We hope you are okay; 2021 continues to make history, now with unprecedented flooding. We hope your homes are dry and safe. Taking care of yourselves in times of stress is so important; our fall line up provides good times, fresh air outdoors and some good mental cobweb cleaning. We hope you can join us!
THE FIRST DAY OF AUTUMN IS SEPTEMBER 22 AND OUR FIRST EVENT IN 21 MONTHS IS SEPTEMBER 25TH!
WELCOME TO OUR FALL LINE UP OF WALKING TOURS OF SOME OF OUR FAVORITE HISTORIC HOMETOWNS AND HAMLETS. WE ARE TAKING RESERVATIONS TO THE FIRST GROUP OF WALKS AND YOU'LL FIND THE LINKS WITH THE DESCRIPTIONS OF EACH EVENT.
WE'RE STILL MONITORING THE COVID SITUATION AS TO WHETHER WE WILL BE ABLE TO RUN OUR BUS TOUR THIS YEAR -- WE UNDERWRITE THIS EVENT AND WE NEED TO HAVE A FULL BUS TO MAKE IT WORK WITH OUR BUDGET. THERE'S ALWAYS NEXT YEAR, RIGHT?
IN MID SEPTEMBER WE'LL BE TAKING RESERVATIONS FOR THE REST OF THE WALKING TOURS INCLUDING OUR NEW GHOST TOUR IN DOWNTOWN FLEMINGTON. WE ARE SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS AND WE HAVE HAD HUGE INTEREST. BE ASSURED, AS SOMEONE WHO RECEIVES OUR NEWSLETTER OR SUBSCRIBES TO OUR BLOG, YOU GET FIRST DIBS ON MAKING RESERVATIONS TO THE GHOST TOUR AND EVERY OTHER EVENT WE OFFER.
WE ARE HOPING TO HAVE A FEW TALKS STILL THIS YEAR; ALTHOUGH THE COUNTY LIBRARY IS STILL NOT ALLOWING THEIR SPACE TO BE BOOKED, WE DO HAVE OFFERS FROM SOME OF OUR OTHER PARTNERS TO USE THEIR SPACE. THANK YOU RED MILL MUSEUM AND RINGOES GRANGE! WE HOPE TO SEE YOU BOTH IN 2021! AND REMEMBER, CHECK OUT OUR OTHER HISTORICAL PARTNERS' GOINGS-ON AT THE END OF OUR EVENTS LIST.
NOW TAKING RESERVATIONS FOR THE FOLLOWING AUTUMN EVENTS:
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 25TH: WALKING TOUR OF MOUNTAINVILLE, 2 PM with Tewksbury Township Historian Shawn Van Doren: Come hear the history of what was originally known as Bulls Head, where the confluence of 3 streams allowed Mountainville in Tewksbury Township to take advantage of the power of water and where the Potter family became an influential family. We’ll see the former one-room school, the local general store and post office, the hotel, the former Kitchen Caboodle cooking school and the site of a former tannery.
FOR RESERVATIONS GO TO:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/walking-tour-of-mountainville-tickets-169110563247
Tour length: 90 minutes
Free but Reservations Required.
Meeting locations will be disclosed to people with reservations only.
Walk limited to 30 people.
There is no rain date for this event. Should it rain, the talk will be moved indoors for a Virtual Tour.
If you are closed out of this event and wish to be on our Waiting List, please email us at 300info@co.hunterdon.nj.us or call (908) 788-2030 and leave a message.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2ND: WALKING TOUR OF FRENCHTOWN, 2 PM: BAD LUCK AND POOR CHOICES TOUR WITH RICK EPSTEIN: Rick's got a dozen true stories to tell you about Old Frenchtown. Well, 11 are true. The 12th one is a tall tale that George Washington Hummer told his grandson. But it's a good one. IF YOU'VE EVER SHOT A PHARMACIST, Tried to conquer Mexico, Or been knocked off a bar stool at 9:30 a.m., you'll relate to the true stories you'll hear on Rick's Bad Luck & Poor Choices Tour of downtown Frenchtown.
