NJ Weekend Historical Happenings: 2/15/20 - 2/16/20

 New Jersey Weekend Historical Happenings

A Weekly Feature on www.thehistorygirl.com

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

Saturday, February 15 - Farmingdale, Monmouth County
Presidents Day in the 1830s

Help us salute the Presidents of the past by visiting the Historic Village of Allaire for this special day of patriotic activities and surprise historical challenges. From 11:00 am - 4:00 pm, we'll have cooking in the Manager's House and the Allaire Residence, blacksmithing and carving demonstrations, toasts to our great President Jackson, a village-wide "name that President" contest, and patriotic rocket balloons for the kids! There is no admission to the Village for these events.

At 2:00 pm in the chapel, meet Mary Todd Lincoln and get the woman's point of view on life in the White House. This theatrical performance is $20 per person - register here. The program will begin at 2:00 and end at 3:30 pm

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, February 15 - Hopewell Township, Mercer County
Valentine's Day Rides, Music, and Silhouettes  
Children Friendly Event

The air may be chilly, but Howell Living Farm's wintery landscape is the perfect setting for a heartwarming Valentine's Day ride. Couples can take a romantic spin in a two-seater sleigh or carriage pulled by a team of light workhorses. Families and groups can snuggle into a bobsled or hay wagon pulled by a handsome team of drafts. No matter the hitch, the horses will be wearing their finest bells. The site is open from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm.

Inside the farmhouse there will be live music by the Jugtown Mountain String Band, soup on the stove, and a children's craft program from 11:00 - 3:00 pm for a small materials fee.

In the Charles Fish Barn, renowned artist Lauren Muney will be demonstrating the elegant process of cutting silhouettes by hand—and talking with visitors about the history of this traditional craft. Individual portraits can be purchased to benefit the farm's school programs.

Howell Living Farm represents typical farm life between 1890 and 1910. The farm is operated by the Mercer County Parks Commission. It is located at 70 Wooden's Lane, Lambertville, NJ. For more information. call 609-737-3299 or visit www.howellfarm.org.

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Saturday, February 15 - 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 - Sunday, February 15 - 16 - 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 and 1:45 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, February 15 - 16 - Cape May, Cape May County
Ghosts of Cape May Trolley Tour
Family Friendly

Take this spine-tingling, 30-minute evening trolley ride through the streets of Cape May with a guide who relates the paranormal findings of medium Craig McManus on Saturday and Sunday at 7:00 and 8:00 pm. Admission is $15 for adults, $8 for children (ages 3-12). Tours leave from the Washington Street Mall Information Booth at Ocean Street. 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, February 15 - 16 - 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 11:45 am, 1:00 pm, and 2:15 pm and Sunday at 11:45 am and 1:00 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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Saturday - Sunday, February 15 - 16 - Lower Township, Cape May County
Climb the Cape May Lighthouse
Family Friendly Site

The Cape May 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 12:00 noon - 3:00 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, February 15 - 16 - 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!

Free; donations accepted. 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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Sunday, February 16 - 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, February 16 - Bridgewater, Somerset County
Five Generals Bus Tour of Washington's Middlebrook Cantonment

Visit and discover all five existing houses where George Washington, Henry Knox, Baron Von Steuben, Nathaniel Greene, and Lord Alexander were headquartered during the Middlebrook Cantonment of 1778-1779. 

The tour will begin at the Van Horne House where guests will enjoy an overview of Middlebrook. Once guests are properly 'schooled' in the importance of the Middlebrook Cantonment of 1778-1779, we will board the buses and head off to: The Abraham Staats House, The Jacobus Vanderveer House, The Wallace House and the Van Veghten House, ending at the Van Horne House. Docents at each house will conduct the tours inside.

Tours are limited to 29 people each tour. Tours at 10:00 am, 11:00 am, 12:00 noon,  1:00 pm, 2:00 pm, and 3:00 pm and last approximately 2.5 hours. Tours may be consolidated to fill available seating. Each guest will receive a brochure of the houses along with a bottle of water. Tickets are $30 per adult, $15 per students, and children 4 and under are free. For tickets, click here. No walk-ins will be accepted. You must register in advance. For questions or tour group bookings or touring with children, please contact Cindy at 310-691-9388 before 10:00 pm.

The Van Horne House is located at 941 East Main Street, Bridgewater, NJ. Parking available in the Target parking lot directly behind the house. For more information or to register, call 732-356-8856 or visit www.heritagetrail.org.

