NJ Weekend Historical Happenings: 9/21/19 - 9/22/19

 New Jersey Weekend Historical Happenings
A Weekly Feature on www.thehistorygirl.com
Want to submit an event? Use our event submission form.


Saturday, September 21 - Trenton, Mercer County
Smithsonian Museum Day at the New Jersey State Museum

The New Jersey State Museum is pleased to again participate in Smithsonian magazine's 15th annual Museum Day, a national celebration of boundless curiosity in which participating museums emulate the free admission policy at the Smithsonian Institution's Washington D.C.-based museums. The program represents a nationwide commitment to access, equity and inclusion. This year's Museum Day celebrates the influence of music!  

** 11:00 am -- David Fry, "Voice of the People: A History of American Folk Music," in the Museum Auditorium. This interactive and entertaining musical experience explores the rich history of folk music. Dave Fry makes this distinctly American music a creative, contemporary, and accessible art form-and everyone will be dancing and singing in the end!

Stop by the Imagination Studio to discover how music influences visual artists and vice versa with historic and modern examples. Try your hand at creating art based on your favorite song! There will also be a hands-on class to drop in and make your own instrument out of recycled materials. Ongoing from 10:00 am - 3:00 pm.

FREE Planetarium shows all day - programs at 12:00 noon, 1:00 pm, 2:00 pm and 3:00 pm. Register and download your free ticket hereThe New Jersey State Museum is located at 205 West State Street, Trenton, NJ. For more information, call 609-292-6300 or visit www.state.nj.us/state/museum.

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Saturday, September 21 - West Orange, Essex County
Fall Family Fun Day
Children Friendly Site

Celebrate Fall Family Fun Day with special family activities at Glenmont, the home and estate of Thomas and Mina Edison in Llewellyn Park between 11:00 am and 3:00 pm. Visitors wanting to visit Glenmont, should pick up a car pass from the Laboratory Visitor Center.  Activities include tours of the 29-room Victorian Mansion and tours of the poured concrete garage which houses a circa 1900 Locomobile, 1911 and 1914 Detriot Electrics, 1922 Model T and the 1936 Brewster belonging to Charles Edison. Enjoy water color painting and obstacle course races on the lawn, Victorian board games, Junior Ranger activities, sand art, and a paper airplane building contest and much more.  Explore the 15 acre estate, garage, greenhouse, and the gravesite of Thomas and Mina Edison.

Before going to Glenmont, you must first pick up a car pass and directions at the Laboratory Complex visitor center. You will not be able to get to Glenmont without the special car pass.

The normal site fees are waived at all National Park Service sites on Saturday in honor of National Public Lands Day, including Thomas Edison National Historical Park. The Laboratory Complex Visitor Center is located at 211 Main Street, West Orange, NJ. For more information, call 973-736-0550 x33 or visit www.nps.gov/edis.

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Saturday, September 21 - Parsippany, Morris County
Fall Family Day
Children Friendly Event

Join The Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms in celebrating the fall harvest and Craftsman Farms' agricultural past at our 13th Annual Fall Family Day. Set for Saturday from 12:00 noon - 4:00 pm, this traditional fall festival is the museum's biggest family program of the year!

Fall Family Day features seasonal fun with hayrides around the grounds of Craftsman Farms, and pumpkin painting. Indoor and outdoor scavenger hunts encourage children to explore the landscape that was once the Stickley family's home and farm. Craft activities and handicraft demonstrations exercise young minds and hands. Bring the whole family and arrive early for a picnic on the grounds! And inside Stickley's Log House, tours will be suspended for the day and families are invited to stroll through the museum Open House at their own pace.

Activities offered on the grounds during Fall Family Day include:
- Hayrides
- Pumpkin painting
- Craft activities
- Games and races
Scavenger hunts
- Hand-craft demonstrations

Admission: $5 member children; $7 nonmember children; free to adults accompanying children; $7 adults without children. Admission to be paid on-site. Admission prices cover all activities. 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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Saturday, September 21 -  Morris Township, Morris County
Save Those Seeds and A-Maize-ing Corn Painting
Children Friendly Event and Site

As the growing season ends, collect seeds from vegetables and flowers in the garden to sow next spring at Fosterfields Living Historical Farm. Programs at 1:00 and 2:00 pm.

