WE HAVE ADDED EVEN MORE PROGRAMS TO OUR 2022 CALENDAR! HISTORICAL EVENTS ARE POPPING UP ALL OVER JUST LIKE SPRING FLOWERS! PICK ONE OR A WHOLE BUNCH AND GET A BOUQUET OF HUNTERON HISTORY!
THIS CALENDAR CONTINUES TO BE A WORK IN PROGRESS. PROGRAMS IN THIS BLOG ARE CONFIRMED UNLESS NOTED AS TENTATIVE, BUT WE MAY NOT HAVE ALL OF THE DETAILS YET (LIKE STARTING TIMES).
DUE TO HIGH DEMAND AND OVER-SUBSCRIPTION TO OUR WALKING TOURS LAST YEAR, WE ARE STRICTLY ADHERING TO SMALLER RESERVATION LIMITS IN 2022. WE ARE REPEATING SEVERAL OF OUR MORE POPULAR WALKS TO TRY AND ACCOMODATE DEMAND. HOWEVER, IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO GET A RESERVATION TO A SPECIFIC WALK AND WISH TO BE PLACED ON OUR WAITING LIST, PLEASE EMAIL THE HUNTERDON 300TH AT 300info@co.hunterdon.nj.us
SATURDAY, APRIL 30: WALKING TOUR OF THREE BRIDGES; RAIN DATE SUNDAY, MAY 1: 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 20 people.
The walk is free but reservations are required.
Meeting location will be disclosed to people with reservations only. THIS TOUR REPEATS ON SEPTEMBER 30TH.
Rain Date on May 1 with time to be announced.
For ticketing use this link or cut and paste into your url:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/walking-tour-of-three-bridges-tickets-288290664137
SATURDAY, MAY 7: HUNTERDON HISTORY BOWL (TENTATIVE): We're working on putting teams together, but Spring is a busy time, so this event may be postponed until the fall. Stay tuned!
SATURDAY, MAY 14, 2pm: TOUR OF REVOLUTIONARY WAR GRAVES IN THE GRANDIN CEMETERY; RAINDATE SUNDAY, MAY 15, 2pm: Join historian John Allan for a fascinating tour of one of Hunterdon's iconic cemeteries best known for a large number of Revolutionary War heroes' graves. Grandin Bethlehem Presbyterian Church is the oldest Presbyterian Church in Hunterdon County, established in 1730. Three members of the church were sent to attend a meeting of the Sons of Liberty in 1766 and the church publicly supported the Continental Congress in 1774. Church members were leaders in organizing and leading the Second Regiment of the Hunterdon County Militia. Twenty-two members fought in the Revolutionary War. Within this cemetery are the remains of 21 men who fought in the Continental Army, John Hackett, for whom Hackettstown is named, and John Grandin's family, including Elizabeth Grandin. Bonnells, Bellises, Wyckoffs, Yards, Osmuns, Stewarts and many other of Hunterdon's oldest families are buried there as well. For a link to the church's website to an index of the graves and reference map, go to
List: https://bethlehempc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/EagleProject-Graves-List-DanWeiss.pdf
Map: https://bethlehempc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Cemetery-Map-By-Dan-Weiss.pdf
Walk limited to 20 people.
The walk is free but reservations are required.
Meeting location is the Church's parking lot on Race Street, Union Township. The 300th will escort you across the street for safety purposes.
For ticketing use this link or cut and paste into your url:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tour-of-revolutionary-war-graves-in-the-grandin-cemetery-tickets-304344762377SATURDAY, MAY 21, 1pm: WALKING TOUR OF OLDWICK; RAINDATE SUNDAY, MAY 22, 1pm: Oldwick is on the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places, and on this tour with Tewksbury Historian Shaun Van Doren, we will see over a dozen different types of architecture employed on Oldwick’s historic business and residential buildings. What we know today as Oldwick used to be called New Germantown until 1918, when anti-German sentiment caused the name to be changed to Oldwick. The reason behind the name Oldwick is that wick means village and since at the time of the change the village was old, it was named Oldwick, meaning old village. Prior to New Germantown, the village was named Smithfield, after its principal resident Ralph Smith. This is a wonderful tour of one of Hunterdon's very special hamlets that you won't want to miss!
Tour length: 2 hours
LIMITED TO 20 PEOPLE. Meet/Park at Cold Brook Preserve.
FREE BUT RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED.
For ticketing use this link or cut and paste into your url:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/walking-tour-of-oldwick-tickets-304364822377
SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 10am: BAD LUCK AND POOR CHOICES WALKING TOUR OF FRENCHTOWN; RAINDATE SUNDAY, JUNE 19, 10am: Former Hunterdon County Democrat Rick Epstein'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.
Meeting locations will be disclosed to people with reservations only.
Tour length: approximately 90 minutes
LIMITED TO 15 PEOPLE.
FREE BUT RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED.
For ticketing use this link or cut and paste into your url:
SATURDAY, JUNE 25, 10am: WALKING TOUR OF POTTERSVILLE (TEWKSBURY); RAINDATE SUNDAY, JUNE 26, 1pm: Join Tewskbury Historical Society's Shaun Van Doren as he takes us on a walk to learn about how the town that sits in 3 counties and 4 municipalities got its name. Pottersville was listed on the National & State Registers of Historic Places in 1990. It contains 44 major buildings that contribute to its historic character and embody its architectural significance. They range from the mid-1800s through the early 1900s. We’ll see key buildings that were vital to the village, including the upper mill, Church, school, stores and hotel, and we’ll see that a great majority of the houses still retain their historic character.
Tour length: 90 minutes. Meet/Park at Pottersville Fire House.
Walk limited to 30 people.
