2021 Programs
Dec. 1, 2021
​​Nov. 7, 2021
Sept. 19, 2021
Aug. 26, 2021
Aug. 11, 2021
July 29, 2021
June 10, 2021
May 26, 2021
May 22 - 31, 2021
May 19, 2021
April 15, 2021
March 25, 2021
Feb. 10, 2021
Jan. 21, 2021​
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July 2021
June 2021​
April 2021
Hopewell Train Stations: History and Art - Doug Dixon - VIDEO
Cemetery Journeys - Cheryl Jackson​ - VIDEO
HVHS Annual Meeting - Additions to Historic Houses - Eric Holtermann - VIDEO
Women's Equality Day Celebration Event - Nancy B. Kennedy
More Than a Myth: Penelope Stout - Jeanne Vloyanetes - VIDEO
Howell Farm: History & Heritage - Larry Kidder - VIDEO
Industrial Hopewell: Railroad Place - Doug Dixon - VIDEO
The Mercer & Somerset Story - and the Frog War - John Kilbride - VIDEO
Hopewell Valley Heritage Week​
The Bottling Industry of Central N. J. - Jerry Pevahouse - VIDEO
Documenting and Mapping Historic Cemeteries - Hunter Research
The Rescue of Trenton Transit #288 - J.R. May​ - VIDEO
Joseph Bonaparte's Point Breeze Estate - Richard Veit - VIDEO
Revolutionary Princeton 1774-1783 - Larry Kidder - VIDEO
Other News & Events
Hopewell Train Stations: History and Art - Presented by Douglas Dixon, Hopewell Valley History Project
Hopewell Public Library "Wednesday Night Out" Lecture Series - Co-sponsored by the Hopewell Valley Historical Society and The Hopewell Museum
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The Hopewell and Pennington train stations not only are historic National Register-listed properties, but they also are iconic symbols of our communities. Built in 1876, these stations served over 20 trains a day between Philadelphia and New York in the heyday of the railroads, before sinking into disrepair with the decline of railroad traffic into the 1980s. But the stations have since been reborn, as a private residence in Pennington and as a community park and gathering place in Hopewell Borough.
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In this presentation, Doug Dixon will present a visual history of these train stations, illustrating their story with photographs and artwork. This talk will celebrate both the history of the railroads in the Hopewell area, and the photographers and artists who captured these past moments for us.
Meet the artists and families: Come early at 6:30 pm to chat with local artists Ken McIndoe and Jerry Cable, and the families of Sal Asaro and E. B. Walden (Gray’s Watercolors).​
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About the speaker: Doug Dixon is an independent technology consultant and writer, now morphed into a history enthusiast. He is a board member of the Hopewell Museum and the Hopewell Valley Historical Society. Over the past few years, Doug has developed the Hopewell Valley History Project (HopewellHistoryProject.org), which is working with many local contributors to collect and freely share digital copies of local historical materials to aid research into Hopewell area people and places.
As a software technologist, Doug specializes in Web technology, databases, and digital media. He has consulted to the Aberdeen Test Center doing large data testing and visualization, and previously was a product manager and software developer at Intel and Sarnoff. He has authored four books on digital media, published hundreds of feature articles, and presented over a hundred seminars and talks.
Hopewell Public Library "Wednesday Night Out" Lecture Series
Co-sponsored by the Hopewell Valley Historical Society and The Hopewell Museum
Cemetery Journeys: Understanding Local Cemeteries and Gravestones - Presented by Cheryl Jackson, Cemetery Photographer
Many think of cemeteries as forbidden places. They are actually quiet, peaceful places and outdoor art museums full of history. Not only the history of the individuals buried there, but also the surrounding community.
