NJ Weekend Historical Happenings: 2/12/22 - 2/13/22

New Jersey Weekend Historical Happenings

A Weekly Feature on www.thehistorygirl.com

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

Saturday, February 12 - Holmdel, Monmouth County
Yarn Bee
Ages 10+

Whether starting a new hobby or working on an old project, all are welcome to this gathering on Saturday at Historic Longstreet Farm in Holmdel! The relaxed atmosphere means no pressure - you can knit or crochet at your own pace, and farm staff will be on hand to assist those wanting to learn a new skill. Bring your own supplies or borrow ours for the session. Open to ages 10 and up; under 18 with adult. The cost is $5 per person; cash or check only. This event run from 12:00 noon - 2:30 pm. Please note that participants are required to mask while in common areas inside buildings and when social distancing cannot be maintained during the program.

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, February 12 - Hopewell Township, Mercer County

Old-Fashioned Valentine's Day

Children Friendly

The air may be chilly, but the 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 can ride in a bobsled or hay wagon pulled by a handsome team of drafts. No matter the hitch, the horses will be wearing their finest bells. 

At the farmhouse there will be soup on the stove, and a children's craft program from 11:00 am - 3:00 pm for a small materials fee. The craft will be a Valentine's Day Card. The site is open from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm.

Please note that all 2022 programs will be modified to encourage social distancing and reflect current State guidelines for public events. Visitors are required to carry masks at all times, and wear them when social distancing isn't possible.

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 12 - South Bound Brook, Somerset County

Tory Jack Day

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Saturday - Sunday, February 12 - 13 - 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! Participate anytime between 9:00 am and 4:00 pm.

Price is $5. Purchase tickets online or at the Carriage House Museum Shop. The Emlem Physick Estate is located at 1048 Washington Street, Cape May, NJ. 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 12 - 13 - 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 $20 and children (ages 3-12) $15. Tours on Saturday at 1:00 pm and Sunday at 11:45 am and 1:00 pm. Sponsored by the Cape May 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 12 - 13 - 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 at 1:45 pm and Sunday at 12:30 and 1:45 pm. Admission is $20 for adults, $15 for children (ages 3-12). Tickets can be purchased online or at the Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington Street, Cape May, NJ. Sponsored by Cape May 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 12 - 13 - 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 - 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 $12 for adults, $8 for children (ages 3-12). Children under 3 and active military are FREE. Sponsored by Cape May MAC. For more information, call 609-884-5404 or 800-275-4278 or visit www.capemaymac.org.

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Saturday - Sunday, February 12 - 13 - Atlantic City, Atlantic County

Absecon Lighthouse Open
Family Friendly

Absecon Lighthouse will be open Thursdays through Mondays, from 11:00 am - 4:00 pm, with the last climb 1/2 hour before closing. 

Parking, exhibits, and Keeper’s Cottage museum are free. Admission to climb the 228 steps to the top is $10 for adults, $9 for seniors and college students, $6 for children 4-12, and $5 for Atlantic City residents; active military and children under 4 are free. Dogs on leashes are welcome on the two-acre lawn and in the museum space. Masks and social distancing are required, plexi-glass shields are installed in the gift shop and Watch Room at the top for your safety, and plastic gloves will be issued to climbers. 

First lit in 1857, Absecon Lighthouse is the tallest lighthouse in New Jersey and the third tallest in the country. It is the oldest man-made structure in Atlantic City, boasts a first-order Fresnel lens still in place at the top, and offers fabulous views of Atlantic City and Brigantine.

The Absecon Lighthouse is located at 31 South Rhode Island Avenue, Atlantic City, NJ. For more information, call 609-449-1360 or visit www.abseconlighthouse.org.

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Saturday - Sunday, February 12 - 13 - Camden, Camden County

Battleship New Jersey Fire Power Tour
Family Friendly

This self guided tour of the overall view of the Battleship New Jersey takes guests five levels up and two decks below. The Main Deck features an Exhibit Museum that encompasses the 48 years in and out of service. Guides are available for questions in the Captain's Quarters and CEC.

