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Sunday, March 30 - Plainfield, Union County
National Medal of Honor Day
In commemoration of National Medal of Honor Day, the Historical Society of Plainfield will host a gallery talk on Sunday at 2:30 pm about Congressional Medal of Honor winners Julian Scott and James Madison Drake. Both men received their medals for service during the Civil War, and both have an association with the Drake House Museum in Plainfield.
Julian Scott was an artist who, after the Civil War, settled in Plainfield and had a studio in the Babcock building. Five of his paintings are on exhibit in the Harberger Library in the Drake House. James Madison Drake was a descendant of Nathaniel Drake, whose home is now the Drake House Museum.
Last year the County of Union commemorated both Julian Scott and James Madison Drake along with other Union County residents on a memorial stone, which is located outside the Union County Courthouse. The County of Union recently donated Julian Scott's and James Madison Drake's biography boards to the Historical Society of Plainfield. The boards will be on display in the second floor ballroom of the Drake House Museum.
The public is invited to attend the gallery talk presented by Historical Society of Plainfield trustee Nancy Piwowar. The men's stories are interesting pieces of local history that had a national impact. Julian Scott became a Civil War artist and later worked as a census taker of Native Americans for the US government. James Madison Drake was a prisoner of war held in Libby Prison, Richmond, Virginia; he escaped from the Confederates by jumping off a train in Georgia and walking through the Carolinas to the Union Lines in Tennessee.
The talk will take place in the second floor ballroom of the Drake House Museum. Refreshments will be served. All are welcome during regular tour hours (2:00 - 4:00 pm on Sundays) or by appointment. For more information, call 908-755-5831 or visit www.drakehouseplainfieldnj.org.
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Sunday, March 30 - Bedminster, Somerset County
Vanderveer House Open House
Visitors to Bedminster's historic Jacobus Vanderveer House can get a firsthand look at life during the American Revolution during a free open house on Sunday from 1:00 - 4:00 pm.
The circa 1772 Dutch Colonial home was once the headquarters of General Henry Knox while he presided over the nearby Pluckemin Artillery Cantonment established by the Continental Army during 1778-1779.
Visitors to the house will have an opportunity to view a new 3D visualization of the Pluckemin Artillery Cantonment recently commissioned by the Friends of the Jacobus Vanderveer House, as well as authentic artifacts from the Vanderveer House, period rooms, the Prich Matthews History Center, paintings by John Phillip Osborne and John Ward Dunsmore, maps and other objects representative of Colonial life.
The Jacobus Vanderveer House is located at 3055 River Road (in Bedminster's River Road Park), Bedminster, NJ. For more information, call 908-396-6053 or visit www.jvanderveerhouse.org.
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Through Sunday, April 6, 2014 - Cranbury, Middlesex County
The Shimer Cookie Jar Exhibit
The Shimer Cookie Jar Exhibit at the Cranbury Museum features an extensive assortment of whimsical and delightful cookie jars assembled by long-time Cranbury resident and artist, Wilma Shimer. It also includes vintage kitchen accessories such as tablecloths, aprons, cookie cutters, rolling pins, cookbooks and recipes. One special item on display is the "Betty Crocker's Cook Book for Boys and Girls" which was published in 1957 and featured a test panel of twelve Cranbury boys and girls. The exhibit will be on display through April 6, 2014.
The Cranbury Museum is located within a lovely 1800s house that is furnished with period antiques. The museum is open Sundays from 1:00 - 4:00 pm and located at 4 Park Place East, Cranbury, NJ. For more information, call 609-655-2611 or visit www.cranburyhistory.org.
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Through Sunday, April 13, 2014 - Cape May, Cape May County
African American Heritage Exhibit
This 15th annual Center for Community Arts (CCA) exhibit - "The Way We Were...Cape May County's Once Thriving Black Business Communities" will highlight African Americans' contributions to the local community. The exhibit will be on display at the Carriage House Gallery on the grounds of the Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington Street, Cape May, NJ. Admission is free. Exhibit will be on display through Sunday, April 13. Open Saturdays in January, 11:30 am - 2:00 pm. Sponsored by the Center for Community Arts (CCA) in association with the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC). For information, call 609-884-7525 or visit www.centerforcommunityarts.org. For gallery hours call 609-884-5404 or visit www.capemaymac.org.