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Sunday, February 16 - Westampton, Burlington County
Blue Willow Tea

Blue Willow China has been popular for over 200 years. First made in China, it made its way to England in the late 1700s. Share a cup of tea, traditional tea sandwiches, and sweets served on the Dames' Blue Willow China. A talk will be given on the history of Blue Willow China, and collectors are encouraged to bring a piece of their own.

Program begins at 2:00 pm. Admission is $25 per person. Prepaid reservations are required to guarantee seating. Tickets are limited to four per person. Peachfield is located at 180 Burrs Road, Westampton, NJ. For more information and to register, call 609-267-6996, e-mail colonialdamesnj@comcast.net, or visit www.colonialdamesnj.org.

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Through Tuesday, March 3, 2020 -  Morristown, Morris County
Keeping Warm in the 19th Century

During the last half of the 19th century, the northeastern U.S. was pounded by massive blizzards that dropped four to five feet of snow in many parts of the country and temperatures so frigid that the East River froze over more than a dozen times. To cope with these weather extremes, our Victorian ancestors had only a fireplace or their clothing to shield them from the cold.

Morris County Historical Society’s new exhibit, “Warmest Winter Fashions, 1860-1900,” highlights nearly two dozen cold weather garments worn by adults and children, including coats, muffs, and capes.

Designed to complement the 30 garments already on display, “Warmest Winter Fashions” will be available from through Tuesday, March 3.

Before visiting Acorn Hall, check Groupon for discounted tickets with an optional MCHS Family Membership. The membership is a perfect gift or to keep for yourself. Acorn Hall is now open for tours, 11:00 am - 4:00 pm, on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday.

Acorn Hall is located at 68 Morris Avenue, Morristown, NJ. Admission, which includes the exhibits, is $6 for adults, $5 for seniors, $3 for students, and is free for children under 12 and MCHS members. For more information, call 973-267-3465 or visit www.MorrisCountyHistory.org.

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Through Saturday, March 28, 2020 -  Lebanon Township, Hunterdon County
100 Years of Women's Suffrage

The Lebanon Township Museum is pleased to announce a two-month celebration of 100 Years of Women's Suffrage with a multi-faceted exhibit and a number of exciting and informative events. Below is a list of the line-up for both February and March. Please mark your calendars and join us in honoring this historic centennial!

100 YEARS OF SUFFRAGE: A Celebration in Quilts created by The Courthouse Quilters on display from February 1 through March 28. The Courthouse Quilters are a non-profit 501(c)(3) whose purpose includes preserving and promoting the history of quilting and supporting charitable activities.

Opening Reception with special guest Rielly Karsh of Moms Running on Saturday, February 1 from 1:00 - 3:00 pm. Light refreshments served.

Rightfully Hers: American Women and Vote Pop-Up Exhibit on loan from the National Archives & Record Administration from February 1 through February 27.

Sash Making Parties -- All skill levels are invited to sew their own Suffragist Sashes while enjoying a presentation entitled When Women Gather: "Women's Work" and Activism on Thursday, February 20 from 6:30 - 8:00 pm and Saturday February 22 from 1:00 - 3:00 pm. There will be a small fee to cover costs, email, or visit www.lebanontownship.net/services/museum.aspx for more information.

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Through Saturday, March 28, 2020 -  Paterson, Passaic County
"Thus Shall They Upward, Onward Press:" An Exploration of the History of African Americans in Paterson from 1600-Present

The Paterson Museum is excited to announce the opening of its newest changing exhibit, “Thus Shall They Upward, Onward Press:” An Exploration of the History of African Americans in Paterson from 1600-Present. Installed in honor of Black History Month, the exhibit is a survey of the accomplishments of many of Paterson’s African American citizens. The exhibit will feature some familiar citizens, such as Larry Doby, but visitors will also learn some individuals like Dr. Norman Cotton, Minerva Miller and Henry Otis Harris who also made an impact on our community. The exhibit will be in place from Wednesday February 5th through Saturday March 28th in the Hannah Memorial Gallery.

Please join us at the Museum on Saturday, February 8, 2020 from 1:00 - 3:00 pm for the opening reception. The program will be led by Paterson Free Public Library Director Corey Fleming and will feature a reading by Talena Lachelle Queen, Poet Laureate of Paterson of Paterson.

The exhibit will be on display at the Paterson Museum, located at 2 Market Street (on the corner of Market and Spruce Streets) in the heart of the Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park. For more information about this event, or to learn more about the Paterson Museum, visit https://patersonmuseum.com.

