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Archive of News & Events Websites Hosted by the History Guild Mailing Lists Hosted by the History Guild To Join any List Click the Name and Use SUBSCRIBE as the Subject May 2008 Index Spirit of the Jerseys State History Fair - Teachers - May 3 The NJ Office of Historic Sites is pleased to offer three hours of profesional development credit to New Jersey elementary education and social studies teachers who participate in the fifth annual SPIRIT of the JERSEYS State History Fair on Saturday, May 3, 2008 at Washington Crosing State Park, Titusville. Now in its fifth year, this free historical festival runs from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., rain or shine. To receive profesional development credit, teachers must register at the park's Visitor Center between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m Activities include living history encampments of the frontier, Revolutionary and Civil War periods, a 19th century baseball game, period dance and music, an archaeological artifakes dig, period trade and craft demonstrations, an antique car display, a Who's Who in History, and exhibits by historical societies and museums. For a complete guide to History Fair activities, visit http://www.njhistoryfair.org. Attendance at this event meets the Standards for Required Profesional Development for Teachers 1, 1.1, 1.2, 3.1.2, 3.1.3, 5.1, 6.2, 10.1, 10.2, 12.2, and enhances knowledge of subject content including the 2004 New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards for Social Studies 6.4, 6.4.2A-B, 6.4.4A-B, 6.4.8A-G, & 6.4.12A-L. The Spirit of the Jerseys State History Fair is sponsored by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Parks and Forestry, Office of Historic Sites. Washington Crosing State Park is located on the Delaware River, just eight miles north of Trenton. A National Historic Landmark, it was here that the Continental Army under the command of General George Washington landed after their historic crosing of the Delaware River on Christmas night 1776. The park contains over 2,000 acres in Mercer and Hunterdon Counties and is easily accesible from Routes 29 and 546. For information on the offered profesional development credit, please contact Andrew Anderson at the Double Trouble State Park Interpretive Center, 732-341-4098 or dtris@dnetit.com. Andrew Anderson Reposted with permision from http://www.nj.com/ and the NJ Historical Commision's H-New Jersey listserver http://www.h-net.org/~njersey/. State History Fair - May 3 Got History? Then why not showcase it at this year's SPIRIT of the JERSEYS State History Fair to be held Saturday, May 3 at Washington Crosing State Park, Titusville, NJ from 11 AM - 5 PM. It's a great opportunity to share your town's or organization's place in NJ history. Last year over 130 organizations and individuals participated. More than 6,000 people attended the event. So come out and join the fun! Participation is free to nonprofit historical agencies and groups. For further information and an exhibitor's application, visit our web site at http://www.njhistoryfair.org. Inquiries can also be made to Historyfair@dep.state.nj.us. Deadline for submitting an application is March 28, 2008. The Fair is sponsored by the Office of Historic Sites, Division of Parks and Forestry, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Elizabeth Dowd Reposted with permision from http://www.nj.com/ and the NJ Historical Commision's H-New Jersey listserver http://www.h-net.org/~njersey/. Central Terminal: Saving a Buffalo Landmark - May 3 A film with an Historic Preservation theme will be screened Saturday, May 3, 4pm at the Broad Street Bank, 143 E State Street, Trenton as part of the 5th Annual Trenton Film Festival. Screening will be followed by a panel discusion moderated by John Hatch, President Preservation NJ. "Central Terminal: Saving a Buffalo Landmark" explores the storied past of the beloved train station in Buffalo, New York. Built on the cusp of the Great Depresion, the Central Terminal was a hub of activity. As train travel waned in the 1970s, it was shuttered and for twenty years it suffered from neglect and abuse by private owners. In 1997, local preservationists acquired the building, which had been stripped of its grandeur and was in desperate need of repair. This documentary highlights the building's architectural and social significance and recent efforts to bring it back to life against all odds! "Central Terminal: Saving a Buffalo Landmark" was produced by Kirsten Jahn and Scott Richardson, digital media arts students working under the guidance of Barbara Irwin, Ph.D., director of the Canisius College Video Institute (29 min. Directed by Barbara Irwin.). For tickets to this remarkable documentary on the highly unlikely saving of an extraordinary building, go to http://www.trentonfilmfestival.org or call 1-800-838-3006 (24hr). - - Christina Scott christina@preservationnj.org Apr 25, 2008 Reposted with permision from http://www.nj.com/ and the NJ Historical Commision's H-New Jersey listserver http://www.h-net.org/~njersey/. Bus Tour Of The Morris Canal - May 3 The Warren County Morris Canal Committee will host a scenic tour of the historic Morris Canal on May 3. The tour will include a one-half day bus ride along the canal corridor through Warren County. The bus will leave from the Warren Hills Regional Senior High School on Jackson Valley Road in Washington Township at 9 a.m. and return at approximately 2:30 p.m. During the trip, a box lunch will be served at the former home of James and Mary Lee. The Lee family still lives in the plane tender's house at Plane 9 West and has done extensive work preserving the canal on this property. In addition to the work being done at the site, visit the new James and Mary Memorial Museum on the site. Reservations are required and must be made by April 18. Cost is $12 and includes the box lunch. Checks should be made payable to the County of Warren. Seating is limited to a first-come basis. Call the Warren County Planning Department at (908) 475-6532 to make reservations. Copyright ©2007 Daily Record. All rights reserved. Rally To Protest The Closing Of The History Sites - May 3 To All the History Community, The Advocates for New Jersey History in coalition with the Keep It Green Movement and the Sierra Club, among other supporters, will stage a rally to protest the closing of the state parks and history sites this Saturday, at 12 noon, in the Washington Crosing State Park just south of Titusville, New Jersey off Route 29. Please attend and expres your opinions about closing the 9 parks and historic sites. Cate Litvack, of Crosroads for the American Revolution will speak on behalf of the history community as well speakers for the other sponsoring organizations. There will be cards from Keep It Green to sign and information about the crisis available to take back to your organizations and friends. The New Jersey History Fair is a wonderful event for the state's sites, friends of sites, history organizations, and families with reenactors, displays, and family fun and games. Stay and enjoy! If you like, wear your costume or period dres, see and be heard. Best, Dr. David A. Cowell, Preident The Advocates for New Jersey History dcowell@drew.edu Apr 28, 2008 Reposted with permision from http://www.nj.com/ and the NJ Historical Commision's H-New Jersey listserver http://www.h-net.org/~njersey/. Joseph Bonaparte's Estate - May 4 Join the Burlington County Historical Society's BONAPARTeY on Sunday, May 4, 2008 from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m.! The Former site of Bonaparte's estate, Point Breeze, is currently under archeological investigation by history profesors and students from Monmouth University. During a slide show and guided walking tour, Dr. Andrew Cosentino will tell us about Joseph Bonaparte, and about the discoveries unearthed on the property. It's not often that the public gets to see an active archeological "dig", and this one has excited historians in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The program will be followed by light refreshments "under the tent." The location is 101 Park Street, Bordentown, NJ, the site of Joseph Bonaparte's Estate now Divine Word Ministries. Space is limited. $25 per person. Preference will be given to B.C.H.S. members. Please R.S.V.P. to (609) 386-4773 or burlcohistsoc@verizon.net. - - Reposted with permision from http://www.nj.com/ and the NJ Historical Commision's H-New Jersey listserver http://www.h-net.org/~njersey/. The Unknown Loyalist Cause in Colonial NJ - May 4 "The Unknown Loyalist Cause in Colonial New Jersey" Sunday, May 4, 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. Durand-Hedden House, 523 Ridgewood Road, Maplewood On Sunday, May 4 visitors to the Durand-Hedden House in Maplewood will hear the fascinating, often untold account of Loyalists in New Jersey, civilians and soldiers who remained Loyal to the British Crown during the War for Independence. Newark (which then included Maplewood), Elizabethtown and surrounding towns were primarily rebel, but a whole battalion of Loyalist soldiers, the 3rd Battalion, NJ Volunteers, was raised from throughout Esex County. Historian and re-enactor Todd Braisted will tell the story of this region and battalion as well as that of the military career of Isaac Hedden of the 5th Battalion, NJ Volunteers. The audience will also be able to view a display of uniforms, arms and accoutrements carried by Loyalist New Jersey soldiers. Todd Braisted is one of the foremost experts on Loyalists nationwide. He is the creator and webmaster of the leading website of Loyalist studies: http://www.royalprovincial.com. He has appeared as a Guest Historian on the PBS Series "History Detectives" and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's "Who Do You Think You Are?" Mr. Braisted is the co-author of two books and has coordinated the recent New Jersey Network documentary "Ten Crucial Days." The 45 minute talk will begin at 2:00 pm. The public will be welcome to talk with Mr. Braisted, look at his display, and tour the house museum and surrounding grounds, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. The Durand-Hedden House, which dates to ca. 1790 is located at 523 Ridgewood Road in Maplewood. The House and surrounding Grasmere Park were designated a Maplewood Historic Landmark in 2006. For more information, please call 973-763-7712. - - Susan Newberry sanewberry@comcast.net Apr 29, 2008 Reposted with permision from http://www.nj.com/ and the NJ Historical Commision's H-New Jersey listserver http://www.h-net.org/~njersey/. Online Heritage Tourism Site Survey The New Jersey Heritage Tourism Task Force announces the launch of its online heritage tourism site survey. Chairperson, Cate Litvack stated, "We urge all organizations and staff involved with heritage sites throughout the state to participate in the survey. The information will be critical to long-range planning aimed at boosting New Jersey's performance in the regional and national heritage tourism market." Brian Tyrrell, Director of the New Jersey Center for Hospitality and Tourism Research at Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, designed and will supervise the survey. Dr. Tyrrell, who is also a member of the Heritage Tourism Task Force, recommends that, "A staff or volunteer member of the organization who has a broad knowledge of the site and its activities complete the survey." He added, "the survey is very short and will take only 10-15 minutes to complete." The site survey can be found on the web at http://www.njht.org/touring. Anyone with questions about taking the survey should call Dr. Tyrrell at 609-652-4759. The Task Force was established by the legislature (P.L. 2006, Ch. 60). It is charged with conducting a survey and inventory of New Jersey's historic resources, establishing a signage and marker program and promoting coordination among New Jersey's historic sites. The Task Force will also encourage the State, counties and municipalities to focus on heritage tourism. Finally, the Task Force has been charged with identifying stable sources of funding for the enhancement, maintenance and interpretation of our historic sites. According to Senator Barbara Buono (D-Middlesex), who sponsored the legislation that established the Task Force, "New Jersey is home to a rich historic legacy, from Colonial times to the Revolutionary War all the way through the Industrial Revolution." She continued, "By properly tapping this unique resource and learning from other succesful heritage tourism hot spots, like Philadelphia, we can attract an entirely new group of tourists to New Jersey." Please circulate this email to everyone you think would be interested -- especially to those we hope will complete the survey. Best regards, Reposted with permision from http://www.nj.com/ and the NJ Historical Commision's H-New Jersey listserver http://www.h-net.org/~njersey/. A Weekend in Old Monmouth - May 3,4 The Monmouth County Historical Commision announces the County's first annual self-guided automobile tour "A Weekend in Old Monmouth" to be held May 3-4, 2008, from 10:00AM - 5:00PM on Saturday the 3rd and 12-5:00PM on Sunday the 4th with 32 historic sites and museums each open for those common hours, and for free that weekend. The sites, with stops in each corner of the County, include places of every description including historic houses of colonial and Victorian eras, farms, a mill, former military installations, an industrial village, places part of the Revolution, houses of worship, one room schools, the largest frame building in New Jersey, two of the greatest lighthouses in the country and a science that was at the forefront of electronic technology into space age. Visitors are guided by a Tour Map and Tour Guide Booklet which will be available on that weekend at each of the tour sites and now on-line on the County's homepage at http://visitmonmouth.com. This is a cornerstone event in the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders' commemoration