Cheryl Jackson will discuss how her passion grew from taking photos of cemeteries to researching, reading and sometimes writing about the places she visits. She is not a professional on the subject by any means, but shows how a simple hobby turned into something of an obsession.​
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Cheryl will explain some of the things she has
Harbourton Cemetery and the Second Baptist Church in the fog
learned along her cemetery journeys. One of the first books she bought on cemeteries was on art and symbolism. Cheryl will show various gravestone examples along with their meanings, both local and outside of the community. She will also show some examples of some local colonial stone carver masters and of local stone cutting companies. She will touch on the local cemeteries here in Hopewell Township, and dig a little deeper into some of them. View Flyer
About The Speaker: Cheryl Jackson has been a Titusville resident for most of her life. She is a studio manager and graphic designer by profession, but her true love has always been photography. In 2012, Cheryl started photographing what some would deem unusual subject matter – cemeteries, vintage dolls and abandoned places. She was really drawn to cemetery photography though, trying to get a different/unique shot. When she was young, she would run around trying to find the oldest stone. She quickly started doing research on the cemeteries she visited, reading up on the art and symbolism, the type of stones and even the carvers.
2021 Annual Meeting of the HVHS - Additions to Historic Houses: Respecting History and Accommodating Modern Life - Presentation on the 1765 Jermiah Woolsey House addition by Eric Holterman
​​HVHS Annual Meeting and Election of Officers and Trustees. The public is welcome to attend. Members will vote on HVHS business, followed by presentation of HV History Awards and program by Eric Holterman.
2021 History awards
Mazaros Award
HVHS President Catherine Granzow and WCPA President Annette Earling
Touring the Woolsey house
Mazaros Award
​​Bob Meszaros and his late wife, Carol, were recognized with the David Blackwell Distinguished Service Award for their many years of service and countless contributions to the Hopewell Valley history community (accepted by Richard Hunter).
William W. Farkas, founder of the Washington Crossing Park Association, was recognized with the William L. Kidder Public History Award (accepted by Association President Annette Earling).
The Washington Crossing Park Association Education Committee also was recognized with the William L. Kidder Public History Award (accepted by Stanley Saperstein).
Program
Life in the 21st century is very different from life in the 18th and 19th centuries, even in Hopewell Valley. Today, people want media rooms, charging stations and Pelotons - but they also want to preserve and restore the historic homes that contribute so much to the heritage of their communities. Eric Holtermann will discuss how these beloved historic structures can be appropriately and respectfully adapted for modern life.
Holtermann is the architect behind the design for the addition to the historic 1765 Jeremiah Woolsey house, now the home of the Granzow family. At the end of the Annual Meeting, the Granzows will lead in-person attendees on a tour of the house. Click to download presentation.
About the Speaker: Eric Holtermann is a principal at HMR Architects in Princeton, NJ, where he has worked on both new and historic projects for over 20 years. Prior to moving to Pennington in 1999, he was an associate at Platt Byard Dovell Architects in New York City. At HMR, his projects have included The Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms in Parsippany, The Loew’s Jersey Theatre in Jersey City, and Historic Rockingham in Kingston NJ. He also has completed many local residential projects, most within historic contexts.
​In 2010 Eric worked closely with the Pennington Borough Council to draft a Master Plan Element and subsequent Historic Preservation Ordinance. This regulatory ordinance, which passed by a single vote, was specifically written to discourage demolition and preserve pre-war structures within the new Pennington Crossroads Historic District. In the 10 years that he has served as chair of the Historic Preservation Commission, the ordinance has prevented the demolition of at least 10 historic houses in the district.
Women's Equality Day Celebration Event
On Thursday, August 26, join the Hopewell Public Library, the Hopewell Valley Historical Society, and The Hopewell Museum in celebrating Women’s Equality Day. This year marks the 101st anniversary of the 19th Amendment that guaranteed American women the right to vote!
We'll be gathering on the grounds of the Hopewell train station from 5 to 6 p.m. for a fun family-oriented program that includes:
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A mini-play with audience participation that tells the story of the suffrage fight through the words of eight historical characters
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Dramatic short readings of historic suffrage victory speeches
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Refreshments, giveaways, and door prizes
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Crafts and activities for children
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Displays of suffrage artifacts
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Photos of local and state suffrage activism
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Local author Nancy B. Kennedy will be on hand to rally the crowd. Her children's book, Women Win the Vote! 19 for the 19th Amendment, will be available for purchase in support of the museum.
