NJ Weekend Historical Happenings: 8/3/19

New Jersey Weekend Historical Happenings

A Weekly Feature on www.thehistorygirl.com

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Saturday, August 3 - Farmingdale, Monmouth County

James P. Allaire’s Birthday and Guild Day
Children Friendly Event & Site

Join us in celebrating our founder’s birthday! James P. Allaire founded the Howell Iron Works in 1822 as an iron factor town. Now as a living history museum, we like to take a day and celebrate our almost 200 year history. We will have craft demonstrations, speeches, and fanfare. All of our guilds will be out demonstrating their crafts. This is a great day to come out see what the village is all about if you are interested in volunteering.

Tour Mr. Allaire’s home, enjoy birthday cake and entertainment throughout the village! Participate in our field day activities and try your hand at horseshoes and Whist!

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 3 - Morristown, Morris County
Free Smartphone Photography Workshop at Morristown National Historical Park

Morristown National Historical Park is offering a free smartphone photography workshop, The Art of Phoneography, on Saturday from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Registration is required by calling Jude Pfister at 973-539-2016 x204. The workshop – taught by Xiomaro, a nationally-exhibited photographer and published author – includes an exclusive photo-tour of the Ford Mansion, which served as George Washington’s headquarters.

“Smartphones have millions of times more memory than the mere 66 kilobytes on the Lunar Module, which landed people on the moon,” explains Xiomaro. “The cameras have gotten so easy to use that almost 100 million photos are posted to Instagram alone – every day.” But ease of use alone does not make for a good photograph. “The secret to better photographs is not in the camera. It’s in applying the principles of seeing used by artists for centuries,” noted Xiomaro. For that reason, point-and-shoot cameras and professional DSLRs are also welcome to the workshop.

Xiomaro explained that seeing and creating a photograph is different than looking and taking a snapshot as many people do. His workshop will introduce five key artistic principles demonstrated with slides of photographs and paintings. He and the group will walk the park grounds and George Washington’s headquarters to create unique images using workshop techniques.

Xiomaro’s aim is to make photography accessible to more people by minimizing the technical know-how that is often a barrier. “I’ve seen expensive DSLRs set on automatic because their complexity is overwhelming.” He believes that, through the workshop, some will become better prepared to one day handle f-stops, ISOs, and other technical settings of a dedicated camera.

Xiomaro (pronounced “SEE-oh-MAH-ro”) is an internationally recognized artist and speaker whose photography has been covered by The New York Times, CBS Eyewitness News, Star Ledger, and News 12. His work has been exhibited at Harvard University, Fraunces Tavern Museum, as well as galleries, and public spaces.

For Xiomaro, Morristown National Historical Park is an ideal place for such a workshop, which is the first of its kind at the park. He was commissioned to create an artistic photographic collection of the Ford Mansion and selections are being published as a booklet by the park. He is also the author of Weir Farm National Historic Site (Arcadia Publishing) with a foreword written by Senator Joe Lieberman. The historic site is in Connecticut and features his photography, which Xiomaro explains was created using the same principles he teaches at the workshop.

The Art of Phoneography workshop will be held at Morristown National Historical Park, 30 Washington Place, Morristown, NJ. The workshop is free of charge, but space is limited and registration is required by calling Jude Pfister at 973-539-2016 x204. Participants need only bring their fully-charged smartphone (any brand is fine) or camera with plenty of available storage space for the new photos that will be created. A portable USB phone charger or spare battery is helpful. Comfortable walking shoes are suggested along with some snacks. For more information visit www.xiomaro.com.

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Saturday, August 3 - Chester, Morris County
1880s Music Day
Children Friendly Event

This weekend, enjoy an interactive program at the Cooper Grist Mill in Chester, reminiscent of musical events performed in Milltown over a century ago. On Saturday from 1:00 - 4:00 pm, children can join in with limberjacks and singing along. Cost: Suggested donation of $3 per adult, $2 per senior, and $1 per child age 4 - 16. The Cooper Gristmill is located at 66 Route 513, Chester, NJ. For more information, call 908-879-5463 or visit www.morrisparks.net.