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Through June 28, 2020 - Trenton, Mercer County
Preserving the Pinelands: Albert Horner’s Portraits of a National Treasure

The New Jersey State Museum is hosting  Preserving the Pinelands: Albert Horner’s Portraits of a National Treasure from through June 28, 2020 in the 1st floor East Gallery. The exhibit features images which capture the quiet beauty and intimate landscapes of New Jersey’s Pinelands National Reserve by photographer Albert Horner, and artifacts from the NJ State Museum’s collections which tell just some of the stories of the land, animals, people, and industries that make the Reserve a state and national treasure. Horner, a self-taught photographer from Medford Lakes, brings curiosity, reverence and a practiced eye to his craft, recording the forests, cedar swamps, meandering waterways and native wildflowers that make the Pinelands unique. In addition to being home to rare plant and animal species, the Reserve also contains archaeological sites and a vibrant cultural history of craftspeople, industry and agriculture.

The museum is open Tuesday - Sunday from 9:00 am to 4:45 pm. It is closed Mondays and on state holidays. The New Jersey State Museum is located at 205 West State Street, Trenton, NJ. For more information, 609-292-6300 or visit www.state.nj.us/state/museum/index.html.

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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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Through September 13, 2020 - Trenton, Mercer County
Fine Feathered Friends: Birds as Mainstay and Muse

Birds are everywhere. They occupy our forests, farms, parks, beaches, backyards, and even our homes. It’s no wonder that they have achieved substantial cultural and historical significance.

Through nearly 200 rarely seen objects from the State Museum’s Cultural History and Natural History collections, Fine Feathered Friends explores the wild, wonderful world of birds and their impact on the New Jersey decorative arts. Three bodies of material culture inspired by birds illustrate the premise—needlework samplers, hand-carved duck and shorebird decoys, and the porcelain birds of Trenton ceramist Edward Marshall Boehm.

Birds also inspired New Jersey’s notable decoy-carving tradition, which was also influenced by the state’s location on a key flyway for migrating ducks and shorebirds. A coastal carving tradition centered on Barnegat Bay. A Delaware River tradition developed in river towns near Trenton. What began as a hunting tool evolved into a folk art tradition. Carvers taught their children, who then taught their own children.

In addition to samplers and decoys, the exhibit also explores the magnificent work of Edward Marshall Boehm. Boehm loved birds so much that he built huge aviaries on the grounds of his Titusville, New Jersey home. This allowed him to study the anatomy and habits of his fine feathered friends. At his studio in Trenton, Boehm replicated the avian world in hard-paste porcelain. Boehm’s birds are exhibited side by side with scientific taxidermy mounts and study skins of the same species

The New Jersey State Museum is located at 205 West State Street, Trenton, NJ. The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9:00 am - 4:45 pm; closed Mondays and all state holidays. Admission is FREE, but donations are always encouraged. For more information, call 609-292-6300 or visit www.state.nj.us/state/museum.

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Through Late November/Early December 2020 - Salem, Salem County

“Hidden History: Unique and Rare Stories of Salem County”

The Salem County Historical Society is pleased to announce the opening of a new exhibit entitled, “Hidden History: Unique and Rare Stories of Salem County.” Throughout the history of our region, the diversity of our residents along with their creativity, knowledge, and skills has prompted the development, manufacture and composition of many unique and rare objects and records. Over all these years, whether on a trek to settle here or leaving here for an adventure in the world at large, Salem County residents have traveled thousands of miles. When they traveled, our predecessors would bring to Salem County an object or a story that has become a part of our collective history.

Since the founding of the Salem County Historical Society in 1884, residents, families and friends have donated hundreds of these uncommon and irreplaceable objects to the Society collections. 

Our current exhibit offers a look at some of the most unique and rare items and the stories behind the objects. This eclectic exhibit includes artifacts that have not been displayed to the public for many years and are on display with newly researched backstories that provide further insight into the unique and rare history of Salem County. Concurrently, a new exhibit memorializing our Old Salem Oak Tree will open to the public. This exhibit is in a dedicated room displaying numerous Salem Oak objects, including; old and new artwork, objects made from wood of the oak tree, and past and recent photographs.

The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 12;00 noon - 4:00 pm. Admission is $5 per person for non-members. The Salem County Historical Society is located at 83 Market Street, Salem, NJ. For more information, call 856-935-5004 or visit www.salemcountyhistoricalsociety.com.

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