If you want to hear those stories, told right where they happened, sign up for Saturday's Bad Luck & Poor Choices Tour. You'll also learn about Aaron Burr and Tippoo the Killer Elephant. (They never came to Frenchtown, but Vice President Burr wanted to.)
Registration is important. If no one registers, Rick will just stay home and sulk on his porch.
If you are closed out of this event and wish to be on our Waiting List, please email us at 300info@co.hunterdon.nj.us or call (908) 788-2030 and leave a message.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 9TH: WALKING TOUR OF SERGEANTSVILLE, 10:30 AM: Delaware Township's Historical Society's Marilyn Cummings and native of Sergeantsville Lois Stewart will lead the tour around this charming hamlet. This village was established at a crossroads and had a tavern by 1780. It went by a rather unattractive but descriptive name during its early history! Come find out what it was and why it was called that. It has since grown into the charming place it is today… and boasts one of the finest inns in the area -- stay after the walk and enjoy a great lunch there!
The tour starts at 10:30 am and will run approximately 60 minutes.
FOR RESERVATIONS GO TO:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/walking-tour-of-sergeantsville-tickets-169117865087
Free but reservations are required.
Limited to 20 people. Meeting location to be disclosed to those holding reservations only.
There is no rain date for this event. In case of cancellation, you will receive notification thru Eventbrite.
If you are closed out of this event and wish to be on our Waiting List, please email us at 300info@co.hunterdon.nj.us or call (908) 788-2030 and leave a message.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 16TH: WALKING TOUR OF FLEMINGTON, 10:30 am: Let’s take a walk in Historic Downtown Flemington. Hear the stories of the buildings, the people that built them and how the downtown has changed and adapted over three hundred years of settlement.
Janice Armstrong, President of the Hunterdon County Historical Society, a life-long resident of Hunterdon County and a lover of local history, will be your guide. One of her favorite things is to take adults and kids walking and looking at downtowns including Milford, Flemington, Clinton, as well as Bethlehem, Easton, and Nazareth PA.
The tour starts at 10:30 am and will run approximately 60 minutes.
Free but reservations are required.
FOR RESERVATIONS GO TO:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/walking-tour-of-flemington-tickets-169118486947
Limited to 20 people. Meeting location to be disclosed to those holding reservations only.
There is no rain date for this event. In case of cancellation, you will receive notification thru Eventbrite.
If you are closed out of this event and wish to be on our Waiting List, please email us at 300info@co.hunterdon.nj.us or call (908) 788-2030 and leave a message.
RESERVATIONS FOR THE FOLLOWING EVENTS WILL BEGIN IN MID SEPTEMBER:
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23RD: 26 MUNICIPALITIES IN ONE DAY BUS TOUR -- TENTATIVE; 9 AM TO 5 PM. PLEASE WATCH FOR FURTHER DETAILS.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23RD: GHOST TOUR OF DOWNTOWN FLEMINGTON: 👻 JOIN US FOR A BONE-CHILLING WALK IN OUR HISTORIC COUNTY SEAT. 👀 STORIES OF MURDER AND MAYHEM, VOICES HEARD FROM THE PAST, APPARITIONS, AND THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT. ALL OF OUR STORIES ARE DOCUMENTED -- AFTER ALL, WE ARE A HISTORICAL ORGANIZATION. TOURS LEAVE AT 6:30 PM, 7 PM, and 7:30 PM AND LAST 90 MINUTES. $10 PER PERSON; CHILDREN 12 AND UNDER, $5; NOT RECOMMENDED FOR CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 8. RESERVATIONS AND PRE-PAYMENT REQUIRED. REFRESHMENTS FOLLOWING THE WALK ARE INCLUDED WITH YOUR TICKET.