Julie Blake and Courtney Peters-Manning; Deb Stuhler and Samara McAuliffe; Catherine Chandler and Stanley Saperstein
Town Crier Stanley Saperstein will open the program. Voicing historic characters during the program will be Hopewell Township Mayor Julie Blake, Deputy Mayor Courtney Peters-Manning, Pennington Borough Council President Kit Chandler, and Hopewell Borough Councilmembers Deb Stuhler and Samara McAuliffe.
Mark your calendars for this fun celebration of the historic victory that finally made women equal citizens in our nation's democracy!
​Nancy B. Kennedy's book, Women Win the Vote! 19 for the 19th Amendment, was released in 2020 in time to celebrate the 100th anniversary of women winning the right to vote. Alas, the global pandemic overshadowed the centennial, just as in 1918 the Spanish flu raged across the nation, blocking women's progress as they fought on for the19th Amendment. But the celebration continues! Visit Nancy's website at for more information. Click to view flyer.
​Co-sponsored by the Hopewell Public Library, the Hopewell Valley Historical Society, and The Hopewell Museum.
Suffragettes celebrating after the passage of the 19th Amendment
More Than a Myth – In Appreciation of Penelope Stout - presentation by Jeanne M. Vloyanetes
Penelope Stout is claimed as the “Mother of Monmouth” and the “Mother of Middletown.” Her 17th century arrival and settlement in the New World is the stuff of legend – shipwrecked, attacked by Indians, saved by Indians, arrival in Dutch New Amsterdam, and finally the establishment of a new life in Middletown, N. J. with husband Richard Stout and fellow English settlers under the Monmouth Patent in 1665.
Over the generations, Penelope’s story has gained mythic proportions. The details of the savage attack upon her by Native Americans and her miraculous survival followed by a thriving life are incredible. How could Penelope survive being half-scalped and partially eviscerated along with serious injuries to her shoulder and arm? Did Penelope Stout really go on to bear ten children and live to the age of 110? Will historical evidence ever definitively prove or disprove these claims? Does it matter?
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The Stout name bears witness to her progeny far beyond Middletown into other New Jersey and nationwide locations. Penelope’s story as “mythistory” is a compelling one as we appreciate her role in the American enterprise.
Jeanne M. Vloyanetes joined the faculty at Brookdale Community
College in 1983. For many years she served as a librarian providing
reference services, research instruction, and collection development
in the areas of history, social sciences, the College Archives, and
New Jerseyana. In 2016 she became a full-time member of
Brookdale’s history department teaching courses in both world
civilizations and American civilization. Jeanne holds a Bachelor's
degree in Classics from Douglass College, a Master's degree in
library service from Rutgers University, and a Master's degree in
history from Monmouth University. Her history interests are eclectic.
During recent years she has researched the Long Walls of classical
Athens and the Woodstock Music and Art Festival of 1969 for
presentations and museum exhibits. As a Jersey girl, local history will always have a special place in her heart.
Co-sponsored by the Hopewell Valley Historical Society, The Hopewell Museum, and the Hopewell Branch of the Mercer County Library.
​​Click for Flyer
Penelope Stout medallion by sculptor Don De Lue, 1970s
Howell Farm: Its History and Heritage - presentation by Larry Kidder
Larry Kidder, farm historian and longtime volunteer, will tell the remarkable story behind the Howell Living History Farm, a free Mercer County Park Commission facility where people of all ages can experience life on a full-scale working farm representing rural agricultural life about 1890-1910.
Mr. Kidder will talk about the history of the farm and its Pleasant Valley neighborhood and the inception and evolution of its mission as a public park. In many ways the farm is a time capsule, and this talk will assist visitors to see remnants of the past still visible to the inquiring eye.