From 2:00 - 4:30 pm, use corn from Fosterfields Farm to create a beautiful work of art. Roll cobs of corn covered in fall paint colors and layer the colors to create a fantastic fall farm painting.

Admission: $6 per adult, $5 per senior (65+), $4 per child age 4 - 16, $2 per child age 2 & 3. FREE per child under age 2. Fosterfields Living Historical Farm is located at 73 Kahdena Road, Morristown, NJ. For more information, visit www.morrisparks.net.

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Saturday, September 21 -  Princeton, Mercer County
Morven Museum & Garden and National Museum Day

Morven Museum & Garden is participating again in Smithsonian Magazine’s National Museum Day! On Saturday, admission to the museum will be free with downloaded tickets. This year’s theme is a “Year of Music,” and Morven is hosting a concert by Generations Baroque Ensemble at 3:30 pm to celebrate. Docent-led tours are throughout the day at 11:00 am, 12:00 noon, 1:00 pm, and 2:00 pm. Morven Museum & Garden is located at 55 Stockton Street, Princeton, NJ. For more information, call 609-924-8144 or visit www.morven.org.

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Saturday, September 21 - Chester, Morris County
Miller's Pancake
Children Friendly Event & Site

On Saturday from 1:00 - 3:00 pm, learn about the historic process of grinding apples to make cider, and assist with the hand-powered cider press. Create your apple-themed crafts to take home. 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, September 21 - Newton, Sussex County
Sussex County History Day
Children Friendly Event


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Saturday, September 21 - Sandy Hook, Monmouth County
Battery Potter Tours
Children Friendly Tour

Join a park ranger guided tour of Sandy Hook's oldest gun batteries. Completed in 1895 it was the first concrete disappearing gun battery built in the United States. This free tours begin at 1:00 pm and runs continuously until 4:30 pm. Battery Potter is 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, September 21 - Princeton, Mercer County
Young Patriot's Day
Children Friendly Event

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Saturday, September 21 Trenton, Mercer County
The Colonial Tea Parties- Boston and More!

On Saturday from 1:00 - 3:00 pm, the Trent House Association presents an illustrated lecture and tea tasting, featuring Michael Raab, co-founder and owner of Tea-For-All.

Tea stirred up controversy when the Tea Act of 1773 was passed by Parliament to save the British East Indies Company from bankruptcy and to demonstrate the right of Parliament to tax the colonists. On December 16th, the “Sons of Liberty” tossed 340 chests of tea into the Boston harbor.

Join us to learn more about the importance of tea as the focal point for protests in the colonies. Our guest lecturer will discuss the events leading up to the Boston Tea Party and he will also discuss similar acts of civil disobedience that occurred throughout the colonies, including several in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Samples of five teas will be available for tasting.

Mike and Debbie Raab are the founders and owners of Tea-For-All, a Trenton based marketer of tea-based beverages, packaged teas and related tea accessories. Both are Certified Tea Specialists by the US Tea Association. Additionally, both are certified to teach as Tea Mentors by that organization. Find them at the Trenton Farmers Market, as well as Capital City Farmers Market in Mill Hill; Burlington County Farmers Market or the Bordentown Farmers Market. 

Members $10. Nonmembers $12. Light refreshments will be served. The William Trent House is located at 15 Market Street, Trenton, NJ, across from the Hughes Justice Complex. There is plenty of free off-street parking. For more information, visit www.williamtrenthouse.org.

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Saturday, September 21 - River Edge, Bergen County
Baronfest


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Saturday, September 21 - Holmdel, Monmouth County
Rug Hooking Demonstration 
Children Friendly Site & Event

On Saturday, visit Historic Longstreet Farm in Holmdel for a demonstration on the 19th century craft of rug hooking. This free event runs from 1:00 - 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, September 21 - Farmingdale, Monmouth County
Allaire Village's Fall Apple Festival
Children Friendly Event

The Harvest has been gathered and now it is time for the families of the Howell Iron Works to relax. Please join the villagers in celebrating the harvest and try your hand at apple cider pressing, there will be an apple pie baking contest, strolling villagers, historic demonstrations, games and historic hat making for kids, hearth cooking with apple recipes, militia demonstrations, old fashioned games, music, and so much more! There will be demonstrations of blacksmithing, carpentry, fibre arts, tinsmithing, and weaving throughout the day. Our Historic Buildings, Enameling Building, Pilsen Gourmet Food Truck, Bakery, and General Store will be open for you to visit. This event will run from 11:00 am - 4:00 pm.

