocean Street. Adults $15 and children (ages 3-12) $8. 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, August 31 - Cape May, Cape May County
Underground Railroad Trolley Tour

On Saturday at 10:00 am, join the Center for Community Arts' (CCA) Community History Committee on a trolley tour of the places where escaped slaves sought refuge and help to continue their journeys to freedom. Hear the stories and visit some of the places connected with the Underground Railroad, including: a look at the Owen Coachman House; a walk in a historic cemetery where our earliest free Black settlers are buried; and a glimpse of the summer home of Stephen Smith, a leading businessman, abolitionist and unsung hero of the Underground Railroad. Learn how Harriet Tubman found Cape May as a resource for earning money to fund her work. Board the trolley at the Washington Street Mall information booth at Ocean Street for this 2-hour tour. Admission is $25 per adult. 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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Saturdays through August 31, 2019  - Cape May Point, Cape May County
The Keeper's on Duty
Children Friendly Event

What's it like to be a Lighthouse Keeper?  If you’d like the answer to this question and others, join us for The Keeper's On Duty, at the Education Center at Cape May Point State Park (adjacent to the Cape May Lighthouse) on Saturday at 1:15 pm. The Keeper of the Cape May Lighthouse presents an informative and entertaining half hour talk on the history and lore of the famous 1859 Cape May Lighthouse. Suited for everyone from children to lighthouse buffs, it’s the perfect introduction to your lighthouse climb! All Keeper's on Duty are free and open to the public. Cape May Point State Park is located at 215 Light House Avenue, Cape May Point, NJ. Co-sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC) and Cape May Point State Park. For more information, call 609-884-5404 or 800-275-4278 or visit www.capemaymac.org.

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Saturdays through August 31, 2019 - Cape May Point, Cape May County
Lighthouse Storytime
Children Friendly Event

Bring your young children to the Education Center in Cape May Point State Park (adjacent to the Cape May Lighthouse) to listen to nautical tales and lighthouse adventure stories on Saturday at 12:30 pm. Free admission. Cape May Point State Park is located at 215 Light House Avenue, Cape May Point, NJ. Co-sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC) and Cape May Point State Park. For more information, call 609-884-5404 or 800-275-4278 or visit www.capemaymac.org.

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Saturday - Sunday, August 31 - September 1 - Cape May, Cape May County
Cape May Historic District Trolley Tour

Enjoy a 45 minute guided tour with entertaining and enlightening stories about the nation's oldest seaside resort and how it survived. Accessible trolley available with advance notification. Tours begin and end at the Washington Street Mall Information Booth.

Adults $15 and children (ages 3-12) $8. Tours on Saturday at 10:30 am, 11:45 am, 1:00 pm, 2:15 pm, 3:30 pm, and 6:00 pm. Tours on Sunday at 11:45 am, 1:00 pm, and 2:15 pm. Sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC). For more information and to reserve tickets, call 609-884-5404 or 800-275-4278 or visit www.capemaymac.org.

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Saturday - Sunday, August 31 - September 1 - Cape May, Cape May County
Welcome to Cape May Trolley Tour

This tour is designed for the first-time visitor to Cape May who wants a quick introduction to the many cultural, historical, and natural attractions on the island. From Cape May Harbor to Sunset Beach, tourgoers will learn all they need to know to make the most of their Cape May visit. Tours begin and end at the Washington Street Mall Information Booth.

Adults $15 and children (ages 3-12) $8. Tours on Saturday at 12:30, 3:00, and 4:45 pm and Sunday at 11:00 am, 1:30, and 6:30 pm. Sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC). For more information and to reserve tickets, call 609-884-5404 or 800-275-4278 or visit www.capemaymac.org.

