Historic Happenings Blog

Sunday, October 28 – Mercer County The Trenton Museum Society and FVHD Architects - Planners Present Changing Face/ Changing Place The Architects & Buildings of FVHD’s First 50 Years with Jennifer B. Leynes Sunday, October 28 2 pm Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie in Cadwalader Park, Trenton, NJ     In conjunction with the exhibit  Changing Face/Changing Place  on display now at the Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie in Cadwalader Park, Trenton, NJ, the Trenton Museum Society presents architectural historian Jennifer Leynes recounting the story of  The Architects & Buildings of FVHD's First 50 Years.  The exhibit celebrates the one hundredth anniversary of FVHD, a full service architectural design firm founded in Trenton by PL Fowler in 1918. The exhibit, displaying historical and architectural photographs, drawings and artifacts from the FVHD - Architects Planners firm's history is on view in the second floor galleries a

NOTICE: The Metlar-Bodine event shown below for October 28 has been postponed.

Sunday, October 28   - Princeton, Mercer County Historic Princeton Walking Tour Enjoy a 1.9 mile, two-hour walk around downtown Princeton and the University campus as you learn about historic sites in the area, including Bainbridge House, Nassau Hall, the University Chapel, and Palmer Square. The early history of Princeton, the founding of the University, and the American Revolution are just some of the stories from Princeton’s history that you will learn on your tour. Admission: $7 per adult; $4 children ages 6 to 12; free for children age 5 and under. Tours begin in front of the Bainbridge House, 158 Nassau Street, Princeton, NJ. Tour begins at 2:00 pm and ends at 4:00 pm. Walk up ticket sales are cash only; guides cannot provide change. Space is limited. For more information and to reserve tickets, call 609-921-6748 or visit  www.princetonhistory.org . Tours start outside  Bainbridge House, 158 Nassau Street . Tickets are $7. Advance purchase is recommended, as space

Sunday, October 28 – Union County 1:30 to 4:00 Union County "Halloween Hocus Pocus" Miller-Cory House Museum, 614 Mountain Avenue, Westfield    Visit the museum for an afternoon of Halloween family fun! Activities include decorate your own Halloween cupcake, scavenger hunt, crafts, storytelling, tattoos and festive refreshments.  The program is appropriate for young children. Be sure to come in costume! Admission is $5 per child; accompanying adults are free. Reservations are required.   Telephone calls and emails are being accepted through 10/24; telephone calls only 10/25 to noon, 10/27. 908-232-1777 and  millercorymuseum@gmail.com

Sunday, October 28 – Essex County Rosedale Cemetery Tour Founded over 150 years ago, Rosedale Cemetery marked the beginning of a new movement in how America took care of its deceased.  We’ll talk about grave imagery as well as the people who are buried in the oldest section of the cemetery. Led by Executive Director, Jane Eliasof, and Assistant Director, Angelica Diggs. Admission is $10/person, registration required to 973-744-1796 or mail@montclairhistorical.org . Tour will begin at the Rosedale Chapel for a brief introduction at 408 Orange Road, Montclair, NJ. Carpooling is suggested due to limited parking on site and driving to distant parts of the cemetery. Tour is from 1:30 to 3:30 pm, about 2 miles of walking.    Registration required online at  www.montclairhistory.org

Mill Demonstration Saturday-Monday, September 1-3 from 1-4 p.m. Saturdays & Sundays, September 8 & 9, 15 & 16, 22 & 23 and 29 & 30 from 1-4 p.m. Saturdays & Sundays, October 6 & 7, 13 & 14, 20 & 21 and 27 & 28 from 1-4 p.m. Historic Walnford, Upper Freehold  See the 19th century gristmill in action. Demonstrations run through November.  FREE!     

Sunday, October 28 - Morris Township, Morris County The Time to Mourn On Sunday at Fosterfields Living Historical Farm at 1:00 and 2:00 pm, tour the Foster family home, The Willows, to explore the unique death and mourning traditions of the Victorian period. Customs, now considered strange, influenced loved ones for months and years after the deceased had passed. Admission: $6 per adult, $5 per senior (65+), $4 per child age 4 - 16, $2 per child age 2 & 3. FREE per child under age 2. Friends members are half price with a current membership card. Fosterfields Living Historical Farm is located at 73 Kahdena Road, Morristown, NJ. For more information, visit  www.morrisparks.net .