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Saturday, August 3 - Morris Township, Morris County
Model T Day
Children Friendly Event and Site

Calling all car enthusiasts! Join us on Saturday at Fosterfields Living Historical Farm for an exciting day on the farm featuring restored Model T’s from near and far. Enjoy fascinating lectures, hands-on activities, demonstrations, and live music, followed by a special car parade at 2:15 pm. This event runs from 10:30 am - 2:30 pm.

Admission: $8 for adults; $7 for seniors (65+); and $6 for children ages 3 - 16. FREE for children under age 3 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 3 - Plainfield, Union County
"Farming in the Millstone Valley: Past and Present"

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Saturday, August 3 - Middletown, Monmouth County
Second Annual Revolutionary Rave

The Monmouth County Historical Association (MCHA) announced its second annual Revolutionary Rave, an authentic re-creation of colonial-era costumes, music, dancing, games and popular period pastimes.

The event will once again be held at the historic Taylor-Butler House, built in 1853, and widely considered the grandest house in Middletown at the time, located at 127 Kings Highway. The Revolutionary Rave is set for Saturday from 1:00 - 4:00 pm. Tickets are $20 for MCHA members and $25 for non-members.

“Our inaugural event last summer was a delightful success, as people of all ages curious about history came to experience a bit of 18th century social entertainment,” said Meg Sharp Walton, executive director, MCHA. “At this year’s Rave, people can once again enjoy live music, learn popular dance steps of the Colonial era, or try their luck at cards or other period games.”

Light refreshments and tasty treats will be served. Free parking is available on-site, behind Taylor-Butler House. MCHA’s Marlpit Hall, located adjacent to Taylor-Butler House, will also be open for tours throughout the afternoon.

“During George Washington’s time, dancing was the primary activity at balls, parties and celebrations, and young people who aspired to higher status were expected to know dance steps such as the Allemande, the Hornpipe and the Minuet,” said Ms. Walton. “We are delighted to once again have Sue Dupre, a prominent expert on the popular dance forms of the colonial era in New Jersey, on hand to provide music and country dance calling, so that anyone can participate no matter what their level of experience.”

Dances Ms. Dupre might call at the Revolutionary Rave include Money Musk, Portland Fancy, and Rory O'More, during the live music that will be performed at the event.

Costumes from the 18th or 19th century are greatly encouraged, but not required. A changing room is available on-site.

“Typical card games of the colonial era included All Fours, At-Put, Cribbage, Knaves, Lanternloo, Pennech, Piquet, Ruffs and Honours, and Whist,” said Pati Githens, programs and partnerships manager, MCHA. “Dice games such as Hazard, Inn and Inn, and Passage were very popular, and colonials also enjoyed table games like Backgammon, Billiards, Chess, Dominoes, Draughts, Fox and Geese, and Nine Men's Morris. Other popular party pastimes included Ninepins, which is a bowling game, Quoits, a type of ring toss, and Graces, in which players toss a ribboned hoop to one another using sticks.”

Games that will be played during the 2019 Revolutionary Rave include Whist, Faro, Farckle, Skittles, and Vingt et Un (now known as 21 or Blackjack).

“Many of these activities are familiar to us now, but were created many years ago, said Ms. Githens. “Even if you’ve never played these games or heard of these dances, everyone can learn and participate right away.”

To purchase tickets, visit www.monmouthhistory.org. Tickets are limited. Please note this is an adult event. For more information, contact Pati Githens at pgithens@monmouthhistory.org or call 732-462-1466.

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Saturday, August 3 - 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 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, August 3 - Hopewell Township, Mercer County

4-H Fair and Wheat Threshing
Children Friendly Event

In the 1920s and early 1930s, the local Pleasant Valley Calf Club held an annual fair at the Pleasant Valley Schoolhouse and grounds adjacent to Howell Farm. These fairs, organized by the school children and their parents, drew visitors from many parts of Mercer and Hunterdon Counties. "With this historical basis in mind, we thought the 4-H Fair was a great match for us," said Pete Watson, Howell Farm director. "With our visitor center barn, we're now well equipped to handle a fair like this."

Highlights of the fair will include cow milking, a sheep show, a goat show, a poultry show, and a small animal show. Tents for the animals and exhibits will be located near the farm's visitor center. Howell Farm's farmers will contribute by running hayrides, giving tours, and conducting historical farming demonstrations out in the fields. For more information about the fair, click here.

