New Jersey Historic Sites, NJ History, Estate Sales, Antiques, Vintage Items

New Jersey Weekend Historical Happenings

A Weekly Feature on www.thehistorygirl.com

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Saturday, February 23 - Franklin Township, Somerset County
George Washington's Birthday

Come celebrate George Washington's 286th birthday at Rockingham on Saturday. While Washington will be present only in spirit (and in the form of a wonderful life-sized mannequin in an exactingly recreated uniform), visitors who tour his last wartime headquarters will learn about his life and times, before, during and after his careers as commander of the Continental Army and first president of the United States.

Find out more about this iconic symbol of our country; learn why he is more important than just a means to sell cars on Presidents' Day! After the tour, enjoy cake and punch in Rockingham's kitchen.

Tours will be offered from 12:00 noon - 4:00 pm on the hour and, possibly, half-hour if needed. (The last tour will be at 3:00 or 3:30 pm, accordingly). Because the size of tours will be limited, reservations will be necessary to guarantee admittance. Please call 609-683-7132 for reservations. A donation of $5 is suggested.

Please note that the regular history of the house will not be emphasized during these special tours, but visitors are always welcome to visit the house on another day for a normal tour. Washington, commander in chief for the Continental Army during the American Revolution, stayed at Rockingham from late August to early November in 1783. It became his final wartime headquarters when the Treaty of Paris was formally signed while he resided there.

Rockingham is located on Rte. 603 (Laurel Ave./Kingston-Rocky Hill Rd.), one mile north of Route 27 in Kingston and one mile south of Route 518 in Rocky Hill. For more information, call 609-683-7132 or visit www.rockingham.net.

New Jersey Weekend Historical Happenings

A Weekly Feature on www.thehistorygirl.com

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

Saturday, February 16 - Farmingdale, Monmouth County
Martha Washington at Allaire Village

Join us to celebrate President's Day for a historical interpretation in the Allaire Chapel of Martha Washington, as she offers her insights into her life, memories, and the man who became the First President of the United States. (Seating is Limited!) Plus the Village will be open for a Militia Demonstration, Interpretations in the Historical Buildings, Shopping at the General Store and MORE! Lady Washington will be portrayed by Pat Jordan.

Although Martha Washington was never considered a beauty, the diminutive “Lady Washington” was known for her deep compassion and for her ability to listen and converse with interest and intelligence with people from all walks of life and in all social circumstances. Martha could dance a lively jig and enjoyed a rollicking reel. She ran Mount Vernon while “The General” was busy fighting the Revolution. And nothing delighted her more than the sound of children’s laughter, although her four children all died by age 27. This “most agreeable consort” partnered our First President, traveling great distances to be by his side to inspire her husband and the troops. And she bore great hardships apart from her husband, including long absences during the years of his Presidency. Martha compared her life with George to “two coals glowing in the fire.”

Like Martha Washington, Pat Jordan grew up on a family farm. And she could run the farm, too, with her training in business. Pat also shares the First Lady’s humor and wit. Both women share a flair for fashion, and each creates beauty with flowers, jewelry and a sincere appreciation for the gifts each person uniquely brings. And like Martha, Pat loves her husband madly.

The presentation will begin at 2:00 and end at 3:15 pm. Tickets are $15 per person.

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 16 - Cape May Court House, Cape May County
"The Love That Never Died"

On Saturday evening at 6:00 pm, experience the tales of haunted love. The Museum of Cape May County will open its doors for a special ghost tour, "The Love That Never Died." Join us as we walk through The Museum with experts from E.V.P. Paranormal and meet our resident ghosts. We know they'd love to meet you!

Space is limited and by prepaid reservation only. Cost is $20 per person. For more information or reservations, call 609-465-3535. The Museum of Cape May County is located at 504 Route 9 North, Cape May Court House, NJ. www.cmcmuseum.org

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Saturday, February 16 - 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, recipes, cooking techniques and the kitchen itself has changed since the 1890s. This free event runs from 11:00 am - 3:00 pm.

