Monday, June 30, 2014

LIMITED TIME; LIMITED SPACE: NEW EVENTS INCLUDING LINDBERGH HOUSE TOURS AS WELL AS OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS

NEW!!!! LINDBERGH HOUSE TOURS:  Due to the popularity and long Waiting List back in April and May, we have added four tours to see the Lindberghs' home in East Amwell/Hopewell as well as other interesting sites from the Kidnapping Case.  The event includes a bus ride with commentary by Lindbergh Author and Historian Jim Davidson and snacks courtesy of our super sponsor Shop Rite.  Tour dates are Fridays, July 18 and August 8, both dates have two tours, one from 9:30 am to approximately noon; the other from 1:30 pm to approximately 4 pm.  Reservations should be made on our home page at www.hunterdon300th.org or by calling our headquarters at (908) 788-2030.  Once your reservation is made, a check for $5 per person is required for confirmation within three days of your reservation.  Limited space is available.  Book now!

3RD OF JULY FIREWORKS AND CONCERT!  Deer Path Park -- come early!!  Wonderful concert of rousing patriotic music begins at 7 pm with the Allentown Community Band -- the oldest community band in the nation and proud of its Sousa heritage -- this is NOT your average little community group!  Following the concert, at 9 pm will be an enormous fireworks display.  We are expecting this event to be packed -- come early or take the LINK bus for free --- see our homepage at www.huntedon300th.org for more information.

NEW!!!!  JULY 8TH --- HISTORIC READING OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE: on July 8, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was read for the first time in Hunterdon County on the Courthouse steps.... at that time, the Hunterdon Courthouse was in Trenton and not Flemington.... we hope by now you all know the history of how Flemington became our County Seat.... The 300th is bringing a historic reading to the steps of the Historic Courthouse on Main Street at 4 pm.  If you missed the January 1 re-enactment, you don't want to miss this.... notable gentlemen from Hunterdon County will be back in period costume for another fun and educational re-enactment!  The fun begins at 4 pm for this family friendly event.... Festivities will end by 4:30....

JULY 8TH:  EXXON AND HUNTERDON -- Still seats remaining; reservations close on Monday the 7th at Exxon's request so sign up now!

JULY 12:  SOUTH COUNTY FARM TOUR:  Still seats remaining --- a fabulous tour that includes two full farm tours, a boxed lunch and a comfortable bus ride with wonderful commentary.  $15 per person gets you this great day from 9 am to 3 pm.


Wednesday, June 25, 2014

INDIANA JONES WANNABES READ THIS POST!!!

One of the 300th's most special partners is the 1759 Vought House --- the best surviving Loyalist House of which anyone is aware -- and a house that has some of the most unique architectural elements in the United States is hosting a public archaeology program in conjunction with Montclair State University, led by Dr. Christopher Matthews. 


The active dig will occur at the Christoffel Vought House site from Monday through Saturday - July 7-12 and July 14-19.  AND YOU'RE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE!
  
The site of the dig was determined by shovel test pits that uncovered foundations which may be a summer kitchen and an ancillary house.


The public is welcome to join, for a day or a full 12 days.


No experience is necessary though all participants are expected to attend a fieldwork orientation and commit to work at least one full day.  Participants must also provide their own water, food, sunscreen & insect repellent.


The participation fee is $15/day or $65 for five weekdays.  Saturday sessions are also available. 


The sign up sheet and further information is on their webpage www.1759VoughtHouse.org or request via email from scottwwoodhouse@comcast.net


As part of our lecture series, on Sunday, October 5th,  Historian Don Sherblom, Architect Michael Margulies and Montclair State University Archeologist Chris Mathews will give various presentations regarding the recent archeological exploration of the 1756 Vought House -- (THE STUFF YOU COULD HAVE DUG UP!).  Following a Question & Answer session, groups of 10 people at a time will tour the house while others explore the topics of the history and architecture of the Vought House and the recent Phase I restoration. 
 

Monday, June 23, 2014

JULY 12 AND JUNE 26: FARM TOUR & CONCERT UNDER THE STARS FULL PROGRAM!!! SEE IT ONLY HERE!

We promised that there were benefits to getting our blog/facebook/etc. and here is a biggie!  On sale Wednesday, June 25, at noon is the South County Farm Tour tickets.  There are only 51 tickets available at $15 per ticket.  Make your reservation and mail in the money (or drop it off at the Choir School) asap to confirm your seats.  The price includes a full boxed lunch supplied by our super sponsor Shop Rite, two farm tours, a bus ride through the beautiful countryside with commentary by George Conard along the way.

Below is the program for our first Concert Under the Stars --- check it out -- 300 years of music played by Hunterdon County's gem:  the Hunterdon Symphony. The Symphony will be playing the world premiere of "A Hunterdon Ode", an overture commissioned by the Tricentennial Committee and composed by Raymond Wojcik of Califon in celebration of our 300th year!