Also on Saturday: The first threshing methods involved beating grain by hand with a flail, or trampling it by animal hooves. An early threshing machine, patented in 1837 by Hiram A. and John A. Pitts, Winthrop, Maine, was powered by horses walking on a treadmill. Improvements were made to the original machine until late in the 1800s. The threshing machines used early in the 20th century were basically the same, except for the power source. About 1890, steam engines replaced horses and mules.

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

Saturday, August 3 - 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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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 3 - 4 - 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 3 - 4 - 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 3 - 4 - 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 3 - 4 - 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 3 - 4 - Cape May, Cape May County
Annual Classic and Antique Car Show at Historic Cold Spring Village
Children Friendly Event & Site

Cruise into Historic Cold Spring Village for the Annual Classic and Antique Car Show on Saturday and Sunday. Cars will be on display Saturday from 10:00 am - 3:00 pm and Sunday from 10:00 am - 2:45 pm. See beautifully restored and preserved vehicles, from muscle cars to light trucks, from the 1910s to the 1980s parked along the Village's tree-lined, shell-paved lanes.

Talk with the owners and learn about the process of restoring a classic automobile as well as the fascinating stories behind their development and use. On Saturday, members of the Jersey Cape Auto Club will show their antique vehicles and other classics will be presented by 609 Performance on Sunday. Registration for car owners begins at 8:00 am. The Village's historic buildings will be open during regular museum hours, 10:00 am - 4:30 pm, with interpreters in period clothing teaching guests about the crafts, trades and lifestyles of early America.

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 3 - 4 - 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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Saturday - Sunday, August 3 - 4 - Brick, Ocean County
Civil War Encampment
Children Friendly Event & Site

The Brick Township Historical Society will sponsor a Civil War Encampment at its Havens Homestead Museum on Saturday and Sunday. The 61st New York Volunteer Regiment will spend the weekend and show visitors what life was like in camp. They will march, fire guns, and answer questions. The public is invited to share experiences with them.

The public is invited to visit and interact with the soldiers on Saturday from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm and on Sunday from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm. The soldiers will march and give demonstrations.

In addition to the Encampment, the society will hold a bake sale and there will be sale items in the Lizzie Herbert Gift Shop. There will be free tours of the Havens Homestead Museum on both days, and the other buildings, such as the barn, the cranberry shed, and the fishing shack will be open for viewing. Admission is free; donations are gratefully accepted.

The Havens Homestead Museum is located at 521 Herbertsville Road, Brick, NJ. Parking is in a lot 150 feet east of the property accessed by a sign that says “Havens Farm.” For more information, call 732-785-2500 or visit www.bricktwphistoricalsociety.com.

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Sunday, August 4 - 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 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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Sunday, August 4 - 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 Sunday at 11:45 am, 1:00 pm, 2:15 pm, and 3:00 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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Sunday, August 4 - Pennsauken, Camden County

The British are Coming - to have fun!

The First New Jersey Volunteers (1NJV), a Colonial Loyalist Regiment, will be playing soldier games at Historic Griffith Morgan House on Sunday from 12:00 noon - 4:00 pm. Learn how the soldiers spent their time when not drilling, sleeping, guard duty, or fighting George Washington's army. Join the fun & play with them - cards, dice & many others often referred to as tavern games.

Admission is free though donations are encouraged. Tours of the house will be available. Griffith Morgan House is located at 243 Griffith Morgan Lane off River Road between Delair and Route 73. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/PennsaukenHistoricalSociety or e-mail pennsaukenhistoricalsociety@gmail.com.

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Sunday, August 4 - Montague, Sussex County
Montague Open Houses and Tours

MARCH, the Montague Association for the Restoration of Community History, is pleased to announce that both its museum sites will be open on Sunday. The Foster-Armstrong House and the Nelden-Roberts Stonehouse will be open to the public from 1:00 - 4:00 pm for museum house tours. Tours will be held every 30 minutes and docents will be available at both sites to guide you through our local history and artifact collections.