Advance admission: adults $8 each, children $4 each (ages 2-12 years), under 2 years FREE. Purchase tickets prior to the event. Day of Event Ticket Pricing: adults $12.00 and children $8.00. There are NO parking fees.

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, September 21 - Hopewell Township, Mercer County
Fall Plowing and Manure Spreading
Children Friendly Event

Really? A program where you load and spread manure? Absolutely! Once you've helped us get the manure on the field where we will soon plant winter wheat, you can help us 'turn it in' with a moldboard plow pulled by workhorses Jack & Chester. We will be there to drive the horses and teach you how to turn a perfect furrow.

Throughout the day, farmers will be canning and pickling surplus garden crops like cucumbers, zucchini, tomatoes and more.  You can sample the results and take home recipes and other secrets that made canning a mainstay of the 1900 farm.

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



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Saturday, September 21 - 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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Saturday, September 21 - Cape May, Cape May County
Whalers Cottages at Batts Lane Self-guided Tour

On Saturday between 12:00 noon and 3:00 pm, take a self-guided tour of two beautifully restored, historic cottages that Chris & Dave Clemans have just donated to Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities! Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, The Owen Coachman House incorporates a c. 1700 “Whalers Cottage” - one of the oldest surviving structures in Cape May County. It was moved to this site in 1846 by Owen Coachman, a free black man who purchased land here for a farm. A tour of this site brings to life the important story of our county’s free African American community in the years before the Civil War. Admission is $10 per adult and children (ages 3-12) $5. 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, September 21 - 22 - 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, and 4:00 pm. Tours on Sunday at 11:45 am, 1:00 pm, 2:15 pm, and 2:45 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, September 21 - 22 - 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 11:00 am, 1:30 pm, and 1:45 pm and Sunday at 11:00 am and 1:30 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, September 21 - 22 - 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 10:00 am - 5:00 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, September 21 - 22 - 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, September 21- 22 - 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 on Saturday 1:45 and 3:00 pm and on Sunday 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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Saturday - Sunday, September 21- 22- 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 11:00 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, September 21 - 22 - Morris County
The Pathways of History
Children Friendly Sites

The annual Pathways of History Tour of Historic Places in Morris County features 18 groups offering 20 landmark sites! This self-guided tour is a family-friendly, admission free event for visitors of all ages to experience and enjoy. The properties are independently operated, but for Pathways all locations will open their doors in simultaneous welcome on Saturday from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm and on Sunday from 12:00 noon - 4:00 pm.

Ten years ago five historical groups created the Pathways of History as a way to encourage the public to visit their local museums and landmarks. Whatever your interest - it's certain to be covered by this outstanding assemblage of small, admission free, and entirely volunteer-run historic groups. The communities represented are Boonton, Boonton Township, Denville, Dover, Florham Park, Kinnelon, Lake Hopatcong, Mine Hill, Montville Township, Mount Tabor, Parsippany, Pequannock Township, Randolph, Rockaway Township, Roxbury Township and Washington Township.


The museum buildings offer an outstanding anthology of architectural periods and styles; most are listed on the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places. Venerable 18th century structures, some predating the Revolutionary War, include German folk-tradition, Georgian and Saltbox construction. Designs of the 19th century are represented in buildings of varied uses and sizes including a Folk Victorian Camp Meeting Cottage; an 1890’s Colonial Revival; a diminutive two-family iron miner’s dwelling included on the New Jersey Women’s Heritage Trail; five schoolhouses; a railway station; a Morris Canal lock tender’s house; a general store; church ruins and several wonderful examples of vernacular farmhouses.

Many things have changed along the Pathway’s route during the past ten years. You will be delighted by the meticulous restorations at Boonton Township’s Oscar A. Kincaid Home of History; L’Ecole Kinnelon Museum; Florham Park’s Little Red Schoolhouse; Rockaway Township’s Ford-Faesch Ironmaster’s House; Mine Hill’s Bridget Smith House; Montville’s Museum and Washington Township Land Trust’s Obadiah LaTourette Grist Mill.