This talk reveals the nearly 300-year story of changing agriculture and rural life in central New Jersey through true stories of men, women, and children associated with the farm. An essential part of the narrative is the story of enslavement and abolition in New Jersey, as it affected the lives of Black people associated with the farm.​Join us for this special 45-minute presentation, with additional time for audience questions, to learn how Howell Farm works to preserve the past and educate future generations. This event is co-sponsored by the Mercer County Library and the Mercer County Park Commission.​
Industrial Hopewell: The Growth of Railroad Place - An Online Virtual Tour - "Trains, Tomatoes, and Chocolates" presentation by Doug Dixon
The arrival of two railroads in the 1870s spurred the growth of the towns of Hopewell and Pennington, as more convenient transportation brought greater opportunities for residents and businesses. But local boosters in Hopewell also saw a greater opportunity, and invested in developing Railroad Place as an industrial district that could support larger-scale manufacturing to provide more jobs and stronger growth.
In this online version of his historical walking tour, Doug Dixon of the Hopewell Valley History Project explores turn-of-the century Railroad Place as an open industrial area crisscrossed with railway spurs serving multiple factories and freight businesses.
We’ll investigate the sometimes convoluted history of the larger industrial buildings that have been passed down to us from that era, including the Chocolate Factory (manufacturing bon-bons for 25 years), the Tomato Factory (canning tomatoes for 55 years), J. B. Hill’s (coal and then lumber for over a century), and Rockwell Manufacturing (back to Smith Novelty in the early 1900s). And we’ll discover other lesser-known stories, some missing from today’s landscape, including a shirt factory, vibrator company, farmers’ co-op, ice cream factory, and bobbin and spool factory.
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​Additional References - including the tour handout, more detailed briefs on the individual properties, associated slide shows, and related Hopewell Museum videos
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Associated slide show - Industrial Hopewell - Railroad Place - Then & Now
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Transportation slide show - Transportation in the Valley - Hopewell Valley Heritage Week
(Use the playback controls to Pause, Play, or step to Previous/Next at any time)
Doug Dixon is an independent technology consultant and writer, now morphed into a history enthusiast. Doug is a board member of the Hopewell Museum, the Hopewell Valley Historical Society, and Heritage Week. In the past few years, he has developed the Hopewell Valley History Project (HopewellHistoryProject.org), which is working with many local contributors to collect and share digital copies of local historical materials – now with over 400 documents and maps, 1800 images, and an interactive historical map of Hopewell.
As a software technologist, Doug specializes in Web technology, databases, and digital media. He has consulted to the Aberdeen Test Center doing large data testing and visualization, and previously was a product manager and software developer at Intel and Sarnoff. He has authored four books on digital media, published hundreds of feature articles, and presented over a hundred seminars and talks.
Co-sponsored by the Hopewell Valley Historical Society, The Hopewell Museum, the Hopewell Public Library, and the Hopewell Branch of the Mercer County Library.
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​​​​​​HVHS Archives Reopen - June 2021
The Hopewell Valley Historical Society is pleased to announce the reopening of our archives on Friday, June 4. Located at the Hopewell Township branch of the Mercer County, we will be available on Fridays from noon to 4pm. Space in the room is limited. Please email research requests in advance of your visit. This will allow us to gather your materials for review at a reading room table. ​Please comply with all safety rules mandated by the library. We look forward to seeing you soon!
The Mercer & Somerset Story - and the Frog War presented by John Kilbride
The Daily Graphic, New York, Mon., Jan. 10, 1876, courtesy NY Public Library
John Kilbride will present the history and legacy of the Mercer & Somerset Railroad, an obscure, rural, central New Jersey line that became famous not for its trains, but for its fate as a Pennsylvania Railroad proxy in the 1876 “Frog War.” John will cover the history of the line, its role in the Hopewell skirmish, and its decline and abandonment in 1881.
Although the M&S was abandoned more than a century and a quarter ago, John will show examples of numerous portions of its right of way through the Hopewell Valley, and several surviving structures which remain as its legacy.