If you are closed out of this event and wish to be on our Waiting List, please email us at 300info@co.hunterdon.nj.us or call (908) 788-2030 and leave a message.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29TH: GHOST TOUR OF DOWNTOWN FLEMINGTON: JOIN US FOR A BONE-CHILLING WALK IN OUR HISTORIC COUNTY SEAT. STORIES OF MURDER AND MAYHEM, VOICES HEARD FROM THE PAST, APPARITIONS, AND THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT. 👻 ALL OF OUR STORIES ARE DOCUMENTED -- AFTER ALL, WE ARE A HISTORICAL ORGANIZATION. TOURS LEAVE AT 6:30 PM, 7 PM, AND 7:30 PM AND LAST 90 MINUTES. $10 PER PERSON; CHILDREN 12 AND UNDER, $5; NOT RECOMMENDED FOR CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 8. RESERVATIONS AND PRE-PAYMENT REQUIRED. REFRESHMENTS FOLLOWING THE WALK ARE INCLUDED WITH YOUR TICKET. 👀
If you are closed out of this event and wish to be on our Waiting List, please email us at 300info@co.hunterdon.nj.us or call (908) 788-2030 and leave a message.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30TH: 👀 GHOST TOUR OF DOWNTOWN FLEMINGTON: JOIN US FOR A BONE-CHILLING WALK IN OUR HISTORIC COUNTY SEAT. 👻 STORIES OF MURDER AND MAYHEM, VOICES HEARD FROM THE PAST, APPARITIONS, AND THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT. ALL OF OUR STORIES ARE DOCUMENTED -- AFTER ALL, WE ARE A HISTORICAL ORGANIZATION. TOURS LEAVE AT 6:30 PM, 7 PM, AND 7:30 PM AND LAST 90 MINUTES. $10 PER PERSON; CHILDREN 12 AND UNDER, $5; NOT RECOMMENDED FOR CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 8. RESERVATIONS AND PRE-PAYMENT REQUIRED. REFRESHMENTS FOLLOWING THE WALK ARE INCLUDED WITH YOUR TICKET.
If you are closed out of this event and wish to be on our Waiting List, please email us at 300info@co.hunterdon.nj.us or call (908) 788-2030 and leave a message.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 6TH: WALKING TOUR OF RINGOES, 10 AM: Take a walking tour of downtown Ringoes and discover its rich history. Our tour guide is Dave Harding, former Hunterdon County Historical Society trustee, founding member of the East Amwell Historical Society, and author of a self-guided walking tour of Ringoes. Dave will tell us about John Ringo’s arrival in the early 1700s where he became a reluctant tavern owner, and discuss the legend of his buried treasure. We'll learn about the Sons of Liberty meeting at the tavern of “the second” John Ringo, an ardent patriot who hung a portrait of George Washington outside his establishment (unless the British were passing through!). We’ll swing past the Henry Landis House where the Marquis de LaFayette convalesced after falling ill, and we’ll talk about the local doctor who rushed to his aid. Speaking of doctors, we’ll also tell you all about Dr. Mary Tidd Bennett, the town’s rare 1800s female physician, and we’ll stand beside the home and publishing house of Dr. Cornelius Larison, and discuss this physician, teacher, publisher, author, interviewer of ex-slave Sylvia DuBois and advocate of phonetic spelling. We’ll also learn about the impact of the railroad on the community and what the village looked like a century ago. Join us to learn about the fascinating, historic hamlet.
Reservations are required. Approximately 90 minutes.
Meeting location to be disclosed to those holding
reservations only EAST AMWELL TOWNSHIP, NJ 08551
Walk limited to 20 people.
There is no rain date for this event. In case of cancellation, you will receive notification thru Eventbrite.
If you are closed out of this event and wish to be on our Waiting List, please email us at 300info@co.hunterdon.nj.us or call (908) 788-2030 and leave a message.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 13TH: WALKING TOUR OF THREE BRIDGES 10 AM: Join County Historian and Three Bridges native John Kuhl for a walking tour of historic Three Bridges. John knows every nook and cranny of this special hamlet. Wear comfortable shoes!
Walk limited to 30 people.
The walk is free but reservations are required.
Meeting location will be disclosed to people with reservations only.
There is no rain date for this event. In case of cancellation, you will receive notification thru Eventbrite.
If you are closed out of this event and wish to be on our Waiting List, please email us at 300info@co.hunterdon.nj.us or call (908) 788-2030 and leave a message.
STAY TUNED FOR ADDITIONS TO OUR CALENDAR SOON!
EVENTS FROM OUR HISTORICAL PARTNERS AROUND HUNTERDON COUNTY!