This event is free. 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 16 - Hopewell Township, Mercer County
Valentine Sleigh/Wagon Rides
Children Friendly Event

The incurably romantic can warm-up for Valentine's Day at Howell Farm from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm. For our married or courtin' folks we offer the Farm's circa 1900 horse drawn sleigh (or carriage) for rides. Families and groups will enjoy a horse drawn bobsled (or wagon) ride. Weather permitting rides are offered free, on a first come, first serve basis. Hot chocolate and a hand warming fire are among the outdoor amenities.

Visitors can purchase cakes, cookies and other delights, as well as hearty lunch fare in the Visitor Center. Valentine treats will be available for purchase to eat at the farm or to take home for that special someone.

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 16 - Haddonfield, Camden County

The Shannachie of Glendunbenn Ballybegg

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Saturday - Sunday, February 16 - 17 - 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 pm. Admission is $12 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 16 - 17 - 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 start at 12:30 pm. Admission is $12 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 16 - 17 - 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, February 16 - 17 - 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. Tour begins at the Washington Street Mall Information Booth. Tours begin and end at the Washington Street Mall Information Booth.

Adults $12 and children (ages 3-12) $8. Tours on Saturday and Sunday at 11:45 am. 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 17 - 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 17 - 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. Hear the story of the star crossed lovers that fled the wrath of the tyrant who wished to marry the young women. Learn the history and evolution of the pattern we've come to know as Blue Willow.

Program begins at 2:00 pm. Admission is $20 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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Sunday, February 17 - Montclair, Essex County
Eyewitness to African American History Tour
Family Friendly

Explore 200 years of Black history in Montclair and New Jersey through rare first-hand accounts, primary, and secondary source documents. Artifacts include a bill of sale for an enslaved person in the household, an 1800s newspaper, an 1840s New York Knickerbocker magazine, census data, personal letters, oral histories, and mid-century Jet and Ebony magazines. These artifacts provide a springboard for discussion about race both in the past and in the present-day. Reservations are not necessary, but please arrive in time for either a 1:00 or 2:30 pm tour start.

A Place to Become: Montclair through the Eyes of the Glenridge Avenue YWCA Women (1920-1965), a 55-minute documentary that tells the stories of the eight women who attended the YWCA during the first half of the 20th century, will be playing continuously in the lower level of the museum.

The Crane House & Historic YWCA is located at 108 Orange Road, Montclair, NJ. The site will be open from 1:00 - 4:00 pm. Admission is $6/adult; $5/student/senior with ID; $4/child; under 2 free. Members get in free! For more information, call 973-744-1796, e-mail mail@montclairhistorical.org, or visit www.montclairhistorical.org.

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Sunday, February 17 - 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 for refreshments in the tavern.

Tours are limited to 22 people each tour. Tours at 10:00 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. Bottled water will be provided upon check in. Tickets are $25 per adult, $15 per students, and children 4 and under are free. For tickets, click here.

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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Through Sunday, April 14 - Cape May, Cape May County
Collecting History: Personal Collections of Cape May's African American Community
Family Friendly

Collecting is a lifelong passion for many individuals who hunt, preserve, and curate items of importance and interest. It's not just the object that holds curiosity, but the story it has to tell. Never before seen personal collections of dolls, stamps, postcards, hats, books, art, and pocket watches will be exhibited along with John Nash's collection. Mr. Nash was a beloved community historian whose dedication to collecting Cape May's African American history formed the basis for Center for Community Arts' Nash African American History Archives.

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 June 2019 - Ocean Township, Monmouth County
"Wet as the Atlantic Ocean: Prohibition in New Jersey”

The 18th Amendment—the measure that made the manufacture, sale, or transport of alcoholic beverages a federal offense for the 13 years, 10 months, 19 days, and 17 hours of Prohibition—was repealed in 1933. It is the only Constitution Amendment ever to be undone. And its doing and undoing were the results of a tug-of-war between the “Wets” and the “Drys” that played out across the country.

A new exhibit opening to the public Sunday, in the Richmond Gallery of the Eden Woolley House reveals where New Jersey stood in that tug-of-war. “Wet as the Atlantic Ocean: Prohibition in NJ” brings the debates, glamour, and violence of the Roaring Twenties home.