SAVE THE DATES FOR THESE UPCOMING TOURS WITH THE HUNTERDON 300TH - TICKETING BEGINS IN LATE MAY:
SUNDAY, JULY 10: DVOOR HOUSE TOURS
SUNDAY, AUGUST 7: "READINGTON RAMBLES PART I: STORIES FROM THE HISTORY OF READINGTON TOWNSHIP"; 3 to 4 pm: Join us at the Barn at Bouman-Stickney Farmstead, part of the Readington Museums, where County Historian Emerita and Readington Township Historian Extraordinaire shares some of her fascinating research about the history of Hunterdon's oldest municipality, Readington Township. In an interesting "back to back" series, return next week for another Stephanie Stevens' talk on another part of Readington's history. Free refreshments and cold water will be provided. The talk is free, but reservations are required. 114 Dreahook Road, Stanton, 08885.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 14: "READINGTON RAMBLES PART II: SLAVERY IN READINGTON TOWNSHIP"; 3 to 4 pm: We're back at the Barn at Bouman-Stickney Farmstead with County Historian Emerita and Readington Township Historian Extraordinaire Stephanie Stevens shares her research on a piece of not-so-flattering Hunterdon history -- slavery. More than 30 years ago, Stephanie did deep research into slave ownership in Readington Township and published a book about it. Other than Stephanie's research, countywide, the subject of slavery has little almost nothing documented. Free refreshments and cold water will be provided. The talk is free, but reservations are required. 114 Dreahook Road, Stanton, 08885.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3: WALKING TOUR OF THREE BRIDGES (READINGTON); RAINDATE SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4: 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 20 people.
The walk is free but reservations are required.
Meeting location will be disclosed to people with reservations only. THIS TOUR REPEATS ON SEPTEMBER 30TH.
Rain Date on September 4th with time to be announced.
For ticketing use this link or cut and paste into your url:
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17: FRENCHTOWN CEMETERY TOUR; RAINDATE SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2 pm.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8: WALKING TOUR OF MOUNTAINVILLE (TEWKSBURY); RAINDATE SUNDAY, OCTOBER 9
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16: "ALL HALLOWS EVE SONGS OF LOVE, DEATH AND THE SUPERNATURAL" - ENCORE PERFORMANCE (SEE READINGTON MUSEUMS BELOW, OCTOBER 2ND): BOUMANN-STICKNEY FARMSTEAD, 2 PM. FREE. RESERVATIONS REQUIRED.
UPCOMING EVENTS FROM OUR FABULOUS HISTORICAL PARTNERS FROM AROUND THE COUNTY!:
APRIL 23: VOUGHT HOUSE: MEET A REVOLUTIONARY WAR LOYALIST (10 AM TO NOON): Sample the life of Lietuenant John Vought and the uniformed New Jersdey Volunteers with author and Loyalist reenactor Todd Braisted. Learn about the lives of Cornelia and Mary Grandin Vought who, with their husbands absent, worked the farm amid the maelstrom of the American Revolution in New Jersey. Wander and explore the 1759 Vought House, the herb garden, spring house foundation, fence and fruit trees, decorative ceilings, restored windows and front door. View presentations, visit and ask questions of the New Jersey Volunteers. Rain date, Sunday, April 24. Free. Donations appreciated.
MAY 1 (1-4 PM): READINGTON MUSEUMS PRESENTS A FIBER ARTISTS SHOWCASE HAND-CRAFTED HOOKED RUGS: Fiber artists, Lucy Walsh and Sharon Ballard, will display their hand-crafted hooked rugs. Walsh and Ballard will be on-hand to share the history and the inspirations for designing their rugs.
Lucy Walsh is a fiber artist living in Clinton, New Jersey, and a Readington Township native. She has been creating hand-crafted hooked rugs since 1990. Her recent collections of original rugs include ‘story rugs’ which tell of real-life or imaginary events, and quaint primitive designs. Her rugs have been featured on websites, fairs, rug hooking publications and have appeared in the Rug Hooking Magazine’s Celebrations® book recognizing nationally known fiber artists.
Sharon Ballard started traditional rug hooking in 1985 after moving to New Jersey. She now resides in Stanton. “I first noticed theses rugs in the magazine Country Living and with a little investigation I found a wonderful local teacher, took several classes and have been rug hooking ever since. My style is to create a rug that has a folk-art look. Most of my rugs were inspired from antique rugs. Simple designs with bright and bold colors”.
This program is held inside the Historic Wade-Wycoff Barn at the Bouman-Stickney Farmstead in the Stanton section of Readington, or for GPS use Lebanon, NJ. Although there is no fee, donations to Readington Museums are gladly welcome. In case of inclement weather please call the Museums to find out the status of the program. For more information, please visit www.readingtontwp.org/ReadingtonMuseums.html or call 908-236-2327. Free. Donations appreciated.
The Readington Museums received an operating support re-grant from the Hunterdon County Cultural & Heritage Commission, with funds from the New Jersey Historical Commission, a division of the Department of State.
JUNE 24 (7 PM) READINGTON MUSEUMS PRESENTS DAVID READING: SAVING AND PRESERVING LOCAL CEMETERIES
JULY 29 (7 PM) READINGTON MUSEUMS PRESENTS DANA BALA: COOKBOOKS OVER THE CENTURIES
AUGUST 26 (7 PM) READINGTON MUSEUMS PRESENT GREGORY HERMAN: GEOLOGY, ARCHEOLOGY, AND INDIAN BURIAL GROUNDS OF CUSHETUNK AND ROUND MOUTAINS
OCTOBER 2 (2-3 PM) READINGTON MUSEUMS PRESENT: ANNE AND RIDLEY ENSLOW PERFORMING "ALL HALLOW'S EVE: SONGS OF LOVE, DEATH, AND THE SUPERNATURAL".
