NJ Weekend Historical Happenings: 1/19/19 - 1/20/19

 New Jersey Weekend Historical Happenings

A Weekly Feature on www.thehistorygirl.com

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

Saturday, January 19 - 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, January 19 - 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 1:45 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, January 19 - 20 - 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, January 19 - 20 - 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 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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Saturdays & Sundays Through January 20 - Upper Freehold, Monmouth County
Historic Myths BUSTED

It can be tricky to sort out fact from fiction; do we record and remember history as it was or as we want it to be? What can skew our perspective? We will explore some common historical misunderstandings and share fun facts and credible accounts about the past at Historic Walnford on Saturday and Sunday from 1:00 - 4:00 pm.

While there, visit 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 information, call 609-259-6275 or visit www.monmouthcountyparks.com.

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Sunday, January 20 - Toms River, Ocean County
HMS Titanic and Halifax, Nova Scotia
CANCELLED DUE TO WEATHER
RESCHEDULED FOR: Sunday, January 27

You’ve heard about the Titanic’s sinking in the North Atlantic in mid-April of 1912. But did you know the role the city of Halifax, Nova Scotia played in the retrieval process? Come to the Ocean County Historical Society, 26 Hadley Avenue, Toms River, NJ to hear researcher Sandra Gray, a Forked River resident, share the personal stories and other intriguing facts she’s discovered during visits to Halifax on Sunday at 2:00 pm. There is no admission fee, but donations will be accepted. Refreshments will be served. Call 732-341-1880 for reservations. In case of snow, the program will be rescheduled on January 27, same time and place. For more information, visit www.oceancountyhistory.org.

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Sunday, January 20 - 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, January 20 - Hopewell, Mercer County
New Jersey's Civil War Era Photography

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Sunday, January 20 - Tewksbury, Hunterdon County
Annual Membership Meeting & Lecture on New Jersey State Parks

The Tewksbury Historical Society will hold its annual membership meeting on Sunday at 1:00 pm at Society Headquarters, 60 Water Street in Mountainville, NJ. Refreshments will be served. The society will hold its annual reorganization meeting, at which time the society's Nominating Committee will present a slate of officers for the positions of Vice-President and Treasurer to be voted upon by the membership at large. The society's Treasurer will present a 2018 financial report and Standing Committee Chairs will present their reports on 2018 activities and proposed 2019 plans.

After the meeting, stay for a presentation on New Jersey State Parks. Some of New Jersey's most exciting history can be found in our more than two dozen State Parks...

Old names such as Wawayanda and Hopatcong remind us of the Lenni Lenape, or "Original People." Historic battlefields recall New Jersey's perilous years as "the Crossroads of the American Revolution." Abandoned forges still speak of our first great industry, and we can trace the beginnings of our transportation network in the paths of the Morris and the Delaware & Raritan Canals. The slide show includes original photography of many of New Jersey's beautiful state parks, plus vintage maps and images of historic people, places, and events.

Kevin Woyce is an author, photographer, and lecturer. His regional history books, illustrated with original black and white photography, include: Jersey Shore History & Facts, Niagara: The Falls and the River, New Jersey State Parks: History & Facts, and Hudson River Lighthouses: An Illustrated History. A lifelong resident of the Garden State, Kevin grew up in East Rutherford, the eldest of 15 siblings. He now lives in Lyndhurst with his wife, Carin.

In the event of inclement weather (snow or ice) the meeting will be cancelled. Check the Society's website at www.tewksburyhistory.net or call 908-832-6734 for more information or to check for any cancellation.

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Sunday, January 20 - Lambertville, Hunterdon County
LHS Annual Meeting & How to Research the History of Your Home

On Sunday, after a brief business meeting of the Lambertville Historical Society, Ms. Marfy Goodspeed will inform and assist attendees on how to find information on the history of a home. Goodspeed has been researching the history of Hunterdon properties since 1982. A resident of the County since 1976, she has served on the Delaware Township Planning Board, the Delaware & Raritan Canal Commission, and as Delaware Township Historian for several years.

She has contributed articles to the "Hunterdon Historical Newsletter" and the Delaware Township newsletter. In 2009, she began her website Goodspeed Histories, featuring a blog and articles about the early years of West New Jersey and of Hunterdon County. This free program begins at 1:00 pm at the Pittore Justice Center - 25 S. Union Street, Lambertville, NJ. For more information, visit www.lambertvillehistoricalsociety.org.