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 11TH: REOPENING OF THE EAST AMWELL MUSEUM: The East Amwell Museum will re-open to visitors on September 11, 2021, and will be open on the 2nd and 4th weekend of each month thereafter from 1 to 4 pm. The Museum is located at 1053 Old York Road in Ringoes at the entrance to Clawson Park.
The Museum commemorates and celebrates the Township of East Amwell and its notable history over three centuries. The collections include artifacts, photographs, documents, and other materials unique to the Township. Since the COVID closure, the Museum has added several new acquisitions and the East Amwell Historical Society, which operates the Museum, is anxiously looking forward to the re-opening and display of its collections.
The Museum is open to all, free of charge. It is entirely supported by generous tax-deductible donations to the Historical Society. The Historical Society extends an invitation and encourages all to join as Members to help support the Museum and Society events. Memberships are usually on an annual basis, however, this year, membership will include the remainder of 2021 and all of 2022. Membership levels are $25 for an individual, $50 for a family, and $10 for a student. Patron memberships at $100 and Lifetime memberships at $1,000 are very much appreciated. All members will receive discounts and early registration for Historical Society events, be the first to receive the annual calendar as well as acknowledgement in the calendar, and an invitation to the annual Membership Dinner.
If you wish to become a member, please go to our website at eastamwellhistory.org and click on the red "Become a Member" button to download the Membership Form and return it with your check to the address indicated. The Historical Society will also gratefully accept in kind donations of items of historical significance to the Township. Please contact Maryellen Costello at the Historical Society if you are interested in donating any items of personal property.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16TH: THE HISTORY OF EARLY MEDICINE IN NEW JERSEY, 6:30 PM: At one time, swallowing ground glass was a suggested treatment for curing gastro-intestinal disorders . . . and cayenne pepper enemas were used to treat lung diseases! Join the Lebanon Township Museum for a lecture on the History of Early Medicine in New Jersey with Dr. Gary Grover on Thursday September 16th at 7pm.
Dr. Grover will share his research into early medical treatments and drug discoveries in New Jersey in this hour-long lecture. He is a professor of pharmacology and toxicology at Rutgers Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, a professor of cell biology at Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine, a cardiovascular pharmacologist and a pro-bono mentor to medical students. His research in drug development has resulted in twenty patents, ten book chapters and more than two hundred peer-reviewed publications.
Lebanon Township Museum, 57 Musconetcong River Road, Hampton NJ 08827. For further information call
(908) 638-8523 extension 405.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 AND SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 26TH: READINGTON MUSEUMS, BOWMAN STICKNEY FARMSTEAD PRESENT: LIFE WITH FATHER, 3:00 pm. The Readington Community Theater will present
staged scenes from the play Life with Father written
by Lindsay and Crouse. FREE; Donations appreciated. Reservations required. Reserve your spot at the link on their website or call the museum. The performance will be held in the historic Wade-Wycoff barn at the Bouman-Stickney Farmstead located at 114 Dreahook Road in Readington.
FRIDAYS, SEPTEMBER 10, 17, AND 24TH: THE RED MILL MUSEUM PRESENTS: FRIDAY NIGHT HORROR FILMS: At sundown in the parking lot in front of the Red Mill, come by to enjoy the screening of a scary film. Admission is free, but donations are greatly appreciated. Each week we will up the intensity of the horror from creepy, to scary, to absolutely terrifying! At what level will you tap out? For the last week, we will be joined by Glenbrook Brewery of Morristown, NJ.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2ND: HISTORIC MARKER DEDICATION AT NIXON CEMETERY IN QUAKERTOWN, 2PM: Quakertown Friends Meeting will hold a dedication
ceremony for an historic marker that honors the Nixon Cemetery, a burial site
for non-Quakers that the Meeting offered to the community in the mid-1700s. The
sign also acknowledges the now forgotten site, across the road, of a former
cemetery for enslaved Africans, also founded in the mid-1700s, but destroyed
before the 1880s. The dedication ceremony will include several speakers. Talks
will encompass the history of the two cemetery sites, the importance of
preserving cemeteries, and remembrances of the deceased.
