Historical Organization of the Week: Union Forge Heritage Association

Every Monday, I will now highlight a non-profit related to history or the arts, a historical society, preservation group or friends group whose main objective is to promote the historical and artistic history of New Jersey. 

This week, the Union Forge Heritage Association (UFHA) is being highlighted. The UFHA was founded in 2002 and is a proactive organization committed to protecting the rich history of High Bridge, NJ. The UFHA maintains the first floor of the Solitude House Museum, open every Sunday from 2:00 - 4:00 pm. The association has also been instrumental in establishing the Taylor Steelworkers Historical Greenway, which features the Taylor Steelworks Company office building (circa 1720s) , Shop E, the grinding shop (1904),  a restored 100 year old truss bridge, the Union Iron Works ruins (circa 1742), the Solitude House (circa 1710), the Lake Solitude Dam (1909), and Springside Farm.

The UFHA has worked tirelessly to preserve all of these sites which contribute to the rich history of the High Bridge area. The acquisition of the land for the greenway, its construction and the restoration of the truss bridge and forge site ruins was performed exclusively by volunteers from the organization.

Solitude House has been open for 11 seasons and the UFHA conducts school tours and hosts an average of four major events per year. The UFHA has secured over $130,000 in grants since 2002. UFHA’s restoration projects at Solitude House include upgrades to the entire electrical system, floor refinishing, plaster repairs, painting, landscaping, general maintenance and a porch reconstruction project. The UFHA has won six local and county achievement awards.

www.solitudehouse.org
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Union-Forge-Heritage-Association/126109084083832

If you are a member of a non-profit organization or know of one that you would like to see featured on this site, please let us know in the comments or send an e-mail to kelly@thehistorygirl.com.