A little history and coming events The New Jersey Archives tells us that on July 2, 1776, "New Jersey became the fourth American colony to adopt a constitution declaring independence from Great Britain. It was composed in five days and although the delegates considered it a temporary charter, it remained New Jersey's state constitution for sixty-eight years."(1) Earlier in the year, New Jersey was divided on whether Independence was a good idea. After much wrangling, the loya

Stop by our display case at the Mercer County Library - Hopewell Branch to see memorabilia from 1976 (some of us remember it well!) What a different kind of celebration that was. The display is made possible thanks to the family of the late H. David Earling, project director of the NJ Bicentennial Commission, for the loan of unique artifacts & memorabilia. The Commission began in 1974 and concluded in 1983. When it was over, the Commission gave money back to the state! And to

Coming July 8th. Register today! In 1782, as the American War drew to its close, a musician in the 42nd Highland Regiment serving with the British Army in North America made a decision that would change his life entirely. He deserted. Within the decade, James Ewing was a teacher and pastor in New Jersey. Speaker Josh Mason will trace Ewing's remarkable journey as a way into the hidden world of British military bands: privately funded, little understood, and far more human tha

The original message, kept below, has been updated. What immediately follows is the latest from WCPA-NJ as of July 1, 2026 Final details are in for July 4th at Washington Crossing State Park: At 9 AM, Park Naturalist Joe Moore will lead a 4th of July Hike on Continental Lane. The Titusville 4th of July parade will be taking place on River Drive from 10am-1:30pm. Click for the full schedule! THERE WILL BE NO SNEAK PEEK OF THE NEW MUSEUM’S INTERIOR. Park staff will feature Livi

Wednesday, July 15 ~ 6:30 - 8:30 pm at the Hopewell Presbyterian Church or on Zoom

Plucked from the Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum newsletter (We are having a morning of reading our partners' newsletters!) Ways for you to follow them are here. Juneteenth! Also, SSAAM's astoundingly beautiful exhibit, The Head That Wears the Crown is returning this summer! Copied from their newsletter: "We're pleased to share that The Head That Wears the Crown: Black Women's Headwear from Slavery to Freedom is returning to SSAAM this summer. Visitors will once a

Learn about Wellington Titus and the Hopewell Valley's contribution to baseball! June 17 ~ 7pm at the Hopewell Presbyterian Church or on Zoom

For several years, a new musical has been in development based on the experiences of ordinary people during the famous December 1776 crossing by Washington's troops. It is almost here and is expected to debut at the Trenton War Memorial in December. But Hopewell Valley - the crossroads of the crossroads of the Revolution - has the opportunity for a sneak peak. Get your tickets now for a concert-style presentation of the new musical The Crossing, which will appear one day onl

We had so much fun at our book release/anniversary party on Sunday, May 31! Our book Stories of Hopewell Valley, Celebrating 50 years of the Hopewell Valley Historical Society is here and we celebrated its release and our anniversary with a packed crowd of supporters last weekend! The big, beautiful book is a compilation of many of the newsletter articles published about Hopewell Valley history during the 50 years the Society has been in existence, with new content in chap

Happy May Day! We at the Hopewell Valley Historical Society are so excited for all the things that we and our partners will be bringing you in the coming months! Of course, first of all is our big Anniversary Party on May 31st! (the weekend after Memorial Day). We love Mercer County’s Hopewell Valley Golf Club for a party so we will be there once again with fun, food, a keynote speech by Trustee Larry Kidder, a HV trivia game, and the opportunity to visit with friends and

Titusville ~ Along the River and Up the Hill Yard Sale Saturday May 2 2026, 8 am – 2 pm

Come visit the Hopewell Valley Historical Society’s new photo exhibit at Mercer County Library - Hopewell Branch. This celebration of spring features lambs, flowers, streams, horses, and one ornery goose. All photography by Kim Robinson. Stop by on a Monday or Friday afternoon and you also can see the HVHS archive volunteers in action. For more information, contact us at info@hopewellvalleyhistory.org

Join us at the Mercer County Library - Hopewell Branch to view photos of life at Titusville Elementary in the mid 20th century. Open every day the library is open April 20 - May 29, 2026. For a deep dive, don't miss Katie Chase's talk about the exhibit and the entire HVHS archival collection on May 6th at 7pm. We particularly invite people who were students at Titusville Elementary to help us identify the subjects of the photos! Registration for the in person talk is require

News for March from the Hopewell Valley Historical Society

Celebrate the 250th anniversary year with Nancy B. Kennedy, whose illustrated talk, "This Sacred Soil," tells the often overlooked story of women in Revolutionary times. Wednesday, April 8 ~ 7 - 8:30 pm Hopewell Presbyterian Church, Fellowship Hall, 80 W Broad St., Hopewell, NJ 08525

As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution and War of Independence, most celebrations will promote understanding of major events and the places they occurred. However, it is also important to understand how ordinary people experienced life in those revolutionary times.

News for February from the Hopewell Valley Historical Society

HVHS Board Member Kim Robinson's photography exhibit "A Winter Fowl" now on display at Mercer County Library - Hopewell Branch.

Register now for 2/11 event! Ian Burrow will talk about research he has done over the years on how the Revolution was viewed in Britain at the time. There were voices raised in support of the American cause, as well as stereotypically hostile views of “those damn’d Rebels,” and some courageous acts of resistance to British policy.

So, next month, we will put our events and our partners' events on the same post, but it's a new year and we're just getting started! So check out this fun schedule of history events for January presented by by people and organizations HVHS partners with: Tomorrow: Friday, January 9 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. Donations: $20 adults, $5 children under age 12. Princeton Junior School, 3270 Lawrenceville Road, Princeton, NJ 08540, 609-924-8126. The author will autograph and inscribe copi