SPEND A FEW HOURS WITH US, NATURE AND THE HEROES OF 18TH CENTURY HUNTERDON COUNTY WHO FOUGHT FOR AMERICA'S INDEPENDENCE! Only $10 per person gets you the tour, ride, and snacks! THESE ARE GOING TO BE WONDERFUL WALKING TOURS WITH FASCINATING STORIES.... WE HOPE YOU'LL CONSIDER JOINING US!
ALSO, A 4 COURSE MEAL, DOUBLE LECTURE AND EVENT NOT TO BE MISSED - OUR TAVERN TOUR OF HISTORIC HUMPHREY'S TAVERN!
THIS IS ONE OF ONLY TWO TAVERNS STILL OPERATING SINCE THE 1700S IN 2016 HUNTERDON COUNTY! IF YOU WANT TO KNOW THE OTHER, YOU'LL HAVE TO READ THE DESCRIPTION OF THE TAVERN TOUR BELOW!
Saturday, November 5th: Revolutionary War Graves of Hunterdon County, South Bus Tour: Looking for a story with a good plot? Well, how about a plot with a good story! Our tour guide, Dave Harding, is a member of the East Amwell and Hunterdon County Historical Societies. Dave has given numerous cemetery and walking tours, and is the author of a self-guided tour of downtown Ringoes.
Guests will park in the baseball field lot on Wertsville Road behind the East Amwell Township Hall building and walk to the East Amwell Township Municipal Building. The bus leaves from East Amwell Township Hall 9:30 a.m. and will stop at four cemeteries, and one former British officer’s burial site.
Participants will discover Sons of Liberty, men who shouldered muskets against the British and Hessians, a spy, a key player in George Washington’s legendary crossing of the Delaware River, a pall bearer at Washington’s funeral, a doctor who treated a deathly ill Marquis de Lafayette and more. The tour ends at the site commemorating the Amwell Skirmish where a British cornet, killed in the fight, was once buried. The approximately 3 ½ hour excursion will also take guests past a number of the county’s revolutionary-era historic sites.
The tour will include some walking to the John Ringo's monument and the Amwell Skirmish site, so wear comfortable shoes.
Snacks and water included. $10 PER PERSON -- PLEASE CALL US AT 908 788-2030 TO MAKE YOUR RESERVATION. Limited to 30 Guests.
Saturday, November 12th: Revolutionary War Graves of Hunterdon County, North Bus Tour: Our adventure starts at the North Branch of the County Library at noon when we will board our bus to visit three North County cemeteries, each of which is the final resting place of veterans from the American Revolution: Spruce Run Cemetery, DAR Memorial Park Cemetery and the Bethlehem Presbyterian Cemetery. This will be no ordinary tour, however. Our tour guide, historian John Allen, will discuss not just the soldiers' service, but also of genealogical resources used to track down ancestors, maintaining older burial grounds, including photographing and restoring old headstones, and about the supply function that helped keep soldiers fed, clothed, and armed while in the field, and who was charged with restoring their health when sick or wounded! And learn of the early history of the Bethlehem Presbyterian Church.
Snacks and water will be provided and, at our second stop, the Daughters of the American Revolution will also be on hand with goodies!
$10 PER PERSON -- MUST BE RECEIVED WITHIN THREE BUSINESS DAYS OF YOUR RESERVATION. Checks payable and mailed to The Hunterdon Tricentennial Committee, 3 Chorister Place, Flemington, NJ 08822. Please mark event in your check's memo line.
Limited to 30 Guests.
Main Branch of the County Library
7 pm Free
Refreshements follow
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3: THE SKIRMISH AT GEARY'S RIDGE: Loyalist Geary massacred by Hunterdon Militiamen? Dragoons racing over hills? Did this little event really scare the Big Bad British from invading Hunterdon? Join Historian, author and subject matter expert Charles "Chip" Riddle for a riveting tale of patriotism, arrogance and murder.
Main Branch of the Hunterdon County Library, 2pm, 314 Route 12,
Flemington, NJ 08822
Free!
Reservations strongly recommended.
Refreshments follow.
DECEMBER 10, SATURDAY, 11:30 am: TAVERN TOUR AT THE HISTORIC GLEN GARDNER INN, NOW HUMPHREY'S TAVERN, MAIN STREET, GLEN GARDNER. We love our Tavern Tours! If you are a Tavern Tourista, come and join us at noon in Glen Gardner on Saturday, December 10th for a period-style 4 course meal in this historic inn. Humphrey's Tavern was originally Eveland's Tavern and has been operating as a public establishment since the 18th Century. The only other restaurant in 2016 Hunterdon County that can make the same claim is The Pittstown Inn. If the Perryville Inn reopens, it will also be able to make this historical culinary claim. The Humphreys Tavern Tour menu includes:
1st course: Gourd Soup from the 1839 Dutch American Cookbook;
2nd course: Three Sisters Native Salad - corn, beans, squash, baked american cheddar;
3rd course: Choice of entree:
Stewed Beef and Baked Bread - Confessions and trials of a housekeeper c. 1839
Guinea Fowl Pie
Vegetarian Pasta Option (not historical)
4th course: Cherry Cobbler
AROUND THE COUNTY WITH MORE HERITAGE AND HISTORY:
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4TH: WHEN THE CIRCUS CAME TO TOWN - FLEMINGTON DURING THE LINDBERGH KIDNAPPING TRIAL: Lindbergh enthusiast and Flemington native James Davidson’s newest talk is sure to be a crowd pleaser! Davidson says, “This talk is not about Lindbergh, nor Hauptmann nor Hauptmann’s guilt or innocence. It is about all the crazy things that happened in town and in the courtroom.” He promises a richness of revelations and never-before-seen pictures taken in Flemington during the trial.