of the 325th Anniversary of Monmouth County. Inquiries to Randall Gabrielan, monmouthhistory@comcast.net - - Randall Gabrielan monmouthhistory@comcast.net Apr 25, 2008 Reposted with permision from http://www.nj.com/ and the NJ Historical Commision's H-New Jersey listserver http://www.h-net.org/~njersey/. Kincaid Home Open For Tours, Presentation - May 4 An open house will be held at the Oscar A. Kincaid Home of History on Sunday, May 4 from 2 to 4 p.m. to celebrate the 34th anniversary of The Historical Society of Boonton Township as well as the fifth anniversary of the establishment of the Oscar A. Kincaid Home of History. In addition to a house tour, there will be a video presentation about the progres of the restoration of the 1785 homestead. Refreshments will be served. Members of the society as well as the general public are invited to attend. The Historical Society will hold a brief annual meeting after the open house at 4 p.m. http://www.dailyrecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID= /20080423/COMMUNITIES/804230412/1005/NEWS01" Copyright ©2007 Daily Record. All rights reserved. Morristown Victorian Weekend - May 3,4 Escape 21st century presures and return to the slower pace of the 19th century during the fifth annual Victorian Weekend. The event, sponsored by the Morris County Historical Society and Fosterfields Living Historical Farm, will be held at Acorn Hall and at Fosterfields on Saturday, May 3 and Sunday, May 4 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visitors of all ages will be able to experience different activities recalling the 1800s at both historic locations. These activities include period crafts, music, games, house tours, fashions, farm activities, demonstrations, dancing, refreshments, a Victorian bazaar and more. Here are a few highlights. At Fosterfields, visitors will be able to meet a suffragist who will campaign for a woman's right to vote and enjoy a Victorian tea demonstration in The Willows' kitchen. At Acorn Hall, military re-enactors will be camped in the front yard. There also will be dancing demonstrations, an on-going croquet game and a fashion show featuring styles from the mid-1800s to early 1900s. A complete listing of events can be found at http://www.acornhall.org/events.htm. For more information, you can also call Acorn Hall at (973) 267-3465 or contact Fosterfields at (973) 326-7645 or at http://www.parks.morris.nj.us. Copyright ©2007 Daily Record. All rights reserved. Colonial Revival Gardens - May 4 First Sunday at Peachfield Sunday, May 4, 2008 2 to 4 PM Visit Peachfield, a Colonial Revival gem designed by R. Brognard Okie to hear Helen Hamilton speak on the design approach of gardens in the Colonial Revival of the early 20th century. Unlike the utilitarian gardens of the colonial era, the idealized gardens of the revival were more formal in design and incorporated a plant palette different to those available in America in the late 1700s. This informative talk will explore the design elements and the trends typical of the era. An accomplished gardener, Ms. Hamilton is chairman of the Landscape and Garden Committee of Museum Properties for NSCDA, chairman of the Delaware Valley Unit of The Herb Society of America, and a member of the Landscape Committee of Princeton Windrows. The lecture begins at 2 PM; time will be provided for questions and answers after the presentations. Light refreshments follow the program. The fee for First Sundays at Peachfield is $5.00 per person; members of Friends of Peachfield are admitted free of charge. Originally built in 1725 Peachfield was severely damaged by fire in 1928. Philadelphia architect R. Brognard Okie (1865-1945) restored the house to a Colonial Revival interior on its original foundation and original stone walls. Now the State headquarters for the NSCDA-NJ, Peachfield houses the Colonial Dames outstanding collection of china, textiles furniture, clocks and paintings which date from 1730 through 1840. To register or for additional information, please telephone Peachfield at 609-267-6996 or by email at colonialdamesnj@comcast.net. Peachfield at 180 Burrs Road Westampton NJ and the Old Schoolhouse at 35 Brainerd Street Mount Holly are owned and operated by the NSCDA-NJ. For more information about the Society and these two historic sites log on to http://www.colonialdamesnj.org - - Maureen O'Connor Leach Executive Director National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of NJ mocdel1049@aol.com May 1, 2008 Reposted with permision from http://www.nj.com/ and the NJ Historical Commision's H-New Jersey listserver http://www.h-net.org/~njersey/. High Point Park Report Isued - February 6, 1932 With the threatened closing of High Point and other state parks, it is interesting to reflect back to an era when our common ground was held in high public esteem and managed as a popular heritage destination. Col. Anthony R. Kuser donated 10,000 acres to the state for park purposes in 1923, saying he "had long felt the need for a large public park for everyone to enjoy himself whenever he could." The following article was published in the Paterson Morning Call in 1932 and re-printed in the Susex Independent a week later. Several items are worth noting. First of all, between 600,000 and 700,000 people visited High Point State Park in 1931, a number far exceeding the present attendance. Nonetheles, the park closed between November and May. Secondly, the State Administration Building (popularly known as Kuser Lodge) was described as "the second largest museum in the state, only excelled by the state museum at Trenton." This building was abandoned in 1977 and demolished two decades later, leaving many to wonder about the whereabouts of its museum collections. Lastly, we are reminded that the High Point obelisk is the state veterans' monument, a companion to the Trenton War Memorial. In fact, State Forester Alfred Gaskill, acting with the approval of Governor Edwards and the Department of Conservation and Development, proposed the dedication of the entire mountaintop forest park as a living memorial to the veterans of all wars in June 1920. The plan originally involved using $60,000 raised by school children for a memorial building on the State House grounds at Trenton, "which was found impracticable." Charles Lathrop Pack, president of the American Forestry Asociation, admired and supported the idea, suggesting, "There can be no greater memorial than the tree with its ever renewing life. It seems that Forester Gaskill has given New Jersey a wonderful opportunity if it will create a memorial forest with Roads of Remembrance leading to such a memorial. Along these roads could be planted memorial trees, so that every citizen in New Jersey would have a real intimate part in the creation of such a memorial." When the aforementioned fund was used to build the Trenton War Memorial, Col. Kuser donated money to build the 220-foot granite shaft atop High Point, which was dedicated in June 1930. Speaking of the monument, the Paterson correspondent notes: "Its popularity is shown by the fact that more than thirty-five thousand people went to the very top at twenty-five cents each during the past season. It has proven one of the best sources of revenue for the park." The independent High Point Park Commision was abolished in 1945 and its responsibilities transferred to the Trenton bureaucracy. Despite the noble sentiments of past generations, the monument's heavy bronze door, emblazoned with the Great Seal of the State of New Jersey, was stolen in broad daylight in 1998, even though the monument, standing on the highest elevation in the state, is visible for many miles on a clear day and there is only one acces road through the park. One last note: the cafeteria building, built in 1931 and known as the Grey Rock Inn, is the present nature center. High Point Park Report Isued Attractive Booklet prepared by Secretary John J. Stanton. From the Susex Independent, February 12, 1932 By George H. Burke, in the Paterson Morning Call, February 6, 1932: John J. Stanton, executive secretary of the High Point Park commision, is busy sending out the ninth annual report of the commision and it is a booklet worth a place on the reading desk of any library. Instead of the usual mas of figures and statistics compiled in publications of this character, the secretary, in his characteristic way, has made an interesting and readable pamphlet of this official publication, illuminating fourteen pages with attractive pictures of the park, the opening one of which is entitled "along the Main Drive," in the background of which is the beautiful Kuser monument, so familiar to many Patersonians who make the park a visiting place during the summer months. Another page shows one of the novel shelter houses, while the third is a reproduction of the beautiful scenic drive. The bathing lake on a mid-summer day looks attractive and cooling, while the automobile parking space near the cafeteria grounds is unusually pretty. But after all it is the cafeteria itself that stands out most prominently, as it is not only the most substantial of its kind in any public park of the United States, but its architecture of Old English design makes it a place that is bound to attract attention. It is built from a varicolored stone selected within the bounds of the park and it is equipped with every cooking apparatus known to modern dining. This cafeteria, while opened for a few days last fall for inspection, will have its formal opening late this spring when the public will be invited. Another page is set aside "as a popular driveway" and from this can be seen on the hill the main state building surrounded by a wealth of foliage. An interior photograph in this building is set aside as a museum and already has an interesting display of rare objects of interest. Another page is devoted to the new mes hall of the Girl Scouts and is made attractive with its fireplace of fieldstone and hard wood construction of the main building. The members of the Newark "One Hundred Year Club" are reproduced in front of the buses and cars that conveyed them to the park last summer, while there are numerous other pictures of interest and these are brought to a close with the friendly bears of the small zoo on the tree tops of their enclosed park, while one of the open fireplaces that are utilized for public picnicking parties say "finis" to the picture gallery of the interesting booklet. In his opening stanza, Secretary Stanton has this to say about the park and the work so far accomplished: "The past season more people have visited the park than ever before in its history. The attendance has more than doubled, on week days, Sundays and holidays. It has severely taxed the present facilities and employees to meet this inroad of visitors and tourists." "There are many reasons for this. The attractions and comparatively easy acces to the monument, which when lighted at night draws thousands of people from all over the country. This with better roads, wider fields of parking space and finer and better park roads and drives, on line outlined by the Olmstead brothers, natural park engineers, not only through the park but to its approaches, have made it now a convenient drive to the park from the populous cities and centers of the state." "The attractions are now centered in the monument, the administration building, containing the wonderful museum that is being enlarged and greatly increased in number of specimens that are being added from week to week and the large wide porch on all parts of the building, from which such magnificent views in all directions are afforded. This feature seems to grow in popularity and almost every day, and particularly holidays and Sundays is crowded to its utmost. The museum is now receiving more attention than ever. An effort is being made to enlarge by numbering the rooms and cabinets and cataloging the contents in such a way that all visitors can return home after their visit with a printed knowledge of the contents of the cabinets, rooms and contents in general. This work is now underway." "At the north end of this building a most wonderful view presents itself of the Delaware Valley and Pike County and in the distance the Catskill range, while on the south side a view of the Delaware Water Gap and intervening territory and a good section of the park is afforded. The museum comprises eight rooms and some twenty-four cabinets. The main room is 47 by 312. The next largest on the same floor is 32 x 26." "The museum has been open since 1923. Beginning in a modest way, the commision has made it the second largest museum in the state, only excelled by the state museum at Trenton. It contains a great amount of local specimens and animal heads, nicely mounted. Many of these were from the collection of the late Colonel Kuser. Included in the collection are some marvelous and rare specimens furnished by Harold L. Burnett, of Milford, Pa., who is a frequent visitor at the park. Mr. Burnett is an extensive traveler in all parts of the world, especially during the winter months, and delights in bringing very rare curios to High Point. This year the commision is rearranging the museum and its collections, and will make it more attractive than ever to visitors, and it is hoped all articles will be catalogued and re-marked. The library consists mostly of the story of the birds of New York and New Jersey." The Monument, "The great monument and soldiers' memorial was donated to the State of New Jersey by Colonel and Mrs. Anthony R. Kuser. Actual construction on the monument was started in August, 1928, and the huge reinforced concrete base was poured that fall before cold weather halted further work. Ceremonies attending the laying of the cornerstone were held June 8, 1929. The facing of the monument or shaft is of granite and the back courses and filling are of quartzite which has been found to exist on the park property and which has been tested to ultimate failure in exces of granite. The shaft is built with a large hollow core extending