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Saturday - Sunday, August 31 - September 1 - Lower Township, Cape May County
Climb the Cape May Lighthouse
Family Friendly Site

On Saturday, the Cape May Lighthouse, Oil House and Museum Shop reopens for the season. The lighthouse is an 1859 structure with 199 steps to the watch gallery for a panoramic view of the Jersey Cape and Atlantic Ocean. For those who choose not to climb, the Oil House contains a fully-accessible Visitors' Orientation Center and a Museum Shop stocked with maritime accessories and lighthouse memorabilia. Open 9:00 am - 8:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday. Cape May Point State Park is located in Lower Township, NJ. Admission to the Visitors' Orientation Center and the ground floor of the lighthouse is free. Tower admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children (ages 3-12). 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, August 31 - September 1 - Cape May, Cape May County
Emlen Physick Estate Tour
Family Friendly Tour

Take a guided tour of Cape May's Emlen Physick Estate, the magnificent Stick Style mansion attributed to renowned Victorian architect Frank Furness. A tour of the 15 beautifully restored rooms gives you a glimpse into the lifestyle of this Victorian-era Cape May family. Physick Estate Tours take approximately 45 minutes and end with a visit to the 1876 Carriage House where you can see the current exhibit in the Carroll Gallery. Tours will be at 12:30, 1:45, and 3:00 pm on Saturday and 12:30, 1:45, and 3:00 pm on Sunday. Admission is $15 for adults, $8 for children (ages 3-12). Tickets can be purchased at the Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington Street, Cape May, NJ. Sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC). For more information and to reserve tickets, call 609-884-5404 or 800-275-4278 or visit www.capemaymac.org.

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Saturday - Sunday, August 31 - September 1 - Cape May, Cape May County
Physick Estate Scavenger Hunt
Family Friendly

Have an adventure the whole family will enjoy at the 1879 Emlen Physick Estate! Use our map to explore the grounds and find the answers to questions about the Physick family and life in Victorian times on this educational scavenger hunt. Turn in your answer sheet at the Carriage House Museum Shop and receive a prize!

$5 includes map and clues. Maps and clues available at the Hill House office or the Carriage House Visitors Center at the Emlen Physick Estate. The Emlem Physick Estate is located at 1048 Washington Street, Cape May, NJ. Sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC). For more information and to reserve tickets, call 609-884-5404 or 800-275-4278 or visit www.capemaymac.org.

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Saturday - Sunday, August 31 - September 1 - Lower Township, Cape May County
World War II Tower Lookout Museum and Memorial Open
Family Friendly Site

Fire Control Tower No. 23 on Sunset Boulevard is New Jersey's last freestanding World War II tower, part of the immense Harbor Defense of the Delaware system known as Fort Miles. After an award-winning restoration in 2009, visitors can climb to the 6th floor spotting gallery while learning about the homeland defense efforts during World War II. The ground floor of the tower, the All Veterans Memorial, and boardwalk interpretive panels are fully accessible. Open Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm. Admission is $6 for adults, $3 for children (ages 3-12) (one child free with paying adult). The World War II Lookout Tower is located on Sunset Boulevard in Lower Township, near Cape May Point. 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, August 31 - September 1 - Cape May, Cape May County
Seafarers' Weekend at Historic Cold Spring Village
Children Friendly Event & Site

Two days of family-friendly, interactive and educational fun are planned for Historic Cold Spring Village’s ‘Hands-on History’ Weekend on Saturday and Sunday, from 10:00 am - 4:30 pm. Children will be given a ‘Pastport’ at the start of their Village trip, which can be stamped at the buildings they visit after completing a take-home craft or activity, like writing with a quill pen, carding wool or churning butter. Pastports can be redeemed at the Country Store for a free treat! Other family-friendly activities include games and live entertainment. 

Historic Cold Spring Village is a non-profit, open-air living history museum that portrays the daily life of a rural South Jersey community of the Early American period. It features 26 restored historic structures on a 30-acre site. Tuesday through Sunday, from late June to early September, interpreters and artisans in period clothing preserve the trades, crafts and heritage of “the age of homespun.” Fun and educational activities for children are featured Tuesday through Sunday, with special events every weekend through September.

The Village is located on Route 9, three miles north of Victorian Cape May and a mile and a half west of the southern terminus of the Garden State Parkway. Admission during the season is $14 for adults and $12 for children ages 3 to 12. Children under 3 are admitted free. Unlimited free admission is available with Village membership. The Village Nature Trail at Bradner's Run is open to the public for free self-guided tours. For more information, call 609-898-2300, ext. 10, or visit www.hcsv.org.

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Saturday - Sunday, August 31 - September 1 - Sandy Hook, Monmouth County
Battery Potter and Mortar Battery Tours

Meet with park staff to tour two historic batteries at Sandy Hook this weekend.