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Saturdays and Sundays through May 18 - Harrison Township, Gloucester County
Originals: 50 Years of Artistic Expressions
Creativity is the theme of the Harrison Township Historical Society’s newest exhibition at the Old Town Hall Museum entitled "Originals: 150 Years of Artistic Expression." The first floor gallery is filled with paintings, drawings, and folk art from the 19th and 20th centuries, all drawn from the Society’s rich holdings. The exhibition celebrates New Jersey’s 350th anniversary by focusing on the theme of innovation. Many of these works will be on view for the first time.
Folk art dominates the work from the 19th century. An album quilt from Richwood and a remarkable portfolio of sketches by Josiah B. Chester of Ewan, on exhibit for the first time, are highlights.
Twentieth century work includes paintings by Mullica Hill’s Paul Avis Colson, including a tri-partite screen that was recently restored and on exhibit for the first time. Also premiering is a landscape painted by Otto Rick, a German prisoner of war who worked on a farm in Richwood during World War II.
The exhibition is open Saturdays and Sundays, from 1:00 - 4:00 pm, March 8 - May 18, 2014 (closed Easter Sunday and Mother's Day). Admission is free. Old Town Hall is located at the intersection of South Main Street and Woodstown Road in the heart of Mullica Hill’s Historic District. For more information, call 856-478-4949; or visit www.harrisonhistorical.com.
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Through June 30, 2014 - Piscataway, Middlesex County
Got Work? Exhibit
View the exhibit "Got Work? New Deal/WPA in New Jersey" at the 1741 Cornelius Low House Museum in Piscataway. The museum is open Tuesday - Friday, 8:30 - 4:00 pm and Sunday afternoons from 1:00 - 4:00 pm. The exhibit will run through June 30, 2014.
The Cornelius Low House, built in 1741, was the home to its namesake and is only one of two remaining buildings from historic Raritan Landing. This high-style Georgian mansion is listed on the National Register and operated by the Middlesex County Cultural and Heritage Commission. Admission to the museum is FREE. The museum is located at 1225 River Road, Piscataway, NJ. For more information, call 732-745-4177 or visit http://www.co.middlesex.nj.us/culturalheritage.
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Through June 2014 - Morristown, Morris County
"Controversies: The More Things Change..." Exhibit
Currently on display at Macculloch Hall Historical Museum is an exhibition about topics that helped shape our world. "Controversies: The More Things Change..." opens new territory for the Museum, presenting challenging subject matter that may not be suitable for casual dinner conversation. This new exhibit explores topics that helped shape our world through local history events which had national significance: medical experimentation, immigration, and the right to die.
"Controversies: The More Things Change..." inspires people to consider, even reconsider, the ways in which they think about these important, frequently debated issues. The exhibit explores local history events which had national significance: the 1833 Antoine LeBlanc murder trial and public execution; the immigration issues of the late nineteenth century as depicted by political cartoonist Thomas Nast, a Morristown resident, and the 1976 Karen Ann Quinlan "right to die" case.
The museum is making a major departure in exhibit presentations with "Controversies." Where most exhibits typically provide detailed information about the objects on view, "Controversies" offers limited information about the objects, essentially forcing personal thought, and inspiring discussion, about the areas represented. Each object and concept in the exhibit represents a part of New Jersey's history - specifically Morris County's history. The ideas expressed through the historical objects in the exhibit, however, are not confined to New Jersey boundaries- the significant concerns raised by the important and controversial issues showcased in this exhibit continue to be debated throughout the United States and the world.
"We wanted to give our visitors a chance to participate in an exhibit in a new way - to have a reaction without being guided by the institution's interpretation of what the objects represent, which labels typically provide," said Executive Director Carrie Fellows. Instead, curator's books of supplementary information will be available within the exhibit, should the visitor want to learn more, drawn from primary sources like news articles, contemporary commentary, and images. Visitors are encouraged to leave comments about the themes presented.
The exhibition was inspired when Fellows and Ryan C. Hyman, the Museum's curator, heard Burt Logan, Executive Director of the Ohio Historical Society speak at a conference about the organization's groundbreaking "Controversy: Pieces You Don't Normally See" exhibit, and its sequel, "Controversy 2: Pieces We Don't Normally Talk About". During his talk, Mr. Logan strongly encouraged other museums to adapt the concept and develop similar exhibits. Inspired by the presentation, Hyman and Fellows began discussing how they might create an exhibit using themes from the Morris area's rich history.
"Controversies: The More Things Change..." will be on view during Museum touring hours through June 2014. Please note the subject matter may not be suitable for all audiences. Visitor discretion advised. Recommended for visitors 12 years of age and older.