The Foster-Armstrong House, circa 1790, a two story Dutch colonial, is located on SC521/ 320 River Road, about 1 mile north of the Milford/Montague Bridge. It is listed on the State Historic Register of NJ and is a National Historic Register Site. Ten rooms are set up with local history displays in each room. Rooms contain an original bee hive oven, native Indian artifacts, Duke Mortimer's Dramatic Art Workshop collection, a military room, a quilt room and to scale model covered bridges of the northeast United States.

At the Foster-Armstrong House at 2:00 pm, Norma Schadt will present a program called “Clothing from Times Past.” Norma Schadt, a respected local historian from Deerpark, NY, will present a Power Point program about men’s and women’s clothing over the years. The program includes natural fiber clothing from cave man--earliest clothing made from skins, though Chinese silk, Egyptian linen and up to cotton textiles from the Industrial Revolution. There will be highlights on unusual fashions from many eras--some quite absurd and some deadly depending on the dyes used. Pictures and samples of early clothing construction will be discussed as well.

The Nelden-Roberts Stonehouse, circa 1820, is located at 501 Route 206 North, about 1 mile south of the Milford/Montague Bridge. It is listed on the State Historic Register on New Jersey. The first floor is set up as a schoolhouse, which is what the building was originally built for. The second floor has a schoolmaster's bedroom and native Indian artifacts.

Both museums are located within the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/MontagueNJHistory.

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Sunday, August 4 - Upper Freehold, Monmouth County
Edible History - Ice Cream!
Children Friendly Event & Site

Learn a little of the history of this cooling summer time treat as you help us crank, and then consume, several ice cream flavors made from 19th century recipes. Can you imagine a better way to spend an hour on a summer afternoon? We’ll begin in the shade of the trees by the ice house at Historic Walnford. This is free historical family fun at at its best.

Program lasts from 3:00 - 4:00 pm and is 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, 08501. For more information, call 609-259-6275 or visit www.monmouthcountyparks.com.

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Sunday, August 4 - Manalapan, Monmouth County
Monmouth Battlefield Walkig Tour

On Sunday at 1:30 pm, attend a walking tour of Monmouth Battlefield. Meet at the Monmouth Battlefield visitor center. 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, August 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, August 4 - Jefferson Township, Morris County
Open House

The Jefferson Township Museum, also known as the George Chamberlin House, will have an open house on Sunday from 1:00 - 4:00 pm. Learn about the Jefferson Township Historical Society. Costumed docents will be available to talk about this Victorian home. Admission is free.

The featured exhibit will be “Old Things that Hold Things”, a great variety of vintage items placed around the freshly painted Museum.

Be sure to visit Miss Elizabeth’s Shoppe located in the original kitchen of the Museum. The Shoppe is packed with new and vintage items for sale, perfect for spring or anytime. You may be lucky enough to see some spring flowers poking through in the Museum’s lovely gardens, too.

The Jefferson Township Museum is located at 315 Dover-Milton Road, Jefferson Township, NJ. For further information, call 973-697-0258 or visit www.jthistoricalsociety.org.

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Sunday, August 4 - Morristown, Morris County
Lots of Knots
Children Friendly Site

Learn to tie basic knots and start a macramé project from 2:00 - 4:00 pm at Historic Speedwell. Admission: $5 per adult, $4 per senior, $3 per child age 4 - 16, FREE per child under age 4. Historic Speedwell is located at 333 Speedwell Avenue, Morristown. For more information, call 973-285-6537 or visit www.morrisparks.net.

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Sunday, August 4 - Morris Township, Morris County
Horseradish: The Root of a Condiment
Children Friendly Event and Site

On Sunday from 1:00 - 2:30 pm at at Fosterfields Living Historical Farm, discover how this tangy root vegetable is processed and used as a condiment. 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, August 4 - Sandy Hook, Monmouth County

Nike Missile Radar Site Tours

Guided tours of the Integrated Fire Control (IFC) site will allow you to see the inner workings of the facility where supersonic nuclear armed Nike Hercules missiles were controlled and guided using Cold War era computers and radars. You will have the opportunity to meet and talk with some of the veterans who actually worked on the Nike Air Defense System. Free tours from 12:00 noon - 4:00 pm. Meet at Horseshoe Cove, Parking Lot L on Sandy Hook, part of Gateway National Recreation Area. For more information, call 732-872-5970 or visit www.nps.gov/gate.

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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

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