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Sunday, January 20 - 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.

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.

Tours of the Crane House & Historic YWCA are on the hour from 1:00 - 4:00 pm. Last tour at 3:00 pm. Admission is $6/adult; $5/student/senior with ID; $4/child; under 2 free. Member get in free! The Crane House/Historic YWCA is located at 110 Orange Road, Montclair, NJ. For more information, call 973-744-1796, e-mail mail@montclairhistorical.org, or visit www.montclairhistory.org.

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Sunday, January 20 - Holmdel, Monmouth County
Blacksmith Demonstration
Children Friendly Event

On Sunday, visit Historic Longstreet Farm in Holmdel to take a step back in time to watch blacksmiths perform their craft. They will be shaping iron into everyday products. Blacksmiths were as common as an auto mechanic in towns and on farms of the 1890s. This free event runs from 1:00 - 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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Through Tuesday, January 22, 2019 - Cape May, Cape May County
The Sights and Sounds of a Victorian Christmas
Family Friendly

Now’s the time to enjoy the sights and sounds of a time gone by as The Museum of Cape May County presents its newest exhibition, “The Sights and Sounds of a Victorian Christmas.”

This free exhibit showcases the sweet sounds of Victorian music boxes and gramophones. Included in the exhibition is a rare Capital Cuff music box made in New Jersey in the 1880s. Visitors will be able to listen to many of the music boxes and gramophones as they make their way through The Museum’s gallery.

Collected by one man over the course of decades, these music boxes have never before been seen on public exhibition.

This exhibit will run from December 7, 2018 through January 22, 2019 in The Museum’s gallery. The Museum is located at 504 Route 9 North, Cape May Court House, NJ. Exhibition hours are limited and are available by contacting the museum at 609-465-3535 or visiting the museum’s website at www.cmcmuseum.org.

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Through Friday, February 15 - East Amwell, Hunterdon County

Jim Amon Wildlife Photo Exhibit
Family Friendly

Camera in hand, Jim Amon heads to the Sourlands whenever he can. Amon, a resident of Lambertville, has a deep and long connection with the Sourlands. In the 1980’s he and three others founded the D&R Greenway Land Trust, who now have nature preserves extending over several hundred acres in the Sourland Region. Then, in 2005, upon retiring after thirty years as Executive Director of the Delaware and Raritan Canal Commission, he became the Director of Stewardship for the D&R Greenway. In that capacity, he did ecological restoration on the Greenway’s nature preserves and built about twenty miles of recreational trails. Upon retiring from the Greenway he served on the Board of Directors for the Sourland Conservancy. For the last five years, the Conservancy has been publishing “Seeing the Sourlands,” Amon’s monthly photo/essays on the plants and animals that can be found in the Sourlands, as an eNewsletter feature. This series, which can also be found on the Sourland Conservancy’s web site www.sourland.org, has been widely praised. The photos and essays will soon be published as a book.

Amon says that he began his photographic career by taking pictures of his growing family. Gradually, however, his interest in photography as an art form grew. He studied at the Maine Media Workshop and took several classes elsewhere. His work has been published in many local newspapers, magazines and planning books. He has exhibited at the Perkins Art Center, the Phillips Mill Photography Exhibit, Gallery 14, and other venues in central New Jersey.

“The East Amwell Historical Society show brings two of my great passions together,” Amon said. “I think that it is important for people to realize the ecological value of native plants, but also to realize that they are every bit as beautiful as exotics from foreign lands that are promoted for your home landscape. Stalking butterflies with my camera, posing native wildflowers with formal black backgrounds, and always being alert for the special beauty of the natural world brings me great pleasure.”

The East Amwell Historical Society and the Sourland Conservancy will present An Exhibition of Photographs of Plants and Animals Native to the Sourlands by Jim Amon at the East Amwell Museum 1053 Old York Road, Ringoes, NJ. The opening reception will be held on January 11th at 7:00 pm. Admission to the East Amwell Museum and exhibit will be free and open to the public on weekends from 1:00 - 4:00 pm. The exhibit will be on display from January 5 through February 15, 2019. For more information, visit www.eastamwellhistory.org and www.sourland.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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