Sunday, October 28 -  Morris Township, Morris County Historic Halloween Happenings at  Fosterfields Living Historical Farm On Sunday from 1:00 - 3:30 pm, play special Halloween games, decorate cookies, and try on old-fashioned costumes. At 3:30 pm, take a guided walk to see how many pumpkins are hiding in the nearby woods. Afterwards, board the open-air wagon for a ride to the Visitors Center. Admission: $6 for adults; $5 for seniors (65+); $4 for children ages 4 – 16; and $2 for children ages 2 and 3. FREE for children under age 2 and Friends members with a current membership card. Fosterfields Living Historical Farm is located at 73 Kahdena Road, Morristown, NJ. For more information, visit  www.morrisparks.net .

Saturday - Sunday, October 27 - 28  - Morristown, Morris County Historic Haunting On Saturday from 12:00 noon - 4:00 pm, a scary and fun afternoon awaits at Historic Speedwell! Enjoy spooky ghost stories and Halloween fun and games. Come in costume for an old-fashioned costume contest. Prizes are awarded to all winners.  Admission: $5/adult, $4/senior (65+), $3/child (ages 4 -16). FREE for children under age 4 and Friends members, with a current membership card. Historic Speedwell is located 333 Speedwell Avenue, Morristown, NJ. For more information, call 973-285-6550 or visit  www.morrisparks.net .

Sunday, October 28 - Farmingdale, Monmouth County 19th Century All Hallow’s Eve at Allaire Village What IS the origin of the Jack O'Lantern? Why do we trick or treat? Ever wonder what makes Halloween "Halloween?" Come out to the Historic Village at Allaire's Annual 19th-century All Hallows' Eve. Find out all about the early traditions that make up Halloween today! The Village will be open from 11:00 am - 4:00 pm. Admission is $5 per adult and $3 for children under 6 years. There will be pumpkin picking (limited quantity) for children 10 and under, historic games, craft demonstrations, storytelling in the Enameling Building, a costume parade and contest for children 10 years and younger,  Village trick-or-treating (12:00 noon - 2:00 pm, while supplies last!),  "Soul cake making" and other hearth cooking demonstrations, a  "Ghost Wedding" in the Historic Chapel, and more! Be sure to v isit with the pumpkin carvers and purchase a freshly carved

Historic Battery Lewis Tours Thursday-Sunday, September 1-October 31 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Hartshorne Woods Park, Highlands - Rocky Point section Tour the newly restored battery and learn about the history of this important former coastal defense site. Tours start on the hour. Last tour begins at 3 p.m. The site is open for tours Thursday-Sunday through October.  FREE!   

Saturday - Sunday, October 27  - 28  - Piscataway, Middlesex County Revolution Along the Raritan Encampment Saturday-Sunday, October 27-28 –  Middlesex County Revolution Along the Raritan Encampment Saturday, October 27 | 10am - 6pm Sunday, October 28 | 10am - 4pm At East Jersey Old Town Village Continental and Crown Forces -- American and British Camp Life -- Tactical Weapons  Demonstrations -- Blacksmithing and Open Pit -- Cooking -- Stone Carving and Spinning -- Colonial Era Music -- 'People of the Brigade' Fashion Show -- Wooden Musket Drills -- Purchase Handmade Colonial Era Goods

Saturday, October 28  - Union Township, Union County Pumpkin Patch Day Join Liberty Hall for their annual Pumpkin Patch Day - a fall tradition for so many families that offers a variety of fall activities appropriate for all ages in a single, convenient day trip! In addition to pumpkin picking, carving and painting, children will experience a good old-fashioned hayride and make Halloween crafts. There is an additional charge for pumpkins, and lunch will be available for purchase from a vendor. An all-day event, from 10:00 am - 5:00 pm. Admission is $12 for children and $8 for adults, and children under 3 are free. Reservations are not required but are suggested. To reserve online , visit  www.kean.edu/libertyhall . Liberty Hall is located at  1003 Morris Avenue, Union, NJ. For more information, call 908-527-0400, e-mail libertyhall@kean.edu, or visit  www.kean.edu/libertyhall .