from a floor supported on the arched roof of an octagonal chamber some twenty-one feet in height and having its floor but slightly raised above the stone arrival or landing which surrounds the monument on all sides, and which is some twenty feet in width. At night the shaft is visible through the use of flood lights and a beacon shining from the top. Its popularity is shown by the fact that more than thirty-five thousand people went to the very top at twenty-five cents each during the past season. It has proven one of the best sources of revenue for the park. The road up to the mountain is forty feet wide and kept in good driving shape. Besides the tablets on either side of the entrance, the coat of arms of New Jersey is on the entrance doors." According to the report approximately between 600,000 and 700,000 people visited the park during the past season, which was an increase of more than 200,000 over the preceding year and it is needles to say that many of these were from Pasaic County, judging from the 'P' license plates that were noticed there during the summer, especially on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, many of our residents taking advantage of the camping facilities that are so well provided at the park." "It is anticipated that the coming summer will show a far greater crowd, but the commision will be in a better condition to take care of them not alone with the completion of the new cafeteria, but also a new lake that is in the course of construction and many new drives that in the end are to make High Point park one of America's greatest pleasure grounds." - - -- Reposted with permision from http://www.nj.com/ and the NJ Historical Commision's H-New Jersey listserver http://www.h-net.org/~njersey/. Montclair: Firth Haring Fabend Will Be Speaking - May 5 Firth Haring Fabend will be speaking on Monday night, May 5, at 7 p.m., at the Montclair Public Library, 50 South Fullerton Avenue, on her new (and ninth) book Land So Fair, a historical novel set in New York and New Jersey in the eighteenth century, with flashbacks to the Dutch colony of New Netherland. Land So Fair is an outgrowth of her prizewinning Rutgers University Pres book, A Dutch Family in the Middle Colonies, 1660-1800. Her topic is "Creating Fiction out of Fact, Making Fact Appear To Be Fiction." Books will be available. Light refreshments also. - - Firth Fabend fhfabend@verizon.net Apr 28, 2008 Reposted with permision from http://www.nj.com/ and the NJ Historical Commision's H-New Jersey listserver http://www.h-net.org/~njersey/. Morris Canal: a Mountain-Climbing Waterway - May 6 The Morris Area Genealogy Society invites the public to learn about "The Morris Canal: a Mountain-Climbing Waterway" at its next meeting on May 6 at 6:45 p.m. in the first floor meeting room at the Morris County Library in Whippany. S. David Phraner, director of the Canal Society of New Jersey, will lecture on the canal, its unique logistics and its impact on the people along its route and in areas beyond. For more information, please contact the North Jersey History and Genealogy Center at the Morristown Library at (973) 538-3473 or visit the group's Web site at http://www.rootsweb.com/~njmags. http://www.dailyrecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID= /20080425/COMMUNITIES/804250371/1005/NEWS01 Copyright ©2007 Daily Record. All rights reserved. Preservation NJ: 10 Most Endangered Historic Sites - May 6 In recognition of National Preservation Month, Preservation New Jersey, Inc. (PNJ) will hold a pres conference on Tuesday, May 6th, 2008 at 10:00 am to announce its annual List of the 10 Most Endangered Historic Sites in New Jersey. The pres conference will be held on the steps of the State House at 125 W. State Street, Trenton, NJ 08625. The 10 Most Endangered Historic Sites program spotlights irreplaceable historic, architectural, cultural and archeological resources in New Jersey that are in imminent danger of being lost. Several challenges face properties listed on this year's endangered sites list: a declining real estate market in some communities making new stewards for landmarks that need them harder to find, while in other places a hot market makes teardowns more frequent than ever; state agencies that openly flout the state and national register laws that are supposed to protect historic places from bad government actions; weak or non-existent local preservation ordinances; and local zoning and planning boards that ignore or don't understand the value of important resources. The program intends to raise public awarenes of these historic and cultural resources and landscapes, and the many others that they represent acros the state, by generating media attention, inspiring debate about heritage preservation. The list will attract new perspectives and ideas to these sites in desperate need of creative solutions. The involvement of an educated and informed public is critical for positive outcomes. As we acknowledge each year, selections to the 10 Most Endangered Historic Sites List are based on the likelihood that solutions can be found and historic buildings and places can be brought back to useful and productive life. PNJ proudly points to many properties previously listed among the 10 Most Endangered that have now been saved, preserved and brought new life. The following counties will be represented in the 2008 listing: Atlantic, Burlington, Cape May, Esex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Morris and Union. Founded in 1978, Preservation New Jersey is a nonprofit organization that helps homeowners, organizations, public officials and citizen advocates to work better at preserving the historic neighborhoods and sites that are important to our families and our communities. Preservation New Jersey produces this annual list of New Jersey's Ten Most Endangered Historic Sites; provides educational tours, conferences and training workshops; publishes a quarterly newsletter, interactive website and online magazine; maintains a resource library; and addreses legislation and public policies that impact New Jersey's historic places and communities. The 10 Most Endangered Historic Sites program is funded in part by the PNC Foundation. Visit their website at www.preservationnj.org for more information and directions. For details about National Preservation Month visit the National Trust for Historic Preservation website at www.nationaltrust.org/preservationmonth/index.asp. Please contact the PNJ office at 609-392-6409 if you plan to attend the pres conference. - - Swathy Keshavamurthy swathy@preservationnj.org May 1, 2008 Reposted with permision from http://www.nj.com/ and the NJ Historical Commision's H-New Jersey listserver http://www.h-net.org/~njersey/. Union Forge Ironworks - May 7 The New Jersey Historical Society 52 Park Place - Newark, NJ 07102 (973) 596-8500 - Fax: (973) 596-6957 The New Jersey Historical Society is a state-wide, private, non profit historical museum, library, and archives dedicated to collecting, preserving, and interpreting the rich and intricate political, social, cultural and economic history of New Jersey to the broadest posible audiences. Founded in 1845, we are the oldest cultural institution in the state. Through exhibitions, publications, and programming, we examine who and what we are, what it means to live and work in New Jersey, what contributes to New Jersey's distinct identity, and what are the unique contributions New Jerseyans make to the region and the country. May 07, 2008: LUNCHTIME PROGRAM: Union Forge Ironworks 12:15 pm - 1:00 pm Colonial iron production was an enormous undertaking of labor and natural resources, creating towns and economies. William Honachefsky, trustee for the Union Forge Heritage Asociation, will explore New Jersey's early iron industry through the story of the Union Forge Ironworks in High Bridge, New Jersey. Bring your lunch...bring a friend. Enjoy talks, presentations, demonstrations, and gallery programs. Admision is free. Refreshments will be served. Programs are subject to change. Please call ahead to bring a group. - - William Honachefsky william.honachefsky@sprintmail.com Apr 17, 2008 Reposted with permision from http://www.nj.com/ and the NJ Historical Commision's H-New Jersey listserver http://www.h-net.org/~njersey/. Guest Speaker at Jacobus Vanderveer House - May 7 A museum curator and expert on decorative arts will be the guest speaker at a luncheon on Wednesday, May 7, for the benefit of the historic Jacobus Vanderveer House in Bedminster, New Jersey. Ulyses Grant Dietz, senior curator of the Newark Museum's Decorative Arts Department, will speak at the luncheon at the Morris County Golf Club .His topic will be, "From House to Home, 1750-1850, Transforming the Way We Live." The event will begin at 11 a.m. with a champagne reception, followed by the luncheon and lecture at noon. There will also be a basket boutique, luxury vendors and a selection of house and garden plants. The golf club is located at 36 Punch Bowl Road, Morristown. Tickets are $95 per person, and can be reserved by calling the Friends of the Jacobus Vanderveer House at 908-212-7000 ext. 616. All proceeds from the luncheon will support efforts to acquire period furnishings and design display cases for the Vanderveer House, which the Friends are transforming into a local history museum. "Since we're in the proces of restoring an 18th century home for use as a history museum, Mr. Dietz's lecture is particularly timely," said Jay Petrillo, president of the Friends of the Jacobus Vanderveer House. "We're looking forward to learning from an expert on how people decorated their homes during this era." The curator of over 80 exhibitions, Dietz restored the Newark Museum's 1885 Ballantine House, which serves as centerpiece of the decorative arts department. He is currently working on projects for the Newark Museum's centennial in 2009, as well as a book on the White House. Jacobus Vanderveer, son of a wealthy Dutch miller, built the house in 1772. In early 1778, Vanderveer and his wife were asked to lend their home to Gen. Henry Knox, who was to command a new artillery encampment and training academy being established by the Revolutionary Armies on a hillside above the village of Pluckemin. Knox and his wife, Lucy, occupied the house until the summer of 1779. Guest Speaker - Ulyses G. Dietz, Senior Curator Decorative Arts Department, The Newark Museum. May 7, 2008 Champagne Reception at 11:00am Luncheon/Lecture - 12 noon. Location: Morris County Golf Club 36 Punch Bowl Road Morristown, New Jersey For additional information visit us on the web at http://www.jvanderveerhouse.com or via email at info@jvanderveerhouse.com Friends of the Jacobus Vanderveer House PO Box 723 Bedminster, NJ 07921 Tel: 908-212-7000 ext. 616 - - Brooks Betz Board Member - Friends of JVH brooks.betz@historicalsocietyofsomersethills.org Apr 28, 2008 -- Marc Mappen, Ph.D. Executive Director New Jersey Historical Commision 609-984-0902 marc.mappen@sos.state.nj.us http://www.newjerseyhistory.org Reposted with permision from http://www.nj.com/ and the NJ Historical Commision's H-New Jersey listserver http://www.h-net.org/~njersey/. NJ Governors and the State Supreme Court - May 8 "New Jersey Governors and the State Supreme Court", a program sponsored by The Rutgers Program on the Governor, the Eagleton Institute of Politics, the New Jersey State Bar Asociation and the Institute for Continuing Legal Education, will explore the history and evolution of the formal and informal relationship between the state's governors and its highest court. The program will be held on Thursday, May 8, at the New Jersey Law Center, the headquarters of the State Bar Asociation, located at Constitution Square, Ryders Lane, New Brunswick. Registration and a continental breakfast will be from 8:15 to 9 am, with the program commencing at 9 am and concluding by 4 pm. (The full program is below.) Confirmed speakers and panelists include former Governors Brendan T. Byrne and James J. Florio and retired Chief Justices James R. Zazzali and Deborah T. Poritz. Other participants include retired asociate Justices Daniel J. O'Hern, Stewart G. Pollock, Gary S.Stein and Peter J. Verniero; retired Judge John J. Gibbons of the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and founding partner, Gibbons PC; John J. Farmer, Jr., former Attorney General of New Jersey and currently partner, Arseneault, Whipple, Farmer, Fasett & Azzarello; retired Judge Burrell Ives Humphreys of the Superior Court of New Jersey and currently of counsel, Williams, Caliri, Miller & Otley; Distinguished Profesor Robert Williams of Rutgers Law School-Camden; Robert J. Del Tufo, former United States Attorney for New Jersey and Attorney General of New Jersey and currently of counsel, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom; Profesor John Wefing, Seton Hall Law School and of counsel, Waters, McPherson, McNeill; Joel H. Sterns, former counsel to Governor Richard J. Hughes and founding partner, Sterns & Weinroth; William S. Greenberg, partner, McCarter & English; and John L. Kraft, partner, Lomurro Davison, Eastman, and Muñoz. There is no charge for the event but persons interested in attending should registerby May 5, 2008 a) through our online response form at http://www.eagleton.rutgers.edu/court.html; b) by e-mail to eagleton.events@rutgers.edu; or c) by phone to 732-932-9384 x331 Program: New Jersey Governors and the State Supreme Court Rutgers Program on the Governor; Eagleton Institute of Politics, the New Jersey State Bar Asociation and the Institute for Continuing Legal Education Thursday, May 8, 2008 New Jersey Law Center One Constitution Square, Ryders Lane, New Brunswick, New Jersey 8:15-9 am Registration 9-9:30 Welcome and Introductions Lynn Fontaine Newsome, President NJ State Bar Asociation Ruth B. Mandel, Director, Eagleton Institute of Politics, Rutgers University 9:30 am-10:15 pm The New Jersey Constitution, the Governor and the Supreme Court Robert Williams, Distinguished Profesor, Rutgers Law School-Camden 10:15-12-15 pm Governors