Macculloch Hall Historical Museum preserves the history of the Macculloch-Miller families, the Morris area community, and the legacy of its founder W. Parsons Todd through its historic site, collections, exhibits, and educational and cultural programs. The Museum is open for house and exhibit tours on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays from 1:00 - 4:00 pm. The last tour leaves at 3:00 pm. Adults $8; Seniors & Students $6; Children 6 - 12 $4. Members and children under 5 are free. For more information, call 973-538-2404 ext. 10 or visit www.maccullochhall.org. Macculloch Hall Historical Museum is located at 45 Macculloch Avenue, Morristown, NJ.
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Saturdays and Sundays through July 27, 2014 - Ridgewood, Bergen County
A Community's Journey: Our Place in New Jersey History
The Schoolhouse Museum's new exhibit, on display now through July 27, 2014 celebrates New Jersey's 350th anniversary. "A Community's Journey: Our Place in New Jersey's History" showcases the area's evolution over the last three centuries using the themes of liberty, innovation, and diversity.
The Liberty collection highlights uniforms and other war-time memorabilia while the Innovation collection chronicles the history of performing arts in the village including items from the Ridgewood Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company, such as a silk wedding kimono worn by Yum Yum in the "Mikado." Also on display are items owned by Ridgewood magician Harry Rouclere. Especially noteworthy is the Diversity collection which tells the story of the African American, Jewish, Irish, and Korean communities through personal artifacts.
The museum is open Thursdays and Saturdays from 1:00 - 3:00 and Sundays 2:00 - 4:00. The Schoolhouse Museum is located at 650 East Glen Avenue in Ridgewood, NJ. For more information, call 201-447-3242 or visit www.ridgewoodhistoricalsociety.org.
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Through August, 2014 - Lyndhurst, Bergen County
Let's Play! An Exhibit of Beloved Toys
Children Friendly
From a china-head doll to a Lionel train, several toys are on display at the Little Red Schoolhouse Museum as the Lyndhurst Historical Society recalls fun times with favorite toys. The new exhibit, "Let's Play! An Exhibit of Beloved Toys," is open now through August 2014.
The exhibit is free and open to the public, though a small donation to the Society would be appreciated. The Little Red Schoolhouse Museum is open on the second and fourth Sundays of every month from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. The Lyndhurst Historical Society was established in 1984 in an effort to preserve the 1893 schoolhouse, located at 400 Riverside Avenue, Lyndhurst, NJ. For more information, call 201-804-2513 (leave a message) or visit www.lyndhursthistoricalsociety.org.
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March 30, 2014 through October 26, 2014 - Woodbury, Gloucester County
Be Prepared: Scouts of Yesteryear
Children Friendly
Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts have been a tradition in America for over a century. The Gloucester County Historical Society Museum is presenting a remarkable exhibit with scouting artifacts from over the decades. Numerous uniforms, merit badges, equipment, manuals, and accessories from the 1930’s on are on display.
The Gloucester County Historical Society Museum hours are Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays from 1:00 - 4:00 pm and the last Sunday of the month from 2:00 - 5:00 pm. Adult admission $5; children 6-18 years $1; children under 6 free. The Gloucester County Historical Society Museum is located at 58 North Broad Street, Woodbury, NJ. For more information, call 856-848-8531 or visit www.rootsweb.com/~njgchs.
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Through February 13, 2015 - Madison, Morris County
The American Revolution in New Jersey
Children Friendly
New Jersey spent much of the American Revolution as a theater of war. A new exhibit at the Museum of Early Trades and Crafts, "The American Revolution in New Jersey: Where the Battlefront Meets the Homefront," explores the rarely told story of New Jersey's farmers, women, and tradesmen and their actions during the war. Topics discussed include the local civil wars that erupted between revolutionaries and loyalists, the multiple roles that women took on as their men went off to war, and how civilian life was affected by the regular presence of troops. The exhibit will be open until February 13, 2015.
Regular Museum admission is $5.00 for adults, $3.00 for seniors, students & children (ages 6 and older), and free for members and children under 6. Family maximum admission $13.00. The Museum is open Tuesday - Saturday from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm and Sunday from 12:00 noon - 5:00 pm. The Museum of Early Trades & Crafts is located at 9 Main Street in Madison, NJ just two blocks from the Madison train station. For more information, please call 973-377-2982 x10 or visit www.metc.org.
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Some event listings courtesy of the League of Historical Societies of New Jersey
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