Saturday,  October 27  - Cape May, Cape May County Ghosts of Cape May Trolley Tour Take this spine-tingling, 30-minute evening trolley ride through the streets of Cape May with a guide who relates the paranormal findings of medium Craig McManus on Saturday at 7:15 pm. Admission is $12 for adults, $8 for children (ages 3-12). Tours leave from the Washington Street Mall Information Booth at Ocean Street. Sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC). For more information, call 609-884-5404 or 800-275-4278 or visit  www.capemaymac.org . ----------------------------------- Saturday,  October 27   - Cape May, Cape May County Phantoms of the Physick Estate - Victorian Spiritualism House Tour Victorians were fascinated by spiritualism and the occult. Take a Historic District Trolley Tour of Cape May and then visit the "haunted" Physick Estate and learn from your guide about this Victorian obsession. You will even hear some of the electronic voi

Saturday, October 27  - Morristown, Morris County Many Dreadful Tales On Saturday from 6:00 - 9:00 pm,  enter the Vail House to hear tales both old and new in a particularly atmospheric setting. A costumed interpreter regales you with horror stories from the Victorian period while, across the hall, a museum staff fills your ears with reports of modern day instances of things going ‘bump’ in the night at museums all over the country. Admission: $5/adult, $4/senior (65+), $3/child (ages 4 -16). FREE for children under age 4 and Friends members, with a current membership card. Historic Speedwell is located 333 Speedwell Avenue, Morristown, NJ. For more information, call 973-285-6550 or visit  www.morrisparks.net .

Saturday,  October 27  - Piscataway, Middlesex County Halloween on the Hill Saturday, October 27 – Middlesex County Halloween on the Hill 6 - 9pm a t the  Cornelius Low House, 1225 River Road, Piscataway with children's crafts 6pm and 8pm: A Victorian Magic-Lantern Show narrated by a live showperson and singer/pianist with audience participation! 7pm: Neill Hartley of the American Historical Theatre portrays Ichabod Crane in Washington Irving and the Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Rain or Shine | Food Trucks Free event parking & shuttle between the sites. Text CULTURE to 56512 for more details!

Saturday, October 27 - Atlantic City, Atlantic County Absecon Lighthouse Hosts Haunted Tours Do you want to discover if Absecon Lighthouse is home to ghostly keepers that still watch over the shore in Atlantic City? Did the Jersey Devil pay a visit in 1909? Come visit the Absecon Lighthouse to hear the true ghost stories that prompted SyFy's TV Show "Ghost Hunters" to feature the lighthouse! The New Jersey Researchers of Paranormal Evidence (NJ ROPE) will be on property to help you hunt for ghosts. Plus, hear and see their eerie recordings & video taken during previous paranormal investigations. Guided tours of our grounds and tower will let you explore our rich history and experience some spooky tales. Snacks and beverages will be provided. Reservations are required; call 609-449-1360. Tour times are 5:00, 6:00, 7:00, and 8:00 pm, and include a tower climb. Tickets are $20.00 and must be reserved. Since The Inlet Public Private Association renovated the lighth

Friday-Saturday, October 26-27 – Mercer County        On October 26 , at 4 PM, get into the Halloween spirit with a  45-minute stroll through  Princeton Cemetery , referred to as  the “Westminster Abbey of the United States.” Witness the final resting places of Princeton’s prominent citizens, including a U.S. president, vice-president, and Civil War soldiers.  S tarts at the cemetery entrance at Greenview Avenue and Humbert Street; free, but registration is required.      On October 27 , at 10 AM, Wiebke Martens and Jennifer Jang, authors of  Discovering Princeton , will lead a brand new tour,  In Her Footsteps: How Women Shaped Princeton .  The walk will include an overview of Princeton’s history and focus on some of the women who have helped make Princeton – both town and its namesake University – what it is today. Stops include the new Betsey Stockton Garden, Alexander Hall, and Dorothea’s House. S tarts at Bainbridge House, 158 Nassau Street; tickets are $20.