Historic Happenings Blog

February 13-15 -- Cape May County Take off to Cape May Presidents Weekend Feb. 13-15:  Savor a guided tour of the Physick House Museum, bundle up with a blanket for a Historic District Trolley Tour, or both, on Presidents Weekend, and much more. Get spooked on a Ghosts of Cape May Trolley Tour. Climb to the top of the Cape May Lighthouse, and see the newly repainted interior stairwell. So pretty!   Plan now Masks are required at this time both indoors and outdoors at all Cape May MAC tours, events and historic sites. Schedules subject to change and capacities may be limited

Celebrate Presidents' Day at Tuckerton Seaport           Hello Friends: Visiting local places is a family-friendly, fun, and safe way to add to the learning from home experience. Plus, fresh air is always a good idea. The Seaport will be offering guided walking tours for small groups on Monday, February 15th. Tours will be outdoors. Guests will meet at the Lighthouse upon arrival. Each 45-minute tour will be limited to 10 guests. Advanced reservations are strongly encouraged.  Be sure to dress for the weather and to remember your mask. This is a family-friendly event! As always, all enhanced safety measures and social distancing will be closely followed.   Click the image above to view     Advanced reservations are required online. Visit our website,  www.tuckertonseaport.org  to purchase tickets.

 

  Sunday, February 14 – Atlantic County or online Absecon Lighthouse invites you to a hybrid “Wedding Vow Renewal” Valentine's Day, Sunday, February 14th. “An Afternoon of Romance & Renewal”   Absecon Lighthouse is hosting a hybrid “Afternoon of Romance & Renewal” on Valentine's Day, Sunday, February 14th.  Couples are invited to take part in an in-person Vow Renewal ceremony by a non-denominational minister in the Absecon Lighthouse Keeper's Cottage. A maximum of 2 couples, in person, every half hour from 1:00pm to 4:00pm can have their vows renewed, for a total of 7 mini ceremonies for 14 total couples.  Then, at 4:30, we will be going virtual with a "Virtual Vow Renewal"  in an Absecon Lighthouse Zoom-Room. Once your reservation has been made, an email containing the Zoom-link will be sent to you.  The Zoom-Room opens at 4:30pm and the virtual event concludes  shortly after 5:00pm. The cost is $40.00 per couple for either an  "in person" or &q

Sunday, February 14 -- Bergen County Pop-up Walking Tour of Historic New Bridge Landing Tour begins in The Meadow. Find out about Bergen County's premier historic site. Tour is weather permitting, 45 degrees or warmer. February 14, 1:30-2:45 p.m. at Historic New Bridge Landing, 1201 Main St, River Edge, NJ 07661. Historic New Bridge Landing has a compelling and complex story, from the Native American to colonial to a strategic crossing throughout the American Revolutionary War, located in the heart of Bergen County. Tour given by Deborah Powell, BCHS past president and Museum Collection Chair. Mask, socially distance and Covid form. Free parking or take the train to the New Bridge Landing stop on the Pascack Valley line out of Secaucus Junction. BCHS members free, Adults - $12, Students (6-21 years old) - $7. ( Join  and support our efforts!) HNBL, 1201 Main Street, River Edge, NJ. Photo from a group of 13 adventurers who took a train from NYC for the sold-out January Walking Tour.

Sunday, February 14 -- Morris County Morris County Historical Society Kicks off 75 th  Anniversary           The MCHS collection of presidential inauguration invitations and state of the union addresses from Eisenhower to Obama will be presented by Motto from 1:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 14, as part of the Second Sunday series at Acorn Hall.  To register and receive the link for the Jan. 27 Zoom discussion, email  mchsacornhall@gmail.com  or call (973) 267-3465.  MCHS will mark the 75 th  anniversary of its incorporation and the 50 th  anniversary of the Acorn Hall donation to the organization this year with exhibits, events, and celebrations to honor past achievements, current successes and continued growth. Check our website, MorrisCountyHistory.org, for more information about upcoming events. MCHS is located at 68 Lafayette Ave., Morristown, and is open Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sundays, 1 to 4 p.m. Admission, which includes the exhibits and

Saturday, February 13 – Monmouth County See Sherlock Holmes and the Speckled Band Performed by Neill Hartley!  Saturday, February 13, 2021 at 6 pm. Neill Hartley is Sherlock Holmes in a thrilling version of the short story by Arthur Conan Doyle. Staged at the Historic Allaire Chapel, see Sherlock Holmes in his study working out the mystery. Then follow him to an old mansion where he must stop a killer from committing another horrible crime!  Tickets are $28 per person Advance tickets are required! Masks must be work in the chapel. Tickets for the 6 pm show!