and the Court: The Formal and Informal Relationship ---Views from the Governors Panel of former governors and justices Moderator: John J. Farmer, Jr, former Attorney General of New Jersey Governors Byrne and Florio; Chief Justices Zazzali and Poritz; and Justices Stein; O'Hern; Verniero; Clifford; and Pollock ---Interchange between governors and justices 12:15-1 pm Luncheon 1-2:15 pm Shaping the Relationship since 1947: Governors and the Court Governor Byrne; Governor Florio; Judge Burrell Humphreys, Williams, Caliri, Miller & Otley; Profesor John Wefing, Seton Hall Law School; Robert J. Del Tufo, Skadden Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom; Joel Sterns, Sterns & Weinroth; John L. Kraft, Lomurro Davison, Eastman, and Muñoz 2:15-2:30 pm Break 2:30-4 pm Governors and the Court as Policy Makers: Perfect Together? Judge John Gibbons, Gibbons PC; Senator William Gormley, DLA Piper; William Greenberg, McCarter & English (also justices to be determined) 4-4:30 pm Closing reception - - Don Linky dlinky@rci.rutgers.edu Apr 29, 2008 Reposted with permision from http://www.nj.com/ and the NJ Historical Commision's H-New Jersey listserver http://www.h-net.org/~njersey/. Historic Preservation Trust Fund Grants - May 8 Reminder - The New Jersey Historic Trust is making Guidelines and Applications available for the eighth round of funding under the Garden State Historic Preservation Trust Fund. This year's grant round will provide matching grants for historic preservation planning and capital preservation projects. A Declaration of Intent to Apply for funding must be submitted to the Historic Trust by May 8, 2008. Applications are due June 26, 2008. Applications, Guidelines and the Declaration of Intent to Apply form are available on the New Jersey Historic Trust's Web site at http://www.njht.org . To request additional information, call (609) 984-0473 or e-mail: njht@dca.state.nj.us . In this grant round, applicants may apply for Historic Site Management Grants, which range from $5,000 to $50,000. The grants may be used to fund the preparation of plans and studies needed to improve site stewardship, maintenance and interpretation. Applicants may also apply for Capital Preservation Grants, which range from $5,000 to $750,000 and may fund the repair, restoration, rehabilitation and preservation of historic resources. All grants require matching funds, and applicants should read the Grant Guidelines for information on eligible activities and special initiatives for 2008. Eligible properties are historic sites that are listed, or are eligible for listing, in the New Jersey or National Register of Historic Places. Eligible applicants are charitable non-profit organizations or units of county or municipal government. The mision of the New Jersey Historic Trust is to advance historic preservation in New Jersey for the benefit of future generations through education, stewardship and financial investment programs that save our heritage and strengthen our communities. - - Catherine Goulet Principal Historic Preservation Specialist New Jersey Historic Trust 609 984 7071 cgoulet@dca.state.nj.us Apr 28, 2008 Reposted with permision from http://www.nj.com/ and the NJ Historical Commision's H-New Jersey listserver http://www.h-net.org/~njersey/. Civil War Comes to Sparta Encampment - May 10 On Saturday, May 10, the members of the 33rd New Jersey Volunteer Infantry, in cooperation with the Sparta, NJ Historical Society, will stage their annual living history event on the grounds of the historic Van Kirk/Mull House, located next to the Middle School on Route 517 in Sparta. A Civil War period encampment, with members of the 33rd portraying both soldiers and civilians of the era, will be open to the public from 9 AM to 4 PM. The event will also feature scheduled drills, talks and demonstrations and an exhibit of original Civil War artifacts. The Van Kirk/Mull house will be open for visitors and local history authors will be available to sign copies of their work. This event is free to the public. For further information contact Sergeant Phil Cocilovo (973-293-9849) or Private Robert Jones 973-398-3122) of the 33rd New Jersey Volunteer Infantry. - - Reposted with permision from http://www.nj.com/ and the NJ Historical Commision's H-New Jersey listserver http://www.h-net.org/~njersey/. Boonton Walking Tour of Ironworks Historic Area - May 10 On Saturday, the Boonton Historical Society and Museum will present a walking tour of the Historic Ironworks residential district. Advertisement The tour considers the history, people and architecture of the Town of Boonton connected with the houses, churches and buildings constructed between the 1830s and 1890s for workers and officials of the New Jersey Iron Company in Boonton. The tour begins at 10 a.m. on the Boardwalk, near 602 Main St. The tour leader will be Harold Johnson, retired pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, which also is discused on the tour. There is a $5 suggested donation for non-members for this tour, which lasts approximately two hours. Tour participants will receive a 10 percent discount coupon that can be used at many of the Main Street restaurants and vendors between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. on the day of the tour. The Museum and Gift Shop at 210 Main St. will be open from noon to 4 p.m. following the tour. The museum's current exhibit is "Greetings from Boonton," which features postcards from Boonton. Call (973) 402-8840 or e-mail boontonhistory@yahoo.com. http://www.dailyrecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID= /20080506/COMMUNITIES/805060366/1005/NEWS01 Copyright ©2007 Daily Record. All rights reserved. Governor Livingston, I Presume - Montville - May 12 "Governor Livingston, I Presume" will be the subject of the next program of the Montville Township's Historical Society May 12 (Monday) program, 7:30 p.m. in the Montville Township Senior House, 356 Main, Montville. A reenacter will perform as Governor Livingston, New Jersey's first governor. The program is presented by American Historical Theatre, a nonprofit organization specializing in first-person living history presentations. The program is funded by NJ Council for the Humanities. William Livingston was a complex and talented 18th century attorney, soldier, man of letters and agronomist. Born in New York, he removed to Liberty Hall near Elizabeth Town and in 1772, he built a large country home to house his growing family. The house, known as Liberty Hall, still stands today. He led New Jersey's delegation to the Constitutional Convention during the American Revolution and was a signer of the United States Constitution. The home became a center of activity, in part due to its proximity to Francis Barber's academy and visits from young men. (Alexander Hamilton, a boarder at the academy, was a frequent early visitor.) Three of Livingston's daughters, Sarah, Susan, and Catherine, came to be known as 'the three graces'. The height of social activity during this era was the wedding, at Liberty Hall, in April 1774 of Sarah to a young New York lawyer, John Jay. In October 1775, he was commisioned a brigadier general of the New Jersey Militia and served until August 1776 when he was elected Governor of New Jersey, an office he held until his death in 1790. For much of the time between 1776 and 1779, the family was located in Parsippany for safety. Liberty Hall was frequently visited by British troops or naval forces since there was a substantial reward for Livingston's capture. The family returned in 1779 to begin restoring their looted home. Livingston married Susanna French in 1742. They had 13 children. Livingston died in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and was originally buried in Trinity Church, New York, but was reinterred at Greenwood Cemetery, Brooklyn in 1846. The program is presented at Montville Township's Historical Society May 12 (Monday) program, 7:30 p.m. in the Montville Township Senior House, 356 Main, Montville. All are invited to come. Refreshments will be served. - - Kathy Fisher kagofish@yahoo.com Apr 24, 2008 Reposted with permision from http://www.nj.com/ and the NJ Historical Commision's H-New Jersey listserver http://www.h-net.org/~njersey/. Our Vanishing Past - May 6,12 Our Vanishing Past on NJN Public Television The state's rich heritage is under a silent attack. Whether through neglect, abandonment or constantly encroaching development, many of New Jersey's historic places are deteriorating or being replaced by new construction. The places in which we grew up, the offices and factories where our parents worked, the old neighborhoods and our favorite stores downtown are at risk – and with them, our sense of place. Find out what we're losing and who's working to save it in Our Vanishing Past – a special NJN documentary filmed in high definition that airs on NJN on Monday, May 12 at 9 pm; and Sunday, May 18 at 3 pm. SPECIAL HIGH DEFINITION SCREENING AT NJN'S TRENTON STUDIO The public is invited to enjoy a special screening of Our Vanishing Past in high definition at NJN's Trenton Studio on Tuesday, May 6 at 5 pm. There is no charge for admittance, but registration is requested! Reserve your space online at http://njn.net and click on Our Vanishing Past or call (800) 882-6622 by May 1. OUR BUILDINGS, OUR HISTORY AND OUR ARCHITECTURE NJN's Our Vanishing Past examines the relationship between us and our buildings, our history and our architecture – and the impresions we receive in our daily, every day contacts with historic buildings. From the Doo Wop motels in Wildwood during the fabulous fifties to the historic structures that witnesed American's struggle for independence and the safe houses on the Underground Railroad, our connection to the past is disintegrating. Historic buildings are struggling to survive and frequently not succeeding. With each pasing year, the chance to experience history firsthand diminishes. In this one-hour documentary filmed in HD, you will meet some of the people on the frontline of historic preservation. Ted Gordon, Pine Barrens historian and botanist, notes, "Within the past thirty years, probably 80 percent of the structures that I photographed in the Pines have disappeared – and that's an alarming rate." TOWNS THAT TURN AROUND There are exceptions. Towns do turn around, buildings are saved and main streets are preserved. Lambertville's historic architecture houses art galleries and inviting restaurants that entice tourists, while residents of all ages and economic groups live in historic homes in comfortable neighborhoods that make up this vibrant community. Salem's master plan encourages the redevelopment of vacant buildings and identifies what needs to be saved in the community – and the number of new busineses is growing. Important tools such as the Historic Tax Credit have spurred economic revival. Courthouses and churches have been renovated. Condemned houses are turned into gracious homes. Factories and labs overflowing with ideas and inventions such as Edison National Historic Site welcome kids and grown ups alike to see history close up. Richard Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, sums it up, "There is nothing to compare with walking through a place touching it, feeling it." Our Vanishing Past will show you what we're losing – and what some dedicated people in New Jersey are working to save. OUR VANISHING PAST DVD You can reserve a DVD copy of this program for only $24.95 plus mailing. Place your order now: call 800-882-6622 or email your request to answers@njn.org. Produced by Lynn Kosek Walker. Executive producer is Janice Selinger. Narrated by Lester Holt. Major funding provided by the New Jersey Historic Trust, The 1772 Foundation, American Expres, and the Holly Beach Public Library Asociation. Additional funding provided by the New Jersey Historical Commision and the Charles Edison Fund. - - Reposted with permision from http://www.nj.com/ and the NJ Historical Commision's H-New Jersey listserver http://www.h-net.org/~njersey/. NJ Budget Cuts Affecting Historic Parks The media has been reporting that nine state parks would be closed and three more would have reduced services. According to the Division of Parks and Forestry Proposed Budget Summary, eleven or twelve of our state parks, forests and recreation areas, three of our nature centers, and ten of our state historic sites and monuments would be completely closed, while hours and staffing at three or four of our state parks and four of our state historic sites would be drastically reduced. State Parks, Forests & Recreation Areas to be closed: Nature Centers to be closed: Historic Sites/Monuments to be closed: State Parks to have reduced hours/staffing: Historic Sites to have reduced hours/staffing: These closings and reductions represent more than 50% of the state historic sites within the Division of Parks and Forestry. If this plan goes through, the rest of our state historic sites may very well be closed next year to save another two or three million dollars. Visit www.njkeepitgreen.org for directions to the rally at the capitol on April 23rd to save our parks and historic sites. - - Reposted with permision from http://www.nj.com/ and the NJ Historical Commision's H-New Jersey listserver http://www.h-net.org/~njersey/. WPA Art: Our Continuing Legacy - May 14 HISTORICAL SOCIETY FOR THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF NEW JERSEY 50 Walnut Street Newark, N.J. 07102 973-645-3044 WPA Art at the Newark Federal Courthouse Our Continuing Legacy 3rd Floor Frank R. Lautenberg U.S. Post Office and Courthouse, Newark, NJ May 14, 2008 4:00pm Exhibition and a Lecture by Profesor Judith Resnik of Yale University School of Law entitled "Representing Justice: Newark's Romuald Kraus's Justice in Context." Dedication of the recreation of destroyed WPA Murals originally created for the 1936 Courthouse. The presentation will be followed by a reception – light refreshments will be served. The Historical Society for the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey is sponsoring