Knowledgeable docents, some in period costume, will provide a warm welcome at each tour stop. Make this a family day – bring the kiddies and grandparents, too! Promising something to interest everyone are special activities for children, archival material, genealogical information, digitized historical photographs, old newspapers, and even high school yearbooks to peruse at select locations. There are wonderful vignettes depicting 19th and early 20th century schoolrooms, a prominent woman doctor’s early 20th century “examining room,” an iron mine facsimile, and examples of 18th century fireplaces with hearthside cooking utensils. The Bowlsby-DeGelleke House in Parsippany will introduce an exhibit dedicated to the Lenape, New Jersey’s original people. Music and light refreshments will be offered at many sites.

Whatever your interest, something for everyone is included in this year’s anniversary event. Some tour highlights include New Jersey’s original inhabitants, the Lenape people; Morris County’s pivotal role in the American Revolution; iron mines and forges during the American Revolution and in the years following. Exhibits documenting how the Morris Canal, railways, industry, mining, commerce and agriculture have influenced, shaped and linked the Pathways communities through the years. Travel back to the era when Lake Hopatcong and Randolph’s Mt. Freedom were tourist meccas. Be sure to stop by the Richardson History House, a small 19th century Folk Victorian Camp Meeting cottage in Mount Tabor to learn about this charismatic community founded as a permanent Camp Meeting ground.

At each location there will be detailed brochures and maps to assist you in planning your history adventure. Whatever pathways you choose will lead you to a warm welcome and an enlightening historical journey. Detailed information about this exceptional heritage tour can be found at www.PathwaysofHistoryNJ.net.

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Sunday, September 22 - Sandy Hook, Monmouth County
Mortar Battery Tours

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. This free tours begin at 1:30 pm and runs continuously until 4:30 pm. Mortar Battery is 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 22 - Upper Freehold, Monmouth County
Cornbread Contest & Corny Joke Contest
Children Friendly Event & Site

Do you make the best cornbread? Bake a 9" x 13" pan (or similar volume) and bring it to Walnford between 12:30 and 1:00 pm along with a printed copy of your recipe. Judging will be done by your peers and our experts and begins at 1:30 pm. Ribbons will be awarded at 3:00 pm. All ages and levels of experience are welcome for an afternoon of tasty fun.

Have a knee slapper, a guaranteed chuckler? Win the coveted Golden Ear trophy at Historic Walnford’s Annual Corny Joke Contest! Enter up to three family friendly jokes - the “cornier” the better. Voting by laughter and applause at 2:30 pm ensures a fun time for all. You must be present to participate. The “corn”ier the better!

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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Sunday, September 22 - Toms River, Ocean County
Barnegat Light Author Shares Photographs & Stories

Showcasing some of the Barnegat Light Museum’s collection of nearly 3,000 rare images, author Reilly Platten Sharp presents Barnegat Light, a new book from Arcadia Publishing revealing the history of the Long Beach Island town famous for its lighthouse. From the days of discovery to revolutionary battles to an early beachside resort in the shadow of the famous tower, Barnegat Light also explores the town’s unique place in American history. Using select photographs and stories from the book, Sharp will share its incredible story. This program will be held at the Ocean County Historical Society, 26 Hadley Avenue, Toms River, NJ. Call 732-341-1880 to reserve your seat. The program begins at 2:00 pm. No admission fee. Refreshments served. For more information, visit www.oceancountyhistory.org.

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Sunday, September 22 -  Morris Township, Morris County
Turn of the Century Fashion
Children Friendly Event and Site


Caroline Foster had a very particular style of dress which she kept with her for over 70 years. See her clothes, as well as other examples of period clothing from the turn of the twentieth century on display on a special tour of the Willows at Fosterfields Living Historical Farm. Tours at 1:00 and 2:00 pm.

Admission: $6 per adult, $5 per senior (65+), $4 per child age 4 - 16, $2 per child age 2 & 3. FREE per child under age 2. 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 22 - Perth Amboy, Middlesex County
Three Centuries of Music at Proprietary House



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Sunday, September 22 - 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 22 - Montclair, Essex County
Open Houses
Children Friendly Event & Site

Get to know ALL of the Montclair History Center's historic houses in one afternoon! Discover the people whose "many voices" and life stories shaped our community, and travel through the ages with the Crane House and Historic YWCA. Hear about the evolution of our young country from New Jersey's point of view, and learn of a unique story set during a time when the nation was embroiled in the Civil Rights.