  Wines and Pines (Tasting at Cream Ridge Winery, Cream Ridge) 161 Emley's Hill Rd, Imlaystown, NJ 08526 Sat, Feb 13, 2021, 1:00-2:30 PM (approx.) (ages 21 and up) Come explore Monmouth County as we combine two activities which complement each other excellently, hiking and wine tasting! Take a 90-minute hike with a Park Naturalist, where we will explore and learn about the nature of Clayton Park. Then to celebrate our hard-work, participants can drive a quick five minutes down the road and join us for an optional picnic and wine tasting at Cream Ridge Winery ($5 pay on your own).   One Session $10.00 Per Person

Cutting, Splitting and Hewing Historic Longstreet Farm 44 Longstreet Road, Holmdel 07733 Saturday, February 13, 2021,12:00-2:30 PM (adults) Wood heated the farmer three times- once when they gathered the wood, once when they split the wood, and final time when they burned the wood. Come out to Longstreet Farm and get warmed up using a two-man saw and splitting wedge; learn how farmers used a froe to rive shingles or a broad ax to hew beams.

Saturday, February 13 -- Union County  --  Reserve by February 6 Galentine's Day Party! Leslie Knope said it best—“What’s Galentine’s Day? Only the BEST day of the year!” And that, ladies, it is!  Grab your girlfriends and join us for a fun brunch of snacking, drinking champagne & wine, crafting Galentine’s Day cards. It’s a great opportunity for all gals to celebrate their  friendships with other gals! Must be 21 years or older to attend.  Program Time: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Program Fee: $40.00 per person, $65.00 for museum members/Kean Alumni.  Reservations required by February 6 ; to purchase tickets visit our  website  or call 908-527-0400.

Saturday, February 13 - Hopewell Township, Mercer County Old-Fashioned Valentine's Day The air may be chilly, but Howell Living Farm's wintery landscape is the perfect setting for a heartwarming Valentine's Day ride. Couples can take a romantic spin in a two-seater sleigh or carriage pulled by a team of light workhorses. Families and groups can snuggle into a bobsled or hay wagon pulled by a handsome team of drafts. No matter the hitch, the horses will be wearing their finest bells. The site is open from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm. Inside the farmhouse there will be soup on the stove, and a children's craft program from 11:00 - 3:00 pm for a small materials fee. Please note that all 2021 Saturday programs will be modified to encourage social distancing and reflect current State guidelines for public events. Visitors are required to carry masks at all times, and wear them when social distancing isn't possible. Howell Living Farm represents typical farm life between 1890 and

 

Thursday, February 11 -- Virtual The next meeting of the North Jersey American Revolution Round Table will be an online Zoom meeting scheduled for Thursday, February 11 at 7 p.m. If you are interested in attending, please send us an email to  btdemarest@gmail.com , requesting a zoom invitation by no later than 2/9 at 5pm. Please share this invitation with anyone you think would be interested. Our presenter will be Don N. Hagist, who will speak about his new book,  Noble Volunteers: The British Soldiers Who  Fought in the American Revolution . This is the first full account of the British soldiers (not officers) who came to America to defend an empire. The book was reviewed by Rick Atkinson in the Wall Street Journal: “No one has studied the British enlisted ranks in the Revolution with greater diligence and insight than Don N. Hagist. Now he has given us a remarkable group portrait of these men, illuminating who they were, why and how they fought, and what their lives were like.”  Don

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/virtual-vip-tour-of-george-washingtons-mount-vernon-featuring-new-jersey-h-tickets-135998121041?aff=QRcode Use the above if the QR code on the poster doesn’t work

  Lunch & Learn: Online monthly speaker series!    "MATES: Scientists in Training" When: Wednesday, February 10th, 2021 (12:30 PM-1:30 PM) Presenters: Students from the Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Science   Register  here .