a lecture and exhibition detailing the history of WPA era art that was created for the opening of the Courthouse in 1936. Profesor Judith Resnik will give a multimedia presentation examining the creation of the statue as well as its place in the depiction of justice in its various forms. In addition, there will be a dedication of the recreated image of the murals that were destroyed before they were ever installed. The Historical Society commisioned Mark Romanoski, an Adjunct Profesor at Kean University and Ducret School of Art, North Plainfield, N.J., to create the new depiction. In 1935 the Section on Painting and Sculpture of the Treasury Department of the Federal Government announced two competitions – one for a mural painting and one for a statue to be located in two courtrooms of the newly constructed United States Post Office and Courthouse in Newark, New Jersey, which opened in April of 1936. There was a sculpture competition to select a 7-foot high bronze figure of "Justice", with the winner receiving a sum of $6,500.00 to complete and install the sculpture. The Newark Museum coordinated the competition for a sculpture to grace Courtroom #2. The sculpture selected was created by a relatively unknown artist Romuald Kraus described by local papers as a young artist employed by the WPA. The sculpture was to be located behind the Judge's bench in a special niche designed for the statue by the architect George Oakley Totten. It was not known at the time, but Totten had hoped to have his wife's statue of Justice installed in the space. Unhappy when he found that his wife had not won, Totten wrote to Edward Rowen, Superintendant of the Section on Painting and Sculpture, stating that he was the best judge of what sculpture should be installed and that if his wife's sculpture were not used, then there should be no sculpture in the courtroom at all. In his response Rowen said the sculpture was selected because "it reflects a new kind of justice, dignified, serene and compasionate. An innocent man on trial for his life could look to this figure for hope." Unfortunately, Totten was only the first hurdle for Kraus's Lady Justice. Upon completion of the work, the statue was installed in February 1938 behind Judge Guy Fake's bench. Judge Fake was les than pleased. Judge Fake was quoted as saying that he found the statue to smack blatantly of communism and that it did not represent the spirit of justice, but rather that of ruthles confiscation. Judge Fake wrote a tongue-in-cheek article for the Newark Ledger where he recounted a dialogue that he had with the statue. Judge Fake repeated how the statue had spoken to him. She was misunderstood and did not really belong in the Courthouse without her traditional scales of Justice and her sword. She asked him if she could be removed. Judge Fake granted her wish and had the statue moved to a hallway… no small task since it weighed almost 700 lbs… and so began a long journey around the country to what became a reception of universal acclaim, much to Judge Fake's chagrin. The rest of the world did not share Judge Fake's opinion and when word got out that the statue was languishing in a dark corridor, the museum community responded, inquiring about the availability of the sculpture for display. The statue first traveled to the Museum of Modern Art in Washington, D.C., In December, 1938, permision was given for the sculpture to be move from the Museum of Modern Art to the Golden Gate International Exhibition at the World's Fair in San Francisco. It won first prize, being hailed as one of America's great examples of Modern Art. It was on exhibit there from February to December 1939. Bowing to presures and mounting notoriety, a meeting was held in November, 1939 among Judge Fake, Judge Clark, Treasury Department officials and Arthur Egner, President of the Newark Museum. An agreement was reached that the statue would return to the Courthouse. It would not reside in the Courtroom but out in the east corridor of the third floor. It was not clear why Judge Fake changed his mind. It could have been the accolades that Lady Justice had received or the posibility that it would grace another Federal Courthouse that had requested it and be lost forever. The statue would spend the early winter of 1940 at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts on its way back home from California. Finally, after winning a national competition, entertaining offers of permanent residence in 4 major museums and several other federal courthouses, Lady Justice returned to her original and permanent home on October 5, 1940, never to leave again. Replicas of the statue can currently be found in the federal courthouse in Covington Kentucky, and the collections of the Museum of American Art in Washington, D.C. and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Recently Kraus was finally vindicated. The statue has been moved to his second choice for a location. It currently resides directly outside Judge Fake's old courtroom in the center of the rotunda on the third floor. The murals suffered a similar fate. Although great effort was expended to create a mural to the exact specifications of the Treasury Department, once again Judge Fake was not happy with the finished project. The winner of the mural competition was a local artist, Tanner Clark of New Brunswick. One of his designs had originally been submitted to a Department of Labor competition. This scene of a child suffering from a factory accident and receiving care was paired with a playground basketball game scene. Judge Fake felt that the labor scene might unfairly influence jurors and ordered that the murals not be installed. Sadly, the murals were placed in storage and were eventually destroyed. However, the Historical Society was able to discover high quality photo images of the murals at the National Archives and worked with Kean University to have them recreated using today's technologies. They are currently on display in the courtroom for which they were originally created on the third floor of the Lautenberg Courthouse. - - Susan Travis 973-645-3044 susan_travis@njd.uscourts.gov Apr 28, 2008 Reposted with permision from http://www.nj.com/ and the NJ Historical Commision's H-New Jersey listserver http://www.h-net.org/~njersey/. Historic Marker At State's 1796 Archives Building - May 14 Secretary of State Nina Mitchell Wells will unveil a permanent interpretive sign marking the site of the archaeological remains of a structure built in 1796 to house New Jersey's colonial and early state archives. Archaeological excavations in front of the State House during 2006 exposed the ancient stone foundations of a fireproof building designed for the preservation of the State's most valuable public records. WHAT: Secretary of State Nina Mitchell Wells and State Archives Director Karl J. Niederer to unveil a historic marker at the site of the State's 1796 archives building to the public. WHEN: Wednesday, May 14, 2008, 12:00 noon - 12:30 p.m. WHERE: New Jersey State House (front plaza and sidewalk), 125 West State Street, Trenton, NJ 08625 The remains of the historic 1796 archives structure emerged just inches below the existing grade, east of the State House's front entrance, as contractors ripped out the plaza and sidewalk for the state's 2006 security enhancement project. Archival research and archaeological excavations by Hunter Research, Inc. confirmed the identity of the structure which, after the 1792 State House itself, was the second public building constructed by the State of New Jersey. The course of the building's foundation has been marked by cut stone inlaid into the concrete State House plaza. The interpretive sign to be unveiled at the site explains the history and purpose of the 1796 building, and provides an account of its recent rediscovery. For information, contact: Veronica Calder, State Archives, (609) 984-3297 - - Karl J. Niederer, Director Division of Archives and Records Management New Jersey State Archives 225 West State Street, P.O. Box 307 Trenton, NJ 08625-0307 USA Tel. (609) 984-3299 - Fax (609) 292-9105 E-mail: Karl.Niederer@sos.state.nj.us May 13, 2008 Reposted with permision from http://www.nj.com/ and the NJ Historical Commision's H-New Jersey listserver http://www.h-net.org/~njersey/. Advocates for New Jersey History To the Hstory Community, As of April 9, 2008 Treasury has collected $53.1M from the hotel/motel taxes, the funds that under formula support the grants programs for the Arts, Cultural Trust, Historical Commision and Travel and Tourism. Last year this time, they had $50M on the books, so the leson is clear. The tax, already being collected, is definitely keeping up with and may exceed the revenue projections for the 2008 funding, and they certainly do not warrant any reduction in the grant funds from a dedicated tax going forward into the FY'09 budget. The Advocates for New Jersey History had reported earlier that although the tax revenue has increased each year, the funding and the percentage of the total of that dedicated tax made available to the Arts, Culture and History communities is declining. Declining even though the groups that rallied to pas the tax, the, travel and tourism and league of municipalities, folks have continued to support the dedicated tax deal. In particular, members of the Asembly budget committee have publicly stated that a "deal is a deal" and that if revenue from the dedicated tax fell, then the history community should accept that decline and not complain. Well, if the "deal is a deal" then there is no reason to reduce the funding in FY'09 for there is no revenue shortfall in this dedicated tax, unlike the general budget. They need to hear that mesage. They should also hear that the history community is not complaining - we are explaining that we can't do our job of generating revenue and improving the quality of life in New Jersey if the sole funding source for the private sector general operating support is reduced arbitrarily. The "deal" was for the public good and not to enrich the history community at the public's expense. WE are striving and succeeding in helping the public with precious little support, support which we generate from increased taxes of which we get the smallest part. Thank you, - - Reposted with permision from http://www.nj.com/ and the NJ Historical Commision's H-New Jersey listserver http://www.h-net.org/~njersey/. Closing State Historic Sites I was at the Steuben House, a State Historic Site, back in 1983 when all the State Historic Sites were dangled over the precipice and threatened with closing to help plug a looming state budget deficit during the early years of the Kean administration. At that time, the Historic Sites staff consisted almost entirely of "caretakers," who supposedly held the lowest paying, full-time jobs in state government. It was soon discovered, however, that it was cheaper to keep the Historic Sites open than it was to maintain heat and security for the valuable museum collections and buildings, since you couldn't simply lock the door, turn off the lights and walk away. Is it now cheaper to maintain park police on outlying sites around-the-clock to protect these closed house museums? Do they intend to shut off the heat and other environmental-controls and expose artifacts to posible vandalism, theft, or deterioration due to the los of proper monitoring? In several instances, the historic interpreters actually live on-site and provide a measure of twenty-four hour protection. Is there really any savings intended? Or is this merely a threat, which, if carried into action, would be monstrously irresponsible? The mere threat proves that no one in charge here has any idea what is at stake. Too bad they can't see our vanishing cultural heritage as an endangered species. Best regards, Reposted with permision from http://www.nj.com/ and the NJ Historical Commision's H-New Jersey listserver http://www.h-net.org/~njersey/. New Jersey Historic Trust The New Jersey Historic Trust, Economic Revitalization, and the Future of Our State "It's the economy, stupid." Last fall's election, in which voters narrowly approved Ballot Question 3, brings to mind James Carville's famous admonition from the 1992 presidential campaign because New Jersey can't continue to dismis historic preservation as "a nice thing to do but we can't afford it." Historic preservation is not just about old barns and churches and "saving history for future generations"; it really is about the economy. The back story: In 1999, then New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman signed into law the Garden State Preservation Trust Act (PL. 1999 c. 152.), which created stable, annual constitutional funding for ten years from the State Sales and Use Tax. A small portion of this funding goes to the New Jersey Historic Trust for the Garden State Historic Preservation Trust Fund Grants Program, which provides funds for the physical preservation and asesment of historic resources. About a year ago, the New Jersey Historic Trust learned that sales tax revenue would no longer be the source for funding the Garden State Historic Preservation Trust Fund Grants Program. In July, legislators pased and the Governor signed the bill that became Ballot Question 3, a stopgap measure to keep funding for historic preservation and open-space programs alive for one more year. The ultimate goal, we were told, is that a different dedicated source of funding would eventually be identified, ideally from the Governor's Aset Monetization Plan. But the unpopularity of the Governor's proposed Aset Monetization Plan has put the Garden State Preservation Trust truly on shaky ground. Legislators and the Governor must renew the commitment to an ongoing, stable source of funding for this program. Here's why: Shamefully, the second most affluent state in the nation is home to dozens of cities and towns that are in varying states of decline and decay. The key to rebuilding these communities can be found in saving, adapting, and restoring historic buildings, and rehabilitating and reusing