How did it happen?
The prohibition debate had been argued across the country for nearly a century before the 18th Amendment outlawed alcohol nationwide. Maine passed the first state prohibition law in 1846 and by the Civil War, several other states had followed suit.

So what happened in the first decades of the next century to elevate debate into a campaign for a Constitutional Amendment—that took the fight national?

• Drunkenness was a real problem. The proliferation of saloons fueled a drinking culture, and between 1900 and 1913, beer and alcohol consumption soared. Women and families suffered.
• Women had been campaigning for abstinence since the early 1800s, By the turn of the century they were finding their voice, stridently advocating for the vote-— and increasingly for prohibition. Organizations like the Women’s Christian Temperance Union were gaining ground.
• Many Americans felt threatened by the influx of immigrants whose cultural norms around alcohol threatened prevailing white, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant values.
• On the global scene, the unthinkable carnage of the First World War and the alarming success of the Russian Revolution fueled a nostalgic longing for control and order.

Under these conditions, pro-prohibition sentiment grew. By 1919 more than half the country lived in dry states, counties, or towns. If the 18th Amendment were to be passed, it needed to happen before the 1920 census, the results of which would give greater power to the anti-prohibition cities.

The last state to Ratify
Ours was the last state to ratify the 18th amendment and it did so in 1922, two years after the measure was in effect. (Rhode Island and Connecticut never ratified.) We fought Prohibition in court. New Jersey joined Rhode Island in a losing challenge before the Supreme Court (1920). And we were back in 1931, when the Supreme Court overruled a New Jersey federal judge’s decision invalidating the 18th Amendment.

New Jersey’s Resistance
It’s no surprise, then, that Prohibition enforcement in New Jersey was lax. Local fishermen and boaters shuttled bootlegged liquor to shore from rum-running ships lined up just outside the legal limit. Speakeasies thrived with little risk of raid. The state underfunded enforcement. Corruption was rampant. Local police turned a blind eye. Even the teetotaling and incorruptible Ira Reeves, the man put in charge of federal enforcement in New Jersey, resigned after eight months and took up the anti-Prohibition cause!

This exhibit runs through June 2019. The Township of Ocean Historical Museum offers exhibits on the history of coastal Monmouth County and a full calendar of events. The Museum also houses a library and archive of local history. It is open, free of charge, 1:00 - 4:00 pm, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursday, 7:00 - 9:00 pm Thursday evenings, and 1:00 - 4:00 pm the first and second Sundays of each month. The Township of Ocean Historical Museum is located at 703 Deal Road, Ocean, NJ. For more information, visit www.oceanmuseum.org.

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Through June 2019 - Morristown, Morris County
Iconic Culture: From Little Black Dress to Bell Bottoms

Morris County Historical Society’s upcoming exhibit, Iconic Culture: From Little Black Dress to Bell Bottoms, promises to be a one-stop spot for a stroll down memory lane.

From the timeless designs of Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel to the trend-setting bell bottoms of Sonny and Cher, MCHS explores more than 50 years of cultural history through a retrospective featuring nearly 100 pieces from its historic textile collection. Iconic Culture will examine how changes in clothing styles mirrored the social climate of their time and the seminal moments and people who defined their decade – with a focus on New Jersey history.

In addition to the fashions, Iconic Culture will highlight cultural milestones in local, state, and national history that coincided with the Roaring 20s, Great Depression, World War II, Civil Rights Movement, and Vietnam Era.

This multimedia exhibit features music, television shows, and radio broadcasts. Visitors will also have an opportunity to share personal recollections about significant events, such as the assassination of President Kennedy.

The exhibit is available through Sunday, June 16, 2019. Morris County Historical Society is located at Acorn Hall, 68 Morris Avenue, Morristown, NJ and is open Wednesdays and Thursdays, 11:000 am - 4:00 pm and Sundays, 1:00 - 4:00 pm. Admission, which includes the exhibits and landscaped grounds, 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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Some event listings courtesy of the League of Historical Societies of New Jersey

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