Battery Potter: Explore and tour Sandy Hook's oldest disappearing gun battery.  This is also the first concrete gun battery that was built in America, completed in 1895. 

Mortar Battery: Join a park ranger guided tour of the Mortar Battery and learn about the first Endicott era (1894 - 1910) concrete gun battery that defended New York and its harbor against attack by enemy warships.

These free tours begin at 1:00 pm for Battery Potter and at 1:30 pm for Mortar Battery. All tours run continuously until 4:30 pm. They are located with the Fort Hancock Historic Post at Sandy Hook. Sandy Hook is part of Gateway National Recreation Area. For more information, call 732-872-5970 or visit www.nps.gov/gate.

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Sunday, September 1 - Manalapan, Monmouth County
Guided Walking Tour of Monmouth Battlefield
On Sunday, meet at the Monmouth Battlefield visitor center at 1:30 pm for a free guided walking tour of the battlefield with Friends of Monmouth Battlefield President, Dr. David Martin. Appropriate hiking apparel is encouraged. Monmouth Battlefield State Park is located at 16 New Jersey Business 33, Manalapan, NJ. For more information, visit www.friendsofmonmouth.org.

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Sunday, September 1 - 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, September 1 - Budd Lake, Morris County
35th Annual Scandinavian Fest
Children Friendly Event

On Sunday from 10:00 am - 6:00 pm, attend the 35th Annual Scandinavian Fest is held at Vasa Park, which was built in the 1920s. It is a not-for-profit event to celebrate and promote the cultures, histories, and current life of the six Nordic nations: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.

Vasa Order of America is a Swedish-American fraternal, cultural and educational organization that was started in 1896. This event is held rain or shine. Tickets are $11 per person online or $14 at the gate for adults and $13 for seniors. Children 12 and under are free. Entry will be free for those dressed in authentic folk dress. Free parking. Vasa Park is located at 1 Vasa Drive, Hackettstown, NJ. For more information, visit www.scanfest.org.

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Sunday, September 1 -  Morris Township, Morris County
Hands on Tools!
Children Friendly Event and Site

 On Sunday at Fosterfields Living Historical Farm, at 1:00 and 2:00 pm, peruse and use a variety of hand tools and equipment that were important to the farm technology of yesteryear.

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

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Sunday, September 1 - Haledon, Passaic County
Labor Day Parade

 The Annual Labor Day Parade, co-sponsored by the American Labor Museum/Botto House Natonal Landmark, the Borough of Haledon, and the City of Paterson, takes place on Sunday.  Step-off is at 1:30 pm at the Botto House in Haledon. The parade finishes at the  Great Falls Historic District in the City of Paterson.

 On Sunday, the Museum will be open to visitors, the Museum Store will be open to the public before the parade step-off.

 All community organizations, unions, businesses, cultural groups, and individuals interested in joining this historic march can contact the Museum at 973-595-7953 or by e-mail labormuseum@aol.com or visit the Museum's website www.labormuseum.net.

 It was on June 28th, 1894 that President Grover Cleveland (a native of Caldwell, NJ) signed the bill that made Labor Day a legal national holiday. In that same year, on Monday, September 3, 1894, the first official holiday was celebrated and every first Monday of September thereafter.

 The Botto House National Landmark, home of the American Labor Museum, located at 83 Norwood Street, Haledon, NJ, is the 1908 home of immigrants and was the meeting place for over 20,000 silk mill workers during the 1913 Paterson Silk Strike. The Museum offers a free lending library, restored period rooms, changing exhibits, Old World Gardens, educational programs and special events. 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, e-mail labormuseum@aol.com or visit www.labormuseum.net.

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Sunday - Monday, September 1 - 2 - Upper Freehold, Monmouth County
Historical Fun and Games!
Children Friendly Event & Site

Experience two centuries of fun this weekend at Historic Walnford! On Sunday and Monday from 1:00 - 4:00 pm, they will offer a variety of historical games both indoors and out, for all to enjoy. Young or older, passive or active, there will be something to engage everyone. Trap Ball, corn cob darts, ring toss, spinning tops, riddles, checkers, pick up sticks...the list of activities to delight and challenge the whole family goes on and on! Admission and parking are free.