existing infrastructure. The New Jersey Historic Trust has a critical role to play in revitalization efforts, but until New Jersey citizens and policymakers at the state and local levels acknowledge that historic preservation and economic revitalization are inextricably connected, a permanent solution to funding historic-preservation grants is unlikely to be a priority. David Listokin and Michael Lahur of Rutgers University's Center for Urban Policy Research isued a report in 1997 stating that historic-preservation initiatives in New Jersey generated $580 million annually in direct economic activity, and that "every $1 million spent on historic rehabilitation generates 38.3 jobs, $1.3 million in payroll and busines earnings, and $202,000 in state taxes, compared with 36 jobs, $1.2 million in income, and $189,000 in taxes from new-construction projects." Sadly, ten years after this report was published, historic preservation remains a quaint footnote in strategic planning for economic development by state and local planners and policymakers. New Jersey mayors, especially, who embrace this relationship between revitalization and preservation, are better positioned to chart a realistic course for their communities' economic future. Granted, the rehabilitation of aging cities is not a quick fix. But an economic-development plan that includes and promotes the reuse and rehabilitation of its historic built environment is a plan that will enhance the livability and encourage the long-term prosperity of New Jersey's communities, large and small. The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, an independent federal agency that advises the President and Congres on national historic-preservation policy, publishes state-by-state studies on the economic impact of historic preservation, which I urge citizens and elected officials to examine at http://www.achp.gov/economic-statewide.html. Since 2000, the New Jersey Historic Trust's grant program, funded through the Garden State Preservation Trust, has benefited cities and towns to the tune of over $56 million, leveraging more than $112 million in reinvestment. These are real dollars for real projects that generate jobs, create housing and visitor-ready cultural destinations, and revitalize neighborhoods. Without a secure, predictable source of funding for the Garden State Preservation Trust Fund, the New Jersey Historic Trust loses its capacity to be a critical long-term funding partner in reclaiming the civic, cultural, and economic vitality of our cities and towns. Maia Farish, Vice Chair Reposted with permision from http://www.nj.com/ and the NJ Historical Commision's H-New Jersey listserver http://www.h-net.org/~njersey/. Database Offers Jewish Genealogical Records The Morris County Library now has Jewish Data on line. The database is described by founder Avram Laber as one of the largest profesionally compiled Jewish genealogical resources of its kind currently available. The database contains more than 500,000 records, including images of tombstones, school yearbook pages and Citizen Declaration documents, with new records added on an ongoing basis, said Laber. Jewish Data documents various congregation and society cemeteries in New York, New Jersey, Masachusetts, Pennsylvania, Germany and Israel, with some records as early as the 1840s and 1850s. The database is only available at the Morris County Library on Hanover Avenue in Whippany. A sample view of the records can be seen at http://www.jewishdata.com. Call the County Library Reference Department at (973) 285-6969. Copyright ©2007 Daily Record. All rights reserved. Posted 080417 Biography Of Gilbert Imlay Published A biography of Gilbert Imlay, 18th century New Jersey resident, Revolutionary War officer, adventurer, and lover of Mary Wollenstonecraft, has been published. For more information on the book, "Gilbert Imlay: Citizen of the World" by Wil Verhoeven, go to: http://www.pickeringchatto.com/monographs/gilbert_imlay. - - Reposted with permision from http://www.nj.com/ and the NJ Historical Commision's H-New Jersey listserver http://www.h-net.org/~njersey/. Posted 080417 Groups Will Vie For Morris' Historic Preservation Money Requests amount to $4M, but county's trust fund only has $2M on hand Daily Record Staff Reports - April 15, 2008 Morris County has received 25 applications for funding from the county's Historic Preservation Trust Fund. While the trust fund will have approximately $2 million to allocate this year, the 25 applicants are seeking a total of more than $4 million. The matching funds used for the historic preservation program come from a trust fund that has been traditionally set aside for administrative costs and are not diverted from open space or farmland preservation. To be eligible for matching grant consideration, a historic resource must be listed or certified as eligible for listing on the New Jersey and the National Register of Historic Places. Eligible applicants are towns, qualified non-profit organizations and the county. The Historic Preservation Trust Fund Review Board will now thoroughly evaluate each of the applications and make funding recommendations to the freeholder board in late June. The freeholders last year approved projects covering 26 historic sites in 20 towns. The Historic Preservation Trust Fund was established by the Morris County Freeholders in 2003, allowing the county to amend its Open Space and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund to include the acquisition, stabilization, restoration or preservation of historic resources. Copyright ©2007 Daily Record. All rights reserved. Posted 080417 Teaching With Historic Places New Jersey is home to a wealth of historic resources that can bring the study of American history alive—from Washington's hardships during the American Revolution, to 19th century farm life, to the cultural shifts of the Industrial Revolution. How well are YOU utilizing NJ's historic resources in your educational programs? Teaching With Historic Places, a program offered through Drew University's Historic Preservation Program, is a workshop designed for teachers, museum and historic site volunteers, educators, and anyone else interested in learning how place can be used to teach history and social studies to children ages 8-13. Using The Teaching with Historic Places program, developed by the National Park Service, as a resource, participants develop their own customized lesons for a specific site. Hands-on activities and field study make this workshop a dynamic experience you won't want to mis! Taught by Janice Armstrong, the Director of Education for Fleming Castle, this workshop will be held on Drew University's campus in Madison, New Jersey from July 28-30, 2008. The cost for this program is $450. To register for this clas or to receive more information about Drew's Certificate in Historic Preservation, please call 973/408-3400 or visit our website at http://www.drew.edu/cue/preservation.aspx - - Reposted with permision from http://www.nj.com/ and the NJ Historical Commision's H-New Jersey listserver http://www.h-net.org/~njersey/. Washington Twp Historical Society Flea Market - May 17 WASHINGTON TWP. -- A flea market and rummage sale will be held on the grounds of the Washington Township Historical Society, 6 Fairview Ave., Long Valley, on May 17 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., sponsored by the Historical Society's Union Church Stabilization Project. All proceeds go to the construction fund. The public is invited to donate items for sale and vendors are welcome to purchase table space for $15. Call Cathy Webster at (908) 852-4514 for all information and to reserve space, as it is limited. In case of rain, the event will be held the next day, May 18 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The museum is next to the Union Church Ruins and surrounding cemetery, which is on the state and national registry of historic sites. http://www.dailyrecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID= /20080504/COMMUNITIES/805040325/1005/NEWS01 Copyright ©2007 Daily Record. All rights reserved. 1st Annual Gala - National Guard Militia Museum - May 17 The non-profit Foundation for the National Guard Militia Museum of New Jersey extends an invitation to the community to join in support of the First Annual Gala to benefit New Jersey's preeminent military museum. This is the first year that the Foundation is sponsoring a benefit gala and making a direct appeal throughout the State to the many people, organizations and communities which the Museum is pleased to serve. Community participation in support of this event will help us to carry on the Museum's important mision to preserve New Jersey's military heritage and honor the National Guard's service to America. Through the displays and exhibits of over 300 years of NJ military history, the Museum is proud to tell the story of the Guard's valiant service and their love of America by presenting and promoting to all of our visitors the Air and Army National Guard's role in our nation's security. The community can help contribute to continuing the Museum's mision and help fulfill its vital role in honoring New Jersey's patriots in several ways. The First Annual Gala is on Saturday, May 17, 2008 at the Lawrenceville National Guard Armory. Tickets are $75 per person and the evening includes dinner, open bar, music, entertainment, as well as a Silent Auction and a Live Auction. Tables of 10 are $750; and include special recognition at the event. If you would like to attend, or place an advertisement in the Gala's souvenir commemorative ad journal in support of this event please contact Robert Dennin, Chairman of the Budget and Finance Committee at 732-261-2089. The Gala Committee is continuing to seek the donation of appropriate gifts or services that will be auctioned. If you would like to contribute a gift or service to this auction, please contact Mr. Dennin at the number above. The gift or service will be identified as your donation and your busines will be recognized in the evening's program. Brigadier General Robert Dutko Sr. (Ret), First Annual Gala Chairman stated "From the youngest student, to the oldest veteran or any citizen whom we have hosted at our facilities, over the past 27 years the Museum has presented the National Guard's heroic contribution and its role in our nation's history with great respect and honor. The community's kind and generous support helps us carry on that tradition." All proceeds from this event will directly benefit the Museum. The National Guard Militia Museum of New Jersey Inc. is recognized by the IRS as a valid 501(c) (3) organization and our Federal tax ID number is 22-245-9869. - - Reposted with permision from http://www.nj.com/ and the NJ Historical Commision's H-New Jersey listserver http://www.h-net.org/~njersey/. Denville Yard Sale To Offer Antiques And More - May 18 The Denville Historical Society and Museum will hold its Annual Yard Sale on May 18 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine, at the museum on Diamond Spring Road. http://www.dailyrecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID= /20080510/COMMUNITIES/805100309/1005/NEWS01 Copyright ©2007 Daily Record. All rights reserved. Parsippany: Open Spaces, Historic Places - May 18 The Parsippany Troy Hills Historic Preservation Advisory Committee, Parsippany Historic and Preservation Society, Veterans of Foreign Wars and Township of Parsippany Troy Hills will host a free town event, "Open Spaces, Historic Places" from 1 to 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 18, rain or shine. Attendees can park at Veterans Park on Route 46 East at Vail Road and ride the free shuttle bus between event sites. Admision to sites is only available by shuttle bus. Parking is available at the park and behind Bennigan's. The event's purpose is for the community to learn more about Parsippany, where it was and what was in it. This year, the focus will be on locations in the central part of Veterans' Memorial Park, the 1828 Parsippany Presbyterian Church, The Bowlsby-DeGelleke House and Vail Cemetery. Attendees can also enjoy a mile-long Fun Walk, children's activities and music by the PHS Jazz Band in Veteran's Park. http://www.dailyrecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID= /20080423/COMMUNITIES/804230412/1005/NEWS01 Copyright ©2007 Daily Record. All rights reserved. Bergen County Historical Society Pinkster Fest - May 18 Campbell-Christie House Historic New Bridge Landing 1201 Main Street, River Edge, NJ Spring is sprung! Come dance around the Maypole! On Sunday, May 18th, from 1 to 4 PM, visitors to Historic New Bridge Landing, 1201 Main Street, River Edge are invited to imagine they are back in a time when winter meant months of deep cold and isolation, dispelled only by the heat of firewood burning on the hearth. And then to imagine that—at last—the days lengthen into summer! Such is the esence of "Pinkster," a springtime festival, which the Jersey Dutch and their descendants celebrated and which will be brought back to life for your enjoyment. The historic Campbell-Christie and Demarest Houses, built of the native red sandstone, and a working Out-Kitchen will be open for visitors to explore, as volunteers in Colonial-era garb demonstrate the "latest" dance steps. 