The Nixon Cemetery has no
exact address and is located on Croton Road (Route 579), a half mile south of
the village of Quakertown. Please use 1159 or 1161 Croton Road, Pittstown NJ
for GPS directions. Parking will be available.
Join Quakertown Friends for
refreshments afterwards a half mile away at the First Day School, next from the
Meetinghouse at 290 White Bridge Rd (at the intersection of Quakertown
Rd/County Route 579). The Meetinghouse will be open for tours.
Any CDC Covid restrictions in
effect at the time will apply, such as wearing masks, standing a distance apart,
etc. Refreshments at the First Day School may be outdoors if necessary.
ABOUT THE MEETING: The Quakertown Friends Meeting, founded in 1729, is a
faith community welcoming all ages, religious backgrounds, races, education,
sexual orientations, gender identities, and classes. Meeting for Worship is
held every Sunday at 10:30 AM. All are welcome. The buildings are
wheelchair accessible. For
GPS purposes use 290 White Bridge Rd, Pittstown, NJ 08867. For further information, contact Marty Campanelli, Recording Clerk, Quakertown Monthly Meeting. PO Box 520, Quakertown, NJ 08868, quakertownfriends@gmail.com, https://www.pym.org/directory/meeting/quakertown-friends-meeting, 908-735-0353.
SUNDAY, October 3RD: READINGTON MUSEUMS PRESENTS LENAPE LIFEWAYS: FOODWAYS, GARDENING, AND FORAGING, 1:00-4:00 p.m.: Susan McLellan Plaisted,
proprietress of Heart to Hearth Cookery, a food history
business based in Bucks County, PA, will be presenting a
program on Lenape lifeways focusing on foodways, gardening
and foraging. This program will be outside on the grounds of
the Bouman-Stickney Farmstead. Plaisted grows Lenape
corn, beans and squash from original seed and processes
Puhwem (Lenape white flour corn) into hominy. She will be
discussing the use, processing and preservation of grown,
hunted and foraged foods.
Plaisted was a Pennsylvania Commonwealth Speaker on
Lenape Foodways for many years and has been interpreting
Lenape foodways since 1988. She has a BS in Food and
Nutrition and an MS in Health Education.
OCTOBER 8, 9, 15, 16, 22, 23, 29TH, THE RED MILL MUSEUM PRESENTS 30 YEARS OF FEARS, 5-10 PM: Experience over 50 live (or are they?) terrifying performers, 10 acres of frights, 3 petrifying structures, 1 haunted hayride.....it all adds up to the most spine-chilling experience of your life! The entry line starts at 5 p.m. the attraction opens at dark and runs until all attendees have made it through. There are general admission tickets or if you want to skip the long wait express tickets are available. This year there are 8 nights available!
Explore a small portion of the Haunted Red Mill with a friendly ghoul, then go for a fun hayride, return for cider and donuts! Rain date will be the Sunday after the date of ticket purchase.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 10TH: READINGTON MUSEUMS, BOWMAN STICKNEY FARMSTEAD PRESENT THE HUNTERDON HARMONIZERS, 3 PM: The Hunterdon Harmonizers will share their unique
a cappella vocal talents in a medley of songs from
the golden years of Broadway, including selections
from the Lindsay/Crouse musicals The Sound of
Music and Anything Goes.
Reserve your spot at the link on our website or call the
museum. FREE but donations are appreciated. The performance will be
held in the historic Wade-Wycoff barn at the
Bouman-Stickney Farmstead located at 114
Dreahook Road in Readington.
OCTOBER 14, 21, 28TH, THE RED MILL MUSEUM PRESENTS LIGHTS ON! 7:30-9:30 PM: Experience a guided tour with the creators of the Haunted Red Mill! Learn what it takes to build this world-renown haunted attraction.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30TH: THE RED MILL MUSEUM PRESENTS A HAUNTED RED MILL HALLOWEEN EXTRAVAGANZA, 7-11 PM: Celebrate 30 Years of Fears with a party in the middle of the haunt with food, beer, and wine included! Mingle the creators and cast members of the event!
VISIT THE HUNTERDON 300TH AT