Davidson starts his talk in October of 1934 when Bruno Hauptmann was picked up in the Bronx passing marked ransom money associated with the Lindbergh kidnapping. He was charged with the murder of the Lindbergh baby and extradited to New Jersey to stand trial at the Hunterdon County Seat in Flemington. No one then could conceive the circus that was to come.
Flemington was expecting some sort of a spectacle, but not the 50,000 people who descended on the town the first weekend. The courtroom, which was open to the public, was trashed; camera flashbulbs were piled high in the streets; rooms were rented for outrageous prices, and the Union Hotel had to add 37 people to its staff. Famous writers and radio personalities, Broadway and movie stars, political figures and just plain common folk came from all over the world to see – and be seen – in Flemington. The most famous bar in the world, “Nellie’s Bar”, named after Flemington’s most famous dog, opened in the Union Hotel. People stood all night in sub-zero temperatures to get a trial ticket, which became worth its weight in gold. Movie cameras were sited all over town and secretly in the courtroom. Three airports were set up outside of town. Direct cables, even to London, were strung to broadcast the latest news.
James Davidson co-authored the Arcadia Publishing book, New Jersey’s Lindbergh Kidnapping and Trial, with Mark Falzini of the New Jersey State Police Archives. He is currently working on a new book documenting the five-month “circus” when Bruno Hauptmann was jailed in Flemington. A popular and engaging speaker on Lindbergh and also on ghosts in Hunterdon, Davidson is the East Amwell Township Historian and is a member of the Hunterdon County Cultural and Heritage Commission. 7:00 pm in the Historic Hunterdon County Courthouse.
The evening is sponsored by the Hunterdon County Cultural and Heritage Commission. Admission is free; no reservations are required.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13TH - HISTORIC FLEMINGTON WALKING TOUR and DISCUSSION -- FREE! Main Street, Flemington has recently been named one of the eleven Most Endangerd Historic Places in the United States by the National Trust for Historic Preservation! Historic Downtown Flemington is blessed with an exceptional architectural quality and variety, yet is threatened by a redevelopment plan that will demolish four large historic structures in the middle of Main Street. Learn what the loss of the Union Hotel and the three large buildings to the Hotel's South may mean to the Hunterdon County Seat as well as the entire county and region while also imagining a vibrant Downtown Flemington and Main Street with re-purposed historic buildings thoughtfully combined with new construction that respects and is in scale with the rest of the town and that follows Flemington's approved 2015 Master Plan. Learn about the 2014 TerraNoble Plan, commissioned by the Flemington BID, that thoughtfully addresses the Borough's long term need for smart development including housing, recreation and cultural activities while celebrating Flemington's historic architecture. Enjoy some live music and take a guided walking tour of Historic Main Street with Historic Architect Chris Pickell. Live music begins around noon at the Historic Courthouse on Main Street and talk begins at 12:30 pm.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13TH: FULPER AND STANGL POTTERY - A COLORFUL GLAZING HISTORY: Jon Kornacki and Peter Meissner will detail the rise and decline of the Fulper and Stangl potteries in Flemington and the world renowned utilitarian and art pottery created in Hunterdon County from 1857 until the 20th century. The lecture will be held at Presbyterian Church, 10 East Main Street in Flemington. The event is free and open to the public! Messrs. Kornacki and Meissner are both long-time collectors and researchers of the Fulper and Stangl Company. Mr. Kornacki has been published in the Journal of American Art Pottery Association and focuses his research on Fulper art pottery, most especially Fulper’s lamps, the subject of his latest comprehensive book.
Mr. Meissner is the country’s leading authority on early Stangl artware. He has written dozens of articles for the Stangl/Fulper Collector’s Club for which he has served both as president and vice-president. The talk will last about 50 minutes, followed by questions and refreshments will be served. For more information about theHunterdon County Historical Society visit their web site
Ridley began playing Colonial American music more than 30 years ago while working at Morristown National Historical Park in New Jersey. His interest in music of the period has grown since then. He has made five albums with the noted balladeer Linda Russell and five with his wife, Anne. All of Anne and Ridley’s CDs were conceived initially with educational purposes in mind—to provide an enjoyable history lesson, while also providing entertainment sophisticated enough for adults. Two of these recordings—Music of the American Colonies and Music for Abraham Lincoln—were named Notable Recordings by the American Library Association. The Lincoln CD also received the endorsement of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission. Their latest recording, Brandy O!, consists of music found in the households of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.