Visit our community farm to learn more about our agricultural past, and don't forget to say hello to our happy brood of chickens!

Your visit then continues to the elegant Shultz House, an amazing, fully-intact time capsule that takes you away to life in the early 20th century. A home chock full of original character, visitors can linger in a classic library full of vintage science instruments, admire Delft handiwork imported from the Netherlands, and marvel at the beautifully crafted woodwork.

Tours of the Crane House & Historic YWCA are on the hour, last tour at 3:00 pm. Tours of the Shultz House are on the half hour, last tour 3:30 pm. Admission is $6/adult; $5/student/senior with ID; $4/child; under 2 free, good for both sites. Member get in free! The Crane House/Historic YWCA is located at 110 Orange Road, Montclair, NJ and the Shultz House is located at 30 North Mountain Avenue, Montclair, NJ. For more information, call 973-744-1796, e-mail mail@montclairhistorical.org, or visit www.montclairhistory.org.

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Sunday, September 22 - Little Silver, Monmouth County
Antique Car Show

Please join the Parker Homestead in Little Silver, NJ for our annual antique car show! The Parker Homestead will also be open for tours. Free and open to all. Donations accepted. The Parker Homestead is located at 235 Rumson Road, Little Silver, NJ. For more information, visit www.parkerhomestead-1665.org.

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Sunday, September 22 - Raritan, Somerset County
John Basilone Parade
Family Friendly Event

Join the residents of Raritan Township on Sunday for the annual parade in honor of former resident John Basilone. John Basilone (November 4, 1916 – February 19, 1945) was a United States Marine Gunnery Sergeant who received the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Battle of Guadalcanal, where he and two other men held off 3,000 enemy troops after the rest of their unit was killed or wounded. Although he could have lived on his laurels on war bond tours, he chose to go back to the Pacific, and was killed on the first day of fighting on Iwo Jima. He would have received a second medal of honor for his actions there, destroying a Japanese blockhouse while his unit was pinned down. However, there was no precedent for a double Medal of Honor recipient, so he posthumously received a Navy Cross.

The John Basilone Museum in the Raritan Library will be open on Sunday from 10:00 am - 1:00 pm. The parade will begin at 1:00 pm on Somerset Street in Raritan, NJ. Immediately after the parade there will be a ceremony at the Basilone statue on Somerset Street. For more information, visit their event page on Facebook.

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Sunday, September 22 - Sparta, Sussex County
NJ Glass: Earth, Wind, and Fire


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Through Sunday, October 13, 2019 - East Amwell, Hunterdon County
“The Art of Natural Expression” featuring the art of Angela Marie Franco & Donna Foran

Angela Marie Franco’s career spans 44 years as an accomplished graphic designer, copywriter, database developer and marketer, specializing in corporate communications and branding. Her work includes designing hundreds of logos. She has lead corporate marketing departments in national and international companies and had her own advertising/marketing agency since the 1980s. She produced marketing seminars for business owners in New York City and was head of the Marketing SIG at the American Marketing Association and the Marketing Club at the  Manhattan Chamber of Commerce.

Angela attended the Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan and earned two degrees - magna cum laud - in Graphic Design and Marketing Communications.

Since moving to Flemington, NJ in 2016, she has put aside her computer and is now creating multi-media art that is black ink centric and influenced by 1920s German Expressionism, M.C. Escher, Frank Lloyd Wright and Charles Rennie MackIntosh. She enjoys re-interpreting how the colorful Hunterdon County sky reflects in abstract scenes that are both ominous yet whimsical.

Donna Foran has been painting since the tender age of eight years old. A life-long resident of Hunterdon County, she attended the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and earned a degree in the Commercial Arts. Seeing beauty all around her, she is inspired by her surroundings from area landscapes, flowering fields and country side views of Hunterdon County.

Since 2009 Donna exclusively paints in oil colors and has refined her skills by continually learning and challenging herself. She is a regular participant in area art shows and has won several 1st place awards for her serene and colorful works. Donna is a member of Friends of Historic Flemington and the Creative Path Artists.

A meet the artist reception will be held Friday, September 13 from 7:00 - 9:00 pm. Admission to the East Amwell Museum and exhibit will be free and open to the public on weekends from 1:00 - 4:00 pm. The exhibit will be on display from September 7 through October 13, 2019. For more information, call 908-237-3303 or visit www.eastamwellhistory.org.

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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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