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

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Through Sunday, November 3 - Cape May, Cape May County
The Iconic Cape May Lighthouse Exhibit
Family Friendly

Illuminating the darkness over the Atlantic Ocean and Delaware Bay for 160 years, Cape May’s lighthouse is the third beacon to guide mariners through the tumultuous waters at the confluence of the ocean and bay. Memories and historic images abound, from the keepers who dedicated their lives to maintaining the light, the MAC preservationists who restored it, and all those who’ve relied upon it for more than a century and a half.

This exhibit will be held at the Carroll Gallery on the grounds of the Emlen Physick Estate. Admission to the exhibit is free. Visit www.capemaymac.org/carriage-house-hours for exhibit hours. The Emlem Physick Estate is 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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Through November 11, 2019 - Woodbury, Gloucester County
War to End Wars: Centennial of WWI & Veterans’ Day

War to End Wars: Centennial of WWI & Veterans’ Day, our new exhibit at the Gloucester County Historical Society Museum, honors the centennial of World War I and its veterans.  Come view uniforms worn by local, youthful doughboys as well as original liberty bond and enlistment posters carefully preserved by our librarians for over one hundred years! The exhibit also honors veterans of all wars since World War I as Americans now celebrate the day the war ended as Veterans’ Day. The exhibit is now open and will run through Veterans’ Day. The exhibit will be open on Mondays, Wednesdays, & Fridays from 1:00 - 4:00 pm. The museum is also open on the last Sunday of each month September through April from 2:00 - 5:00 pm as well as Saturdays April 6 and May 4 from 10:00 am - 3:00 pm. Please visit www.gchsnj.org for further details. The Gloucester County Historical Society Museum is located at 58 N. Broad Street, Woodbury, NJ. For more information, call 856-848-8531 or visit www.gchsnj.org.

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Through December 2019 - Ridgewood, Bergen County
Here Comes The Bride - Chronicling Two Hundred Years of Wedding Customs & Traditions

Something old. Something new. Something borrowed. Something blue. Tossing the bouquet. Bride and Groom cake toppers. Putting a sixpence in your shoe. Where did these traditions originate? Why do we still honor them today? Please join us as we walk down the aisle and trace the history of Ridgewood’s wedding traditions.

The Schoolhouse Museum celebrates the opening of its current featured exhibit “Here Comes The Bride - Chronicling Two Hundred Years of Wedding Customs & Traditions.” This new exhibit features items dating from 1789-1989, showcasing many beautiful wedding gowns from the museum's collection - some of which have never been on exhibit before.

While at the museum, see the curio cabinet exhibit “50 Small Things with Big Histories.” The exhibits are open until December 2019 and are free to the public with donations suggested at the door. Museum hours are Thursdays and Saturdays from 1:00 - 3:00 pm and Sundays from 2:00 - 4:00 pm.

The Schoolhouse Museum is a historic one-room schoolhouse in Ridgewood, New Jersey, originally built in 1872, that has been turned into a gallery space which now houses the Ridgewood Historical Society. Entirely volunteer-run, the non-profit Historical Society presents annual exhibits, events and workshops in a community that values education, family and local and national history. The museum is located at 650 E Glen Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ.

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Through Sunday, January 5, 2020 - Parsippany, Morris County
The American Arts and Crafts Chair: “A Message of Honesty and Joy”

The exhibition will feature thirteen exemplary examples of side chairs by handicraft-oriented furniture manufacturers--among them Gustav Stickley’s Craftsman Workshops, the L&JG Stickley Company, the Charles P. Limbert Company--as well as smaller, craft-oriented workshops such as Charles Rohlfs, the Roycroft Shops, Byrdcliffe Arts Colony, and Rose Valley Association. The exhibition will explore the usefulness and appealing designs of these vital products of the American Arts and Crafts movement and show how these chairs brought a message of honesty and joy to their makers and their possessors. Guest curator is David Cathers. 

On view from: Saturday, June 1, 2019 to Sunday, January 5, 2020. Thursdays through Sundays 12:00 noon - 4:00 pm. Admission varies depending on the type of tour. Free to Members. Craftsman Farms is located at 2352 Route 10 West, Morris Plains, NJ. For more information, call 973-540-0311, email info@stickleymuseum.org, or visit www.stickleymuseum.org.