18th century sutlers will sell their wares. There will be games and activities for children. Rodger Yaden, a Bergen County actor, and friends will present dramatic scenes or amateur theatricals. Refreshments will be served. The public is most welcome. Suggested donation: $5 adults; $2 children; BCHS members free. For further info, call 201-343-9492 or visit: http://www.bergencountyhistory.org/ The Jersey Dutch joyously celebrated Pentecost as Pinkster, a holiday marking the budding of trees, the flowering of shrubs and feasting upon the first harvest of spring grains. A Maypole was set in the ground and decorated with nosegays woven from wildflowers as an emblem of spring. A sporting contest, usually involving foot or horse races, determined who would be crowned as a figurative bride and groom, the May Queen and Leaf King. The custom originated in pagan times with the flower-crowned young couple personifying the awakening summer. To make a feast, the May Queen and her maidens led merry-makers in a procesion, going door-to-door, singing and begging dyed eggs, butter, bread, cream, coffee, sugar, and tallow candles. They decorated the doors of those who donated with a green sprig. Food collected in their spring baskets furnished the table of the communal Pinkster supper, actually a mock wedding feast, complete with ring dances. Buttermilk toasts, singing, and poetry recitals rounded out the celebration. The name of the holiday derives from the Greek word for the "fiftieth day," denoting the ancient Jewish celebration of the first fruits of the harvest, culminating seven weeks after Pasover. On the seventh Sunday after Easter, Christians commemorate the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles. The English long identified this holiday with the white garments of baptismal candidates, calling it Whitsunday or "White Sunday." Among the Jersey Dutch, a rose-colored Azalea blosom, known as the "Pinxter blomachee," was the May bush. The Pinkster Ode The Whitsun crown has come again. Huzzah! The flags are waving on all sides. Huzzah! We dance about it as of old, all together, hand in hand. Huzzah! Huzzah! Huzzah! - - Kevin Wright kwwright@optonline.net Apr 23, 2008 Reposted with permision from http://www.nj.com/ and the NJ Historical Commision's H-New Jersey listserver http://www.h-net.org/~njersey/. Benjamin Franklin at War with His Son - May 18 Raritan Millstone Heritage Alliance, Sunday Program Series Lecture/ Reception Sunday, May 18, 2008 3:00-5:00 PM "Benjamin Franklin at War with His Son, William Franklin, The Royal Governor of New Jersey" At the Proprietary House ( Wiliam Franklin's Residence ) 149 Kearny Avenue, Perth Amboy, NJ Visiting Speaker, Willard Stern Randall, Distinguished Scholar in History at Champlain College, Burlington, Vermont, is the Author of twelve books, five of which are biographies of Founding Fathers, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, Benedict Arnold, and a dual biography, "A Little Revenge: Benjamin Franklin at War with His Son." According to Princeton University author and profesor, Authur Link, "This is a major work about two of the most important men in American history, and why this story has not yet been told before I cannot know." Nominated five times for the Pulitzer Prize, Randall's public speaking commitments nearby include Yale and Princeton Universities, Valley Forge National Park, the old Barracks Museum, Trenton, and previously at the Proprietary House, Perth Amboy. The suggested donation of $10.00 will benefit the RMHA's GUIDE TO HISTORIC SITES IN CENTRAL NEW JERSEY. Reservations are not required. - - Jan ten Broeke tenjaba@bellatlantic.net May 12, 2008 Reposted with permision from http://www.nj.com/ and the NJ Historical Commision's H-New Jersey listserver http://www.h-net.org/~njersey/. Oradell: A Tour of Historic Homes - May 18 The Water Works Conservancy and the Junior Women's Club of River Edge are pleased to present Oradell Then and Now: A Tour of Historic Homes and Homes That Will Make History. Scheduled for Sunday May 18, 2008 from 1:00 to 4:00pm, the tour will feature five distinctive homes in Oradell, ranging from a Craftsman style home, owned by an expert in Stickley architecture and furnishings, to a recently completed contemporary, and including the amazing Blauvelt Mansion. Tickets for the tour, which will set off from The Water Works Conservancy's vest pocket museum at 383 Kinderkamack Road in Oradell, are $25. The tickets can be purchased in advance from the Conservancy, members of the Junior Women's Club of River Edge, or at DC Design, 374 Kinderkamack Road in Oradell. Tickets may also be purchased on the date of the tour at The Water Works Conservancy, beginning at 1:00pm. The Water Works Conservancy received an operating support grant from the New Jersey Historical Commision, a Division of the Department of State. - - Wendy Dockray dockray@aol.com May 14, 2008 Reposted with permision from http://www.nj.com/ and the NJ Historical Commision's H-New Jersey listserver http://www.h-net.org/~njersey/. Physic and Chirurgerie in Colonial America - May 18 Leech and Lancet: Physic and Chirurgerie in Colonial America, By Samuel Prince, Esqre, Late of Milford and New Milford, Connecticut Interpreted by His Great-5 Grandson, George J. Hill, M.D. Sunday, May 18, 2008, 2:00 - 4:00 PM at Peachfield Modern medicine is constantly evolving and improving, but much can be learned from a look back at the history and origins of the art. This interesting and informative program will be presented by George J. Hill, M.D., and trace medical and surgical practices in the early days of our nation. A surgeon, educator, author, lecturer and publisher, Dr. Hill draws on forty years of experience as a physician and his parallel career as a teacher and writer to entertain our audience. Dr. Hill will present in a replica of the naval uniform worn by Captain John Paul Jones, USN (c. 1977) The lecture begins at 2 PM; time will be provided for questions and answers after the presentations. Light refreshments follow the program. The fee for this program is $5.00 per person; members of Friends of Peachfield are admitted free of charge. Originally built in 1725 Peachfield was severely damaged by fire in 1928. Philadelphia architect R. Brognard Okie (1865-1945) restored the house to a Colonial Revival interior on its original foundation and original stone walls. Now the State headquarters for the NSCDA-NJ, Peachfield houses the Colonial Dames outstanding collection of china, textiles furniture, clocks and paintings which date from 1730 through 1840. To register or for additional information, please contact Maureen O'Connor Leach, Executive Director NSCDA-NJ at Peachfield by telephone at 609-267-6996 or by email at colonialdamesnj@comcast.net. Peachfield at 180 Burrs Road Westampton NJ and the Old Schoolhouse at 35 Brainerd Street Mount Holly are owned and operated by the NSCDA-NJ. For more information about the Society and these two historic sites log on to http://www.colonialdamesnj.org - - Maureen O'Connor Leach 64 Bernice Drive Freehold NJ 07728 732 462 0703 mocdel1049@aol.com May 15, 2008 Reposted with permision from http://www.nj.com/ and the NJ Historical Commision's H-New Jersey listserver http://www.h-net.org/~njersey/. Medical History Society Annual Meeting - May 21 The Medical History Society of New Jersey welcomes all those with an interest in the history of medicine and health (in the broadest sense). Please e-mail or phone me with any questions. Sandra Mos (732-549-5843, mos.sandra@gmail.com Medical History Society of New Jersey Sandra W. Mos, M.D., M.A. (History) Reposted with permision from http://www.nj.com/ and the NJ Historical Commision's H-New Jersey listserver http://www.h-net.org/~njersey/. Ten Crucial Days: The Road To Liberty - May 22 Special Showing TEN CRUCIAL DAYS - THE ROAD TO LIBERTY Followed by a Panel with: Thomas Fleming - Prolific Author on the American Revolution, most recently The Perils of Peace: America's Struggle for Survival After Yorktown, 2007 Ed Belding - Author and Retired High School Teacher Mark Lender - Author and Profesor & Chairman of the History Department, Kean University THURSDAY, MAY 22 - 7:30PM PRINCETON PUBLIC LIBRARY - COMMUNITY ROOM Sponsored by: Princeton Public Library, Princeton Battlefield Society, NJN, and the Historical Society of Princeton. - - Kip Cherry kcherry@michaelgraves.com May 2, 2008 Reposted with permision from http://www.nj.com/ and the NJ Historical Commision's H-New Jersey listserver http://www.h-net.org/~njersey/. Morristown: Recent Gift Supports Museum's Goal The Washington Asociation of New Jersey recently announced that The Museum of the American Revolution at Washington's Headquarters, Morristown National Historical Park is in the proces of completion and that a new gift of $100,000 from the Tomlinson Private Foundation will be used toward the restoration of the museum. WANJ's Our Nobel Cause campaign goal for the museum is $8.1 and was kicked off by federal grants of $5.3 million. To date, WANJ has raised over $1.2 million towards its partnership goal of the final $2.8 million for the campaign. The first major renovation of Morristown National Historical Park's Headquarters Museum is close to completion. Other funding includes grants from the F.M. Kirby Foundation, the 1772 Foundation and the Morris County Historic Preservation Trust, and from private citizens, busineses and other foundations, partnering with Morristown NHP. The updated museum will present new programming for school children and other visitors. A 5000-square foot library wing has been added to the museum and large sections of the original structure have been restored, upgraded or refurbished to provide for state-of-the-art rotating and traveling exhibitions. The Washington Asociation is continuing its campaign so that the museum and its educational programs and exhibits will soon be available to the public and school children. Contributions can be made to the Our Noble Cause campaign by calling Francine Becker at (973) 292-1874 or by visiting the WANJ Web site at http://www.wanj.org. http://www.dailyrecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID= /20080425/COMMUNITIES/804250371/1005/NEWS01 Copyright ©2007 Daily Record. All rights reserved. Historical Commision Direct State Services Budget The Governor's proposed FY'2009 budget makes a cut in the funds from the Hotel/Motel tax that support the grant programs of the Historical Commision, the Arts Council, and the Cultural Trust. A campaign spearheaded by ArtPride and the Advocates for New Jersey History is seeking a restoration of funding. It is les well known that the Historical Commision has taken a severe additional cut. Specifically, the agency's salary and operating budget (technically known as "Direct State Services") which is currently $510,000 will be cut in the coming fiscal year to $346,000. This is a one-third cut in salaries and operations, and will cripple the ability of the Historical Commision to function. The Direct State Services budget supports such important activities as curriculum development, conferences, workshops, public programs, publications and media projects. Specific examples of Commision services threatened by this cut include Best Practices seminars that provide affordable training in museum management to New Jersey history organizations, the recent highly succesful statewide conference examining the legacy of immigration to New Jersey, the Underground Railroad guide, and the New Jersey History Kids website that supports the teaching of our state's history at the elementary school level. In addition, Commision staff is an active partner to the Division of Travel and Tourism in statewide efforts to promote and enhance Heritage Tourism, a critical source of revenue for the state. The restoration of $164,000 to the Commision's Direct State Services budget would enable these and similar projects and activities to continue, and to make sure that all citizens are aware of New Jersey's rich heritage. -- Joseph E. Salvatore, MD femur@comcast.net April 23, 2008 Reposted with permision from http://www.nj.com/ and the NJ Historical Commision's H-New Jersey listserver http://www.h-net.org/~njersey/. 19th Century Base Ball Game - May 25 Come and experience a 19TH CENTURY BASE BALL GAME with the Newark Eurekas and the Brooklyn Atlantics on Sunday, May 25, 2008. The teams will demonstrate the style of ball played in the 1860s in two exhibition games, using the equipment, rules, and wearing the uniforms of the old days. The game will be held in historic, Olmsted-designed RIVERBANK PARK in the Ironbound section of Newark, from 11:00 pm - 4:00 pm. The park is tucked between Market Street and Raymond Blvd., along the Pasaic River, and about 9 blocks east of Penn Station. For directions, please map it using 27 Somme Street in Newark NJ as the addres. For more information about the park please visit, http://www.riverbankpark.org. Come see how baseball used to be played: without gloves and without steroids! - - Margaret Renn Curator of Education The New Jersey Historical Society 52 Park Place Newark, NJ 07102 973-596-8500, ext. 236 Fax: 973-596-6957 Margaret@jerseyhistory.org May 22, 2008 Reposted with permision from http://www.nj.com/ and the NJ Historical Commision's H-New Jersey listserver http://www.h-net.org/~njersey/. National Park Memorial Weekend - May 24-26 Morristown National Historical Park Memorial Day Weekend Special Programs May 24th, 25 & 26th 2008 Money of Early America Noon to 4:30 p.m., Saturday, May 24 and Sunday, May 25th Washington's Headquarters Museum Join a park guide and learn about the history of money and currency during the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. From noon to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 24th and Sunday, May 25th, Morristown National Historical will display in one exhibit case 20+ items from the park's collection of coins and currency. A park guide will be on hand to explain the effect that currency and coins had on the colonial period, and the problems that citizens and the army encountered during and after the American Revolution due to the lack of a uniform monetary system. Learn about the "St. Patrick's Coppers" brought to New Jersey from Dublin, Ireland. Find out about Walter Mould and the job he had in Morristown, New Jersey. Understand how the 1786 to 1787 Shay's Rebellion was partially caused by most states refusal to isue paper money. And finally, learn where and when the first United States Mint was built. Remembering the Dead 1 p.m. and 3p.m., Monday, May 26th Jockey Hollow Visitor Center Disease, battle, execution and murder were just some of the causes of death of Washington's soldiers. Commemorate Memorial Day by remembering the soldiers who died during the winter encampments at Morristown. Learn