  Women’s Wilderness Empowerment Winter Experience: Intro to Archery Thompson Park, Activity Barn 805 Newman Springs Rd, Lincroft, NJ 07738 Wed, Feb 10, 2021, 10:00 AM-12:30 PM (adults) Experience the outdoors in an environment supported by your fellow womankind. Choose from the adventures listed here to achieve your goals, move beyond your fears, gain self-confidence and make new friends. Stick around after each adventure for coffee and a snack provided by the Monmouth County Park System. Register a friend and receive a discount! One Session $30.00 Per Person $25.00 Additional Person

Wondrous Winter Walks @ Clayton Park Clayton Park, Emley's Hill Parking Lot 161 Emley's Hill Rd, Cream Ridge, NJ 08514 Wednesday, February 10, 2021, from 10:00-11:30 AM  (all ages, under 18 with adult) Nature walks are like snowflakes, each one is unique in its own way. Tag along with a Park Naturalist as you explore the serenity that is nature in the wintertime. Please wear appropriate Winter clothes and sturdy footwear.  

 

Casual Birder @ Dorbrook Recreation Area Dorbrook Recreation Area, Soccer Field Parking Area 353 Route 537, Colts Neck, NJ 07722 Tuesday, February 9, 2021, at 9:00 AM (ages 8 and up, under 18 with adult) Join a Park System Naturalist for a leisurely walk on well-maintained trails in our parks. We will explore a different park each session as we discuss seasonal points of interest, search for signs of wildlife and identify a bird or two. This is a free 1 1/2-2 hour program, but feel free to join in or drop out at any point during the walk. Dress for the weather as light rain and snow are not deterrents. Hit the trails with us at 9:00 AM  

  Virtual Tour of the Hidden Archives Monday, February 8 @ 7pm Online—Virtual Tour Presented by: Sarah Kiefer, RPL Local History Librarian Take a virtual backstage tour of the Ridgewood Public Library's hidden gems with Local History Librarian Sarah Kiefer. In this rare opportunity, you'll get a glimpse at what the Bolger Heritage Center has to offer. Learn how to research your home, find information on your ancestors, and gain insight on the history of Ridgewood. In addition, you'll get a chance to view our newly restored Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps, thanks to a grant funded by the Bergen County Cultural & Historic Preservation Committee. Registration required.  http://engagedpatrons.org/EventsExtended.cfm?SiteID=5615&EventID=421604 Webinar login instructions will be sent closer to the date of the class.

  Bergen Roots—Part Five: Dutch Reformed Church Records Monday, 8 February @ 2pm (EST) Free Online Presentation—All are Welcome! Presenter: Maria "Ree" Hopper Join us as we talk about all things Bergen County! Over this series of sessions, we will dive into County-specific topics, history, and resources with the experts, historians, and genealogists who know Bergen County, New Jersey, best. REGISTER:  https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/3789053819134852364 Any level of question—from beginner to expert—is welcome. We will try to answer as may as we can and may follow up with you after the session to help. We will field questions during the sessions but you can also present a question to us in advance via this form. This will allow us to do some research before the event and your question will be at the top of the list!  https://forms.gle/uESrVsHxygQATzR79

Sunday,  February 7 Black Tom Island Historical Panel Virtual Program Art House presents a radio play of Martin Casella’s  Black Tom Island . A free virtual panel discussion about the actual historical event will take place on Sunday at 3:00 pm on Zoom. Free advance registration is required.  CLICK HERE TO REGISTER The panel will feature Dr. Libby O'Connell Chief Historian Emeritus at the History Channel, Janet Akhtarshenas of Liberty State Park, John Beekman from the Jersey City Public Library, and Dr. Timothy R. White of New Jersey City University, along with playwright Martin Casella and director Darren Lee. Attendees are encouraged to listen to the podcast before attending the panel.  Listen to the podcast  →  Black Tom Island Radio Play Based on an actual incident that took place in Jersey City in 1916, Black Tom Island explores the first documented terrorist attack on American soil through the lens of a fictionalized Slovak immigrant and his wife who may or may not be involve

  Sunday, February 7 -- Virtual Congressman Andy Kim Invited to OCHS Presentation We are honored to have a tentative commitment from Congressman Kim, representing residents in most of Burlington County and parts of Ocean County, to speak virtually about his public service career under both Democrats and Republicans. He served at USAID, the Pentagon, the State Department, the White House National Security Council, and in Afghanistan as an advisor to Generals Petraeus and Allen. We are particularly interested in his past Middle East experiences, with a possible drawdown of US troops about to occur in Iraq and Afghanistan. Make a list of questions you have for Rep. Kim! As soon as we receive confirmation of Rep. Kim’s new committee assignments and schedule for 2021, we will confirm the planned presentation of  February 7, 2021, at 2:00 PM via Zoom.  Sign up for this informative program by emailing your  name, zip code, email address  and  Congressman Kim program  to  oceancounty.history@v