Active Military, World War II Veterans, and former Crew Members of BB-62 are asked to stop at the Box Office in the Battleship NJ Visitor's Center. Proudly inform our Ticketing Staff of your service to our Great Nation and receive a complimentary ticket to board the "Big J".

* All guests will be screened in the Visitors Center before entering the Battleship’s Pier, must wear a face covering and practice social distancing.
* Please check your email after purchase for your ticket to either print or save to your mobile device and take with you for check-in in the Visitors Center.

Firepower tour tickets are available to use at any date and time we are open for tours. Admission: Adults are $25.00 and children ages 5-11, veterans, and seniors (62+) are $20.00. Tickets can be purchased online. Battleship New Jersey is located at 62 Battleship Place, Camden, NJ. For more information, call 856-966-1652 or visit www.battleshipnewjersey.org.

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Saturday - Sunday, February 12 - 13 - Upper Freehold, Monmouth County

Historical Valentines

Ages 10+

February, the season of love! Discover how penmanship has changed as we view letters and valentines from the 18th and 19th century. Create a valentine of your own or write a letter to a friend using historically inspired materials. This free event runs from 12:00 noon - 3:00 pm.

While there, tour 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 informatio

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Saturday - Monday, February 12 - 14 - Tuckerton, Ocean County

Outdoor Strolling Admission: Tuckerton Seaport

Family Friendly

Tuckerton Seaport is open for strolling for long weekends. The Tuckerton Seaport will be open on Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays from 10:00 am - 5:00 pm. Guests are asked to arrive before 4pm. Check in at the Lighthouse upon arrival for info on exhibits open for touring both indoors and outdoors. The Gift Shop is now located inside the Lighthouse. Masks will be required at all times. 

Tickets are $5/person. Members will be required to bring their Membership Card with them when visiting or the discount will not be valid. Membership benefits for Seaport Family Members include two adults as well as any accompanying children under 18. Everyone needs a ticket for entry with the exception of children under age 5 who are complimentary.

The Tuckerton Seaport is located at 120 W. Main Street, Tuckerton, NJ. For more information, call 609-296-8868 or visit https://tuckertonseaport.org.

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Sunday, February 13

"The Real George Washington"

Virtual Program

Mark your calendars for a Presidents Birthday Celebration as the Ewing Township Historic Preservation Society presents a wonderful film entitled "The Real George Washington" hosted by journalist Cokie Roberts as she interviews noted historian David McCullough! This program will be held Sunday at 2:00 pm. Request a Zoom link by emailing info@ethps.org by Saturday.

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Sunday, February 13 - Franklin Township, Somerset County

Tea Leaf Reading (and Afternoon Tea)

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Sunday, February 13

Barnegat Land Pirates: True or False?

Virtual Program

The Ocean County Historical Society will host John R. Barrows, Editor of Monmouth Timeline Inc., for his presentation via Zoom of "The Land Pirates of Barnegat" on Sunday at 2:00 p.m.

Was the 1834 newspaper story alleging that two-thirds of residents around Barnegat were criminals causing shipwrecks, murdering crews, and plundering cargo true? Learn the facts about the so-called pirates and four shipwrecks along Ocean County’s shores in the 19th century!

To register, email oceancountyhistory.zoom@gmail.com stating: 1) Name and date of the program(s) for which you are registering. 2) Your zip code (this is important information for our grant support applications) 3) The e-mail address that we should use to send you instructions for accessing the program. We will send you the link to Zoom a few days before the event.

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Sunday, February 13 - Maplewood, Essex County

Open Hearth Cooking: African American Foodways

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Sunday, February 13 - Somerville, Somerset County

His Excellency & His Majesty: George Washington and George III

Two Georges on opposite sides of the Atlantic led America and Great Britain through the era of the America Revolution. Compare the lives, leadership, and legacies of George Washington and King George III on this tour of George Washington's winter headquarters at Wallace House State Historic Site.