how they died and how they were buried. This program will include a short hike to the Bettin Monument where a musket salute will be fired (weather permitting). **** For additional information call the park at 973-539-2016 x210 (Washington's Headquarters) or 973-543-4030 (Jockey Hollow). - - Anne DeGraaf Chief of Interpretation Morristown National Historical Park 973-285-0126 Anne_DeGraaf@nps.gov May 8, 2008 Reposted with permision from http://www.nj.com/ and the NJ Historical Commision's H-New Jersey listserver http://www.h-net.org/~njersey/. Mendham Genealogy Society Monthly Meeting - May 27 The Mendham History and Genealogy Society will hold its monthly meeting at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 27, at the Phoenix House, 2 W. Main St. The busines meeting will be followed by a presentation by local author Scott Shepherd called "Our Revolutionary War Neighbors." Shepherd is the author of "Who's Who in the Grave Yard of the Presbyterian Church in Morristown, N.J." Shepherd is a contributor to several family histories published by the descendants of colonial America. He is a former chairman of the Morris County Heritage Commision as well as a former trustee of both The Washington Asociation of New Jersey and The Morris County Historical Society. Reservations are not necesary. Light refreshments will be served. For more information, call (973) 543-7538 or e-mail Hank-O@patmedia.net. Copyright ©2007 Daily Record. All rights reserved. Club To Hear About Liberty Hall's Past - May 27 John Kean will talk to the Summit Area Old Guard on May 27 at the New Providence Municipal Center. His presentation, called "Opening the Doors to the Past," will describe N.J.'s Liberty Hall's history, artifacts, grounds and its future. Liberty Hall was established at the early stages of the American Revolution. It was purchased by the Kean family in the 1880s and deeded to Kean University. The estate contains Ursino (the mansion), a carriage house, the firehouse museum and historical documents. John Kean retired as chairman of the NUI Corp. in 2004. He serves as an adviser to the Liberty Hall Foundation and as president of the Liberty Hall museum. All area 50-plus active men are invited to attend meetings of the Summit Area Old Guard on Tuesday mornings at the New Providence Municipal Center at 360 Elkwood Ave. Call Emil Butchko at (908) 665-0678 for more information or visit http://www.summitoldguard.homestead.com. http://www.dailyrecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID= /20080517/COMMUNITIES/805170305/1005/NEWS01 Copyright ©2007 Daily Record. All rights reserved. Boonton Program To Focus On Edison's Right-Hand-Man - May 29 The Boonton Historical Society and Museum will offer the presentation, "William Meadowcroft, Famous Boontonite and Thomas Edison's Right Hand and Ear" by Dr. Edward Marlatt, at the Boonton Senior Center on Thursday evening, May 29 at 7 p.m. In addition, Karen Sloat-Olsen from the Edison National Historic Site will discus Thomas Edison. William Meadowcroft, who lived in Boonton from 1878 to 1937, was Edison's patent attorney, personal secretary and biographer. The presentation will include a discusion of Meadowcroft's life with copies of photographs, documents, books, papers and other artifacts. Meadowcroft and Edison had a 50-year working relationship. Upon his death, the Meadowcroft family bequeathed a significant number of items of archival and artifact nature to the Boonton Historical Society and Museum. Meadowcroft is buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Boonton. http://www.dailyrecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID= /20080521/COMMUNITIES/805210393/1005/NEWS01 Copyright ©2007 Daily Record. All rights reserved. Book Review: Forgotten Ellis Island H-NET BOOK REVIEW Published by H-New-Jersey@h-net.msu.edu (April 2008) Lorie Conway. _Forgotten Ellis Island: The Extraordinary Story of America's Immigrant Hospital_. New York: Smithsonian Books, 2007. 185 pp. Illustrations. $26.95 (cloth), ISBN 0-06-124196-2. Reviewed for H-New-Jersey by Sandra Mos, Medical History Society of New Jersey Ellis Island Remembered In 1998, the Supreme Court gave New Jersey sovereignty over most of Ellis Island, including the hospital complex, the subject of _Forgotten Ellis Island_. Lorie Conway is a Masachusetts filmmaker who has devoted much time to the research and production of a movie about Ellis Island hospitals. This book arose from that project. In the course of producing the film (which one hopes will appear shortly on public television), Conway interviewed and consulted an impresive array of historians and National Park Service experts. She also did the historian's hard, lonely work of sifting through photo archives and scrapbooks. Conway tells her story in such a way that one is left with an indelible impresion of voices, not only quoted in and alongside the text, but also easily discernable in the scores of stunning vintage photographs. Little details catch our eyes and draw us in--a group of children clustered about a nurse who is trying to write a report; a detainee in a striped bathrobe reading a newspaper on the locked porch of the Contagious Disease Hospital; a group of nurses, some in high-buttoned white boots and others in more fashionable modern footwear beneath their starched dreses and caps; the traumatized faces of rows of detainees with the dreaded "X" chalked on a coat lapel; bald children with headscarves undergoing therapy for the stubborn scalp infection known as favus; the irritated bleary eyes of children and adults suffering through lengthy painful treatments for trachoma, a dreaded communicable eye infection and leading cause of blindnes, which, if uncured, was an automatic ticket back to Europe; and multiethnic clusters of girls and women in hospital-isue dreses with a touch of trim at the collar. The relatively short text and accompanying pictures are arranged in five groups. "Building the Immigrant Hospital" explains the political and medical context in which the masive medical complex was conceived and planned. We all have a mental picture of Ellis Island buildings (at least the already restored main building), but the incorporation of architectural beauty and design into these most functional of government structures, built in a rush at the turn of the century, gives us pause and entices us to linger over the pictures of bricks and mortar. "Walking the Line" describes, from varying points of view, the triaging encounters between boatloads of Europe's frightened and hopeful emigrants and the Public Health Service doctors, nurses, and attendants who guarded the United States against disease. The medical mandate also included the duty to determine fitnes for work--after all, labor is what America needed in those last decades of expansion and the heyday of industrial development. The inspection system, despite a staggering daily census, was surprisingly efficient, rarely unnecesarily cruel, and, for most immigrants, quick. The next section, "Treating Patients by the Thousands," brings us into the hospital, and it is here that Conway's research really pays off. The voices, in photographs, quotations, and text, are eloquent, moving, informative, and unfamiliar. Pictures of overcrowded immigrant vesels and Ellis Island inspection lines are familiar, but here Conway shows the tragedies, boredom, fear, and joys (yes, there were some) of hospitalization on Ellis Island. There is a pervasive sense of family, both absent and present--mothers detained with their young children, older children detained while parents and siblings who pased inspection waited for them in New York City, temporary "families" comprised of fellow detainees and nursing staff, and even an avuncular visit to a frightened child by a young Italian/Spanish/Yiddish Ellis Island translator (armed with a chocolate bar) named Fiorello La Guardia. "Rejecting the 'Riff Raff'" focuses on darker isues. Seemingly limitles boatloads of southern and eastern European migrants were increasingly feared by the descendents of earlier generations of mostly northern Europeans. Political, religious, social, and economic concerns became conflated with the medical mandate of the Public Health Service on Ellis Island. The Psychopathic Pavilion was designed to fulfill three functions: observe questionable cases, treat acute stres resulting from the hardships of the voyage, and house those slated for pasage back to Europe. Some immigrants were rejected because of clear mental illnes or dementia. But what happened when nativism and changing immigration policies butted up against the murkier medical (or pseudo-medical) quandaries of personality, "feeblemindednes," intellectual capacity, cultural differences, and general foreignnes? Could intelligence be determined acros language and cultural barriers? Here, enters New Jersey psychologist Henry Goddard of the Vineland School for Feeble-Minded Boys and Girls, whose earlier flawed research into the south Jersey "Kallikak" family led to his eugenicist conclusion that both moral virtue and social degeneracy were genetically determined. Goddard introduced state-of-the-embryonic-art intelligence testing, based on recent work of French psychologist Alfred Binet, into the Ellis Island triage mix. How could even the best-intentioned medical officers reliably detect "feeble-mindednes" in the face of language and cultural barriers heightened by illiteracy, poverty, exhaustion, homesicknes, and anxiety? Not surprisingly, intelligence testing at Ellis Island was a minefield, negotiated with varying sensitivity and succes by often-ambivalent Public Health Service directors and examiners. Conway's necesarily brief overview is balanced, avoiding the pitfalls of what historians like to call "presentism." Conway's final chapter, "Falling into Disuse and Decay," touches on the immigration restriction acts of the 1920s and changes in medical screening procedures. These acts and changes eventually led to the demise of Ellis Island as an immigration facility by the early 1930s. The book has its problems, though none major. Unfortunately, for the historian, most pictures are captioned only with quotations relevant to the picture--for example, an operating room scene is accompanied by quoted memories of an immigrant's childhood encounter with the Ellis Island surgical staff. Some captions are found one or two pages after the picture, as is the case with a moving portrait of five detainees awaiting deportation in a mesh-enclosed porch of the Psychopathic Pavilion. The modern reader is unable to place many of the photographs in time (the Ellis Island Hospital was active for the first three decades of the twentieth century). The author does not indicate how the archival photographs were filed, but some of them probably had identifying information on the back or were included in labeled folders. The modern color photography by Chris Barnes--an old shoe, peeling paint, invading ivy, and general rust and dust--seems sentimental and self-consciously "arty" beside the vintage black and white "record shots" that have acquired eloquence by the pasage of time. As a stand- alone photo esay, Barnes's photographs would be truly moving, but the story they tell is not the story of this book. Similar but les self- conscious photographs by Larry Racioppo for the Save Ellis Island Web site would probably be of more interest to historians. It is a matter of taste, but this reviewer was put off by the relentlesly overdone design by Judith Abbate--perhaps Conway should have exercised greater control and drawn a stronger line between book and her forthcoming film. The reader is distracted from the reading of history and study of photographs by intrusive callouts and captions in every shade from black through gray to white (on black) with a mind- boggling array of font sizes, plain and italic typefaces, upper and lower cases, black and gray backgrounds, and strange oversized brackets. Conway's written history, a mere forty-five pages of wide-spaced text, is little more than one chapter or magazine article in length. Although she is not a historian, she worked carefully and listened well to her "cadre of profesional advisors" (p. 161). The text reads a bit like the work of a committee, but it is well referenced and engaging in style. The author's claim (supported by a jacket blurb by Doris Kearns Goodwin) that she is "the first to research this forgotten chapter of Ellis Island's history" is somewhat overstated (Alan Kraut, interviewed at length by Conway, and other historians have covered much of this historical ground) (p. x). The author frequently consulted Kraut and Howard Markel, historians of American medicine who focus on immigration before and during the Ellis Island period. The historically minded reader who wants to understand the tensions between immigration and medicine should follow Conway's example by reading Kraut's _Silent Travelers: Germs, Genes, and the "Immigrant Menace"_ (1994) and Markel's _Quarantine: East European Jewish Immigrants and the New York City Epidemics of 1892_ (1997). Conway tells the right story. For most immigrants and for America the cup was more than half full. Although there was a full measure of human tragedies and profesional failings, no major epidemic entered through the immigration station and most immigrant families pased safely into the country. Despite the hand wringing and general nastines of various nativists and eugenicists, many thousands of immigrants who came through Ellis Island and their descendents did pretty well in America. So, does this book belong in your library or even on your coffee table? You could wait for Conway's film when it appears on public television. If Conway lets the historians like Kraut have their say--that is, whole sentences and even full paragraphs instead of sentence fragments and sound bites--then it might be worth holding out for the DVD. But, with a few caveats, the book stands on its own. The historical text is capably written and carefully researched, and the archival photographs are hypnotic. The v |