Hunterdon Symphony, June 26, 7 pm, Deer Path Park:
The American Frontier
Custer
Collection of American Folk songs
Including some colonial music
Colonial Fife and Drum Music
Traditional

Led by students from Woodglen School, Lebanon Township Schools.,NJ
American Civil War Fantasy
Bilik
Civil war music

“O Mio Babbino Caro” from Gianni Schicchi
Puccini
Clinton Music Hall, Flemington Opera House, Lambertville Opera House, Rialto Opera House(High Bridge
Perform by Alejandra Garrido, Soloist
Opera Selection
Music Hall Medley
Arr. Lawson
Clinton Music Hall, Flemington Opera House, Lambertville Opera House, Rialto Opera House(High Bridge)
Vaudeville Music including “Put on Your Tat-ta Little Girlie, “Daisy Bell” and “It’s a Long Way to Tipperary”
Finale to the New World Symphony
Dvorak
Much of the music performed was from European composers
Dvorak wrote the work during/after in visit to the U.S.A.




Intermission







A Hunterdon Ode
Wojcik
Premier performance of  a commissioned work for the 300th anniversary of Hunterdon county
Bio info:

American Fantasy
Herbert
A turn of the century composer famous for large popular concerts

“The sun whose rays are all ablaze” from the Mikado
Gilbert and Sullivan
Clinton Music Hall, Flemington Opera House, Lambertville Opera House, Rialto Opera House(High Bridge)
Perform by Alejandra Garrido
Popular music of this era
County Band March
Ives
A comic setting of portraying the band in the park.

Guys and Dolls
Loesser
Lambertville Circus
Broadway show performed in Lambertville.
Stars and Stripes
Sousa




Thursday, June 19, 2014

JULY TICKETS -- GOOD THINGS COME IN SMALL PACKAGES

It's Summer for the 300th -- which means we're going much more laid back.... a slow down in life.... kick back and enjoy the pool, the beach, the barbecue.... do nothing but relax.... well, sort of...

Our calendar remains crammed with events -- lots of Special Partner events -- but there are only a half dozen "official" 300th events -- not counting the concert series on Thursday nights. A "small" month for us at the 300th but we've made each event BIG!

In the next few days we will be sending out the FULL MUSICAL PROGRAM FOR THE JUNE 26TH CONCERT UNDER THE STARS AT DEER PATH PARK.  Wait until you see the amazing program in store for you, for free!! 

We start July with a really special event:  on July 8th we have a talk AT ExxonMobil on the history of the relationship between Hunterdon County and the corporation.  The talk falls on John D. Rockefeller's 175th birthday -- founder of the company who's family originally came from Hunterdon!!  Reservations are MUST in advance for security purposes... one ticket per person.  You can register multiple people using the same email address, but we have restricted your ability to take more than one ticket at a time as we need each individual name for ExxonMobil.  Please read the details on our invitation at Eventbrite.

Historic Architect extraordinaire Chris Pickell will do a special power point talk about the Architecture of Hunterdon on July 9th -- his slides will be gorgeous and his talk informative -- you don't want to miss this one!

On July 19th you will have an opportunity to learn, first hand, about rural farm life in 19th century Hunterdon.  Well, first hand because of the amount of writings that Jesse Sinclair of Holland Township left behind; secondhand because Jesse's long gone and his annotator and commentator, Holland Historian and author Bob Peabody will be there to speak and comment on Jesse's letters.  On a hot July day, this talk is at 10:30 am to get you home to the pool for the afternoon!

We also have another fascinating Civil War lecture by author Dominick Mazzagetti.  Dominick has extensively researched the 1862 enlistments coming out of Hunterdon at the old campgrounds that were located at the Flemington Fairgrounds site.  As part of our ongoing commemoration of the 150 anniversary of the Civil War and its connection with Hunterdon we bring you that talk on July 22nd.

Finally, on July 26 in the afternoon, Red Mill Museum President Paul Muir will discuss the history of industry in Hunterdon using artifacts from the Museum in a talk entitled "Industrial Archeology."  This talk is free but space is limited to 60 people because we are holding it in the Red Mill Museum's upstairs conference room.

We continue to book additional talks and events for July -- when we do you'll be the first to know!

Still seats left for many events in June!  Check our homepage today!

PLEASE DON'T FORGET THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE'S FIRST EVER COUNTY WIDE COMMUNITY DAY ON SATURDAY JUNE 21ST AT THE SOUTH COUNTY PARK.  FREE ADMISSION -- TONS OF THINGS TO DO -- NOON TO 8 PM!  SEE OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.HUNTERDON300TH FOR MORE DETAILS AND THE SCHEDULE OF EVENTS!