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Through June 28, 2020 -  Piscataway, Middlesex County
Mid-Century New Jersey Exhibit


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Through 2020 - Ocean Township, Monmouth County
"Votes for Women: The Story of Suffrage"

When the Founders crafted the U.S. Constitution, they gave the authority to decide who could vote to the states. All but one decided it would be men—white, property-owning men, 21 years old and older.

The one exception was New Jersey. For the first few decades of our new nation, property-owning women in New Jersey could vote. But in 1807, state legislators took a step backward and rescinded the right. New Jersey women joined their sisters across the country who were shut off from the ballot.

The new exhibit, “Votes for Women: The Story of Suffrage” opening in the Woolley House, Sunday, tells of the remarkable campaign waged by women across the country to gain (and for New Jersey women, to regain) the vote.

The Start of a Movement
Most historians mark the start of the American suffrage movement from the 1848 Women’s Convention in Seneca Falls, New York, organized by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott. Both women had discovered their political voice fighting for the abolition of slavery. Both had felt the sting of being shut out by male-dominated leadership. They were outraged, frustrated, and ready to take on the status quo. 

The status quo at the time was a sorry mess for women. Not only were they barred from public speaking and leadership positions, but married women could not own property, keep their own wages, or enter into any legal contract. Women were shut out of most professions. Divorce was near impossible, even in cases of abuse. A woman’s place was in the home—often an inherited home whose title had been ceded to her husband.

In 1851, three years after the Seneca Falls conference, Elizabeth Cady Stanton met Susan B. Anthony. Though strikingly unlike in appearance and temperament, they became lifelong friends. Together, they made a formidable team that reigned for more than 50 years as the iconic leaders of the suffrage movement.

Anthony and Stanton travelled the country making speeches and gathering support. When Stanton, mother of seven, cut back on travel, she stayed hard a work—writing Anthony’s speeches, organizing supporters, even rewriting the Bible from a feminist perspective.

Both women were bitterly disappointed when Congress refused, following the Civil War, to expand the language of the 15th Amendment to bar discrimination in voting based on both race and sex. Their outrage generated harsh statements from these former abolitionists that created a lasting racial rift among suffragists.

Anthony and Stanton did not give up. In 1878, they pushed for a 16th Amendment to guarantee women the right to vote. The “Susan B. Anthony Amendment,” as it became known, failed in this first attempt and was introduced anew to each session of Congress for the next 42 years! The (by then) 19th Amendment, granting women’s suffrage, was finally ratified in 1920.

They Didn’t Live to see It
Neither Stanton nor Anthony lived to see passage. Their efforts fell short of their goals. But the inroads they gained, the organizations they created, and the national awareness they built set the stage for the next generation—the early 20th century activists who carried the campaign for women’s suffrage to victory.

The Second Wave
Among this second wave of suffragists were the daughters of Elizabeth Stanton and Lucretia Mott—and newcomers, including Carrie Chapman Catt and New Jersey native Alice Paul. Catt and Paul were rivals. Their strategies and styles were at odds. Catt favored local campaigns to change state voting laws. She thought militant demonstration unpatriotic after the U.S. entered World War I in 1917.

In contrast, Paul took the fight for a U.S. Constitutional amendment to President Wilson’s doorstep. She lead an 18-month long picketing campaign at the gates to the White House. She welcomed arrest and used the mistreatment of imprisioned suffragists to build public sympathy. Faced with a public relations nightmare, Wilson gave in and threw his support in favor of the federal amendment.

Passage of the Anthony Amendment was “the greatest expansion of democracy on a single day the world had ever seen” (Eleanor Clift, Founding Sisters).

The Township of Ocean Historical Museum, founded in 1984, is a member-supported, non-profit organization. Its headquarters, the Eden Woolley House, is one of the few 18th century structures still in existence in the Township and is open to the public on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays (1:00 - 4:00 pm), Thursday evenings (7:00 - 9:00 pm - March 15 through December 15 each year) and the first and second Sundays of each month (1:00 - 4:00 pm). The Museum also maintains a library and archive, which houses manuscripts, books, and photographs of historical and genealogical interest. For more information, call 732-531-2136 or visit www.OceanMuseum.org.

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Some event listings courtesy of the League of Historical Societies of New Jersey
Location: New Jersey, USA

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