King George III was the third-longest reigning monarch in British history. This tour on George Washington and George III is part of a series of interpretive programs marking The Queen's Platinum Jubilee in 2022.

The Wallace House & Old Dutch Parsonage State Historic Sites is located at 71 Somerset Street, Somerville, NJ. Click here to register for this free tour. For more information, call 908-725-1015.

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Through February 2022 - Hampton Township, Hunterdon County

Musconetcong Watercolor Group’s Anniversary Exhibit

The Musconetcong Watercolor Group will celebrate its thirteenth anniversary with a display of recent works at the Lebanon Township Museum. They are a watercolor and drawing instruction group that meet in 19th century stone gristmill, which is the home studio of artist and group leader Doris Ettlinger and her artist husband Michael McFadden.

The mill is located in Imlaydale, which is a small unincorporated community just across the Musconetcong River from New Hampton. Imlaydale has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1990. The original gristmill was built in 1792 by wealthy landowners Samuel Bowlby and Major Henry Dusenberry.

As the winter winds blow in and the ground becomes covered with snow, we invite you in to share the warmth and beauty provided by the Musconetcong Watercolor Group’s Anniversary Exhibit, Hyggelig.

The artwork will be on display through the end of February 2022. The Lebanon Township Museum is located at 57 Musconetcong River Road, Hampton Township, NJ.

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Through Tuesday, February 22, 2022 - Somerville, Somerset County

King George's Winter Walk

Walk

Walk, roll, or run 22 miles from January 6 (Twelfth Night) through February 22 (Washington's Birthday), 2022.

Use Trail Tracker to find trails in State Parks, Forests & Historic Sites in New Jersey or walk in your own local parks or neighborhood.

Children and adults are encouraged to submit a completed form even if they do not complete all 22 miles. Families are welcome to participate together.

Share

Follow King George's Winter Walk online on Facebook at @WallaceDutch.

Post pictures to Facebook with #gwwinterwalk and @WallaceDutch.

Send

Return a completed walker's log to enter a lottery for a Washington's Birthday prize. Drawing takes place March 1, 2022.

Mail completed form to:

King George, 71 Somerset Street, Somerville, NJ 08876

You may also e-mail your own list of miles walked to wallacedutch@dep.nj.gov in lieu of a mailed-in form.

Support

Consider a voluntary contribution of $1 (for George Washington), $3 (for King George the Third), $22 (for Washington's Birthday, February 22) or another amount to support historical interpretation at Wallace House & Old Dutch Parsonage State Historic Sites.

Mail check payable to State of N.J. with your completed form.

A contribution is NOT necessary to participate in King George's Winter Walk and Washington's Birthday prize draw.

Contact

In case of additional questions, e-mail wallacedutch@dep.nj.gov or call 908-725-1015.

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Through Saturday, March 26, 2022 - Paterson, Passaic County

Paterson Great Falls: From Power to Park

Museum is Temporarily CLOSED

The Paterson Museum is excited to announce the opening of its newest changing exhibit, Paterson Great Falls: From Power to Park. The Paterson Great Falls has dual, sometimes conflicting, identities. The first, as a natural wonder, a scenic beauty, and a tourist attraction. The second, as a source of power, providing the energy needed by the industries that developed into the City of Paterson. This exhibit explores the waterfall’s long journey from a natural resource and industrial tool to becoming a protected park.

Paterson Great Falls: From Power to Park features historical and modern photographs, original artwork inspired by the Falls, scale models of park and much more. The exhibit will be on display through Saturday March 26, 2022 in the Hannah Memorial Gallery, at The Paterson Museum.

The Paterson Museum is located at 2 Market Street (on the corner of Market and Spruce Streets) in the heart of the Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park. To learn more about the Paterson Museum, visit https://patersonmuseum.com.