Anne began playing Colonial music when she met Ridley. She also played as a regular substitute on Broadway in the orchestra ofThe Secret Garden. She does most of the duo’s research, which has included hours spent in the Library of Congress, Colonial Williamsburg, the Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center, Mount Vernon, historical societies and various archives. With rare exceptions, all of their music is drawn from original manuscripts, sheet music and songsters.
North Branch of the County Library, 65 Halstead Street, Clinton, NJ 08809, 2 pm, Free. Reservations required by contacting the County Library (908) 730-6262.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13TH - HISTORIC FLEMINGTON WALKING TOUR and DISCUSSION -- FREE! Main Street, Flemington has recently been named one of the eleven Most Endangerd Historic Places in the United States by the National Trust for Historic Preservation! Historic Downtown Flemington is blessed with an exceptional architectural quality and variety, yet is threatened by a redevelopment plan that will demolish four large historic structures in the middle of Main Street. Learn what the loss of the Union Hotel and the three large buildings to the Hotel's South may mean to the Hunterdon County Seat as well as the entire county and region while also imagining a vibrant Downtown Flemington and Main Street with re-purposed historic buildings thoughtfully combined with new construction that respects and is in scale with the rest of the town and that follows Flemington's approved 2015 Master Plan. Learn about the 2014 TerraNoble Plan, commissioned by the Flemington BID, that thoughtfully addresses the Borough's long term need for smart development including housing, recreation and cultural activities while celebrating Flemington's historic architecture. Enjoy some live music and take a guided walking tour of Historic Main Street with Historic Architect Chris Pickell. Live music begins around noon at the Historic Courthouse on Main Street and talk begins at 12:30 pm.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13TH: FULPER AND STANGL POTTERY - A COLORFUL GLAZING HISTORY: Jon Kornacki and Peter Meissner will detail the rise and decline of the Fulper and Stangl potteries in Flemington and the world renowned utilitarian and art pottery created in Hunterdon County from 1857 until the 20th century. The lecture will be held at Presbyterian Church, 10 East Main Street in Flemington. The event is free and open to the public! Messrs. Kornacki and Meissner are both long-time collectors and researchers of the Fulper and Stangl Company. Mr. Kornacki has been published in the Journal of American Art Pottery Association and focuses his research on Fulper art pottery, most especially Fulper’s lamps, the subject of his latest comprehensive book.
Mr. Meissner is the country’s leading authority on early Stangl artware. He has written dozens of articles for the Stangl/Fulper Collector’s Club for which he has served both as president and vice-president. The talk will last about 50 minutes, followed by questions and refreshments will be served. For more information about theHunterdon County Historical Society visit their web site
DECEMBER 4TH: READINGTON MUSEUMS DUTCH CHRISTMAS OPEN HEARTH COOKING: with Bev Altrath and Arlene Soong; CONTACT THE READINGTON MUSEUMS FOR FURTHER INFORMATION.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10TH: CHRISTMAS THROUGH THE AGES WITH HISTORICAL MUSICIANS ANNE AND RIDLEY ENSLOW: Anne and Ridley Enslow will present a holiday show that celebrates a colonial Christmas and other midwinter holidays. While dressed in Colonial period clothing, they will perform festive music on violin and hammered dulcimer, along with stories from the period and tales of good cheer at the North County Branch Library on Saturday, Dec. 10 at 2pm. Due to popular demand, they have a new CD, To Hear the Angels Sing -- Christmas Songs Through the Ages. To celebrate this launch, there will be chocolate chip cookies (nut free) for all, and their CDs will be available for $10 each (instead of the usual $20).
Ridley began playing Colonial American music more than 30 years ago while working at Morristown National Historical Park in New Jersey. His interest in music of the period has grown since then. He has made five albums with the noted balladeer Linda Russell and five with his wife, Anne. All of Anne and Ridley’s CDs were conceived initially with educational purposes in mind—to provide an enjoyable history lesson, while also providing entertainment sophisticated enough for adults. Two of these recordings—Music of the American Colonies and Music for Abraham Lincoln—were named Notable Recordings by the American Library Association. The Lincoln CD also received the endorsement of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission. Their latest recording, Brandy O!, consists of music found in the households of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.
Anne began playing Colonial music when she met Ridley. She also played as a regular substitute on Broadway in the orchestra ofThe Secret Garden. She does most of the duo’s research, which has included hours spent in the Library of Congress, Colonial Williamsburg, the Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center, Mount Vernon, historical societies and various archives. With rare exceptions, all of their music is drawn from original manuscripts, sheet music and songsters.
North Branch of the County Library, 65 Halstead Street, Clinton, NJ 08809, 2 pm, Free. Reservations required by contacting the County Library (908) 730-6262.
THE HUNTERDON 300TH IS PROUD TO ANNOUNCE OUR 2017 LECTURE AND EVENT SERIES: "HUNTERDON AT WAR: THE HOME FRONT." Join us for a year of exploring what was happening in Hunterdon County at the time our country's major wars were raging, from the the French-Indian War through the War on Terrorism. How was Hunterdon impacted? What was Hunterdon's response? A series that explores war from a different vantage point. Our full calendar will be announced in January, 2017!