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Through Spring 2022 - Freehold, Monmouth County

Let Us Play

In celebration of the holiday season, Monmouth County Historical Association debuted Let Us Play on November 27, the newest exhibition at the Association’s Museum and Library & Archives in Freehold, NJ. Drawing on MCHA’s extensive collection, Let Us Play traces several centuries of children’s joyful pastimes and their evolving playthings.

Let Us Play features every child related article in the Association’s collection, many on display for the very first time. From the colonial era through the 20th century, the exhibit traces the evolution of play and the effect the industrial revolution, consumerism, and the burgeoning influence of advertising had on children’s ideas of fun and their beloved toys. Childhood treasures displayed  range from dolls and dollhouses, games and cast iron banks to books, carriages and historic photos.

Let Us Play will generally be open Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays each week from 12:00 noon - 5:00 pm at the MCHA Museum, Library and Archives, 70 Court Street, Freehold, NJ but please check for current hours before visiting. For more information, visit www.monmouthhistory.org.

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Through June 2022 - Asbury Park, Monmouth County

“One Voice Is Not Enough: Asbury Park’s Musical Diversity Since 1871”

The Asbury Park Museum’s new pop-up exhibit, “One Voice Is Not Enough: Asbury Park’s Musical Diversity Since 1871” explores the many styles of early Asbury Park music. The exhibit is on display in the east lobby of the Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel, 1401 Ocean Avenue, Asbury Park, NJ. It is free to visit at any time between now and June 2022.

Music historians Pamela and Charlie Horner have curated the exhibit. It covers the first 100 years of Asbury Park music – a story told through stand-up banners, wall-mounted posters, a music soundtrack with 4 hours’ worth of selected recordings, two continuously running 35-minute informative slide shows (175 slides total), and two display cases full of Asbury Park music artifacts. The exhibit covers spirituals, gospel, brass bands, marching bands, concert bands, ragtime, stride piano, jazz, blues, pop, rhythm & blues, rock & roll, doo wop, soul, and rock music from the early 1870s to the early 1970s. On display are items like Bobby Thomas’ personal 78 RPM copy of “Doll Face,” the first Rhythm & Blues by an Asbury Park group plus Bobby’s handwritten lyrics from the flip side; Stormin’ Norman Seldin’s classic cowboy hat; an 1898 wax cylinder by baritone J. W. Myers; an Arthur Pryor 78 RPM record; sheet music by Billy Terrell & Ray Dahrouge and Lenny Welch; a red vinyl 45 RPM record by Nicky Addeo & the Darchaes; an album and program from the Missionary Jubilaires; a Southside Johnny autographed harmonica; a framed autograph and print of Fats Waller; and much more. 

Funded in part by a Diversity Innovation grant from Monmouth University, the exhibit design is by Stan Cain Designs, and the exhibit is hosted by the historic Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel. For more information, visit www.AP-Museum.org.

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Through 2022 - Middletown, Monmouth County

Beneath the Floorboards: Whispers of the Enslaved at Marlpit Hall

Beneath the Floorboards: Whispers of the Enslaved at Marlpit Hall is the first exhibit to come out of the Monmouth County Historical Association's Living and Breathing initiative, which will reinterpret our Colonial-era historic houses to include the stories of the enslaved African Americans who once resided within them. The exhibition will offer a better understanding of how slavery took root in early Monmouth County, as well as the complex dynamics of daily life and relationships among the enslaved.

The telling of New Jersey’s history is often fragmented, with little remembrance of the thousands of men, women, and children living under forced servitude for more than two centuries. The curators, Bernadette Rogoff and Joe Zemla, have framed the exhibit upon the lives of seven of these individuals: Ephraim, William, Elizabeth, Clarisse, Hannah, Tom, and York, all of whom once lived at Marlpit Hall. Extensive archival documentation, archaeological evidence, and objects from MCHA’s museum collection - some on view to the public for the first time - help tell the larger story of slavery in Monmouth County and New Jersey.

Marlpit Hall is located at 137 Kings Highway, Middletown, NJ. For more information, visit www.monmouthhistory.org.

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