Additional Resources:
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References, including John Kilbride's article, The Mercer & Somerset and a Frog War - Post with the article referenced in the presentation (on the Hopewell Valley History Project site). Also includes bonus follow-up on some of the questions from the presentation - with examples of frogs in Hopewell, and details on where the M&S lines were in Hopewell.
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Jack Koeppel's article from the HVHS Newsletter (PDF) - Traces the M&S route up Jacobs Creek Road through Pennington and Hopewell (from the Hopewell Valley Historical Society).
He has started research on a book focusing on the electrification of the Long Island Railroad, and another on N. J.'s Camden & Amboy (C&A) Railroad. He is also involved with the “Save The (Princeton) Dinky” group, and advising local historians on specific historical aspects of both the C&A and the Pennsylvania Railroad in New Jersey. A frequent speaker in the Tri-State area, Kilbride is able to provide programs on a variety of railroad topics, from the C&A up to more contemporary themes. He seeks to travel by train whenever possible!!!
Co-sponsored by the Hopewell Valley Historical Society, The Hopewell Museum, the Hopewell Public Library, and the Pennington Public Library. This event is part of Hopewell Valley Heritage Week, May 22 - 31, 2021, celebrating the rich heritage of the Hopewell Valley with a full week of events.
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​Now retired from a 34-year (Amtrak) railroad career, John Kilbride is the moderator of the Camden & Amboy Railroad Historians and Railroads of Trenton Facebook groups, and has been studying the C&A since moving to New Jersey in 1979.
Kilbride remains interested in historical research and writing on railroad topics, including a just-published article on a unique passenger train for a national publication, and contributing several photos to a Midwest railroad-themed book.
Hopewell Valley Heritage Week
Hopewell Valley Heritage Week is back, May 22 - 31, 2021, celebrating the rich heritage of the Hopewell Valley with a full week of events, some virtual and others outdoors.
Hopewell Valley Heritage Weekend has morphed into Hopewell Valley Heritage Week. This year’s theme is Trains, Planes & Automobiles - American Indian to Modern Day Transportation in Hopewell Valley.
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​Transportation slide show - Transportation in the Valley - Hopewell Valley Heritage Week 2021
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Associated slide show - Industrial Hopewell - Railroad Place - Then & Now
​(Use the playback controls to Pause, Play, or step to Previous/Next at any time)
History of the Bottling Industry of Central N. J., 1840 Through Prohibition - presnted by Jerry Pevahouse
Jerry Pevahouse will talk about the local bottling and brewing business. This includes the history of local immigration and the contributions of early German and Irish immigrants, then later Italian, Eastern European and Jewish immigrants. Many became prominent local businessmen. Jerry will also discuss the bottling business which evolved over a hundred-year period from a low tech to a high tech industry.
Artist, photographer, and collector Jerry Pevahouse ran a computer consulting company, Cranbury Micro Support, Inc. of Cranbury, NJ from 1990 until 2018. Jerry was a Museum curator for the Cranbury Historical Society, and researched Cranbury’s Civil War history which is now part of the N. J. State Archives reference collection. He is a long-time collector of antique bottles, and has comprehensively researched the history of the bottling industry of Trenton, N. J.
Co-sponsored by the Hopewell Valley Historical Society and The Hopewell Museum with the Hopewell Branch of the Mercer County Library​.
Who Lies Where?​ Documenting and Mapping Historic Cemeteries - presented by Jim Lee and Alexis Alemy of Hunter Research
Jim Lee and Alexis Alemy of Hunter Research
Have you ever had trouble navigating a cemetery to the graveside of a loved one? Or were just curious about who was buried where in a cemetery jam-packed with old gravestones? Jim Lee and Alexis Alemy of Hunter Research will demonstrate cutting edge methods currently being used to document and map historic burial grounds drawing on studies of a series of abandoned Methodist cemeteries across New Jersey. In addition, this same methodology has been applied to documenting graves in the well maintained Pennington African Cemetery.
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Jim and Alexis will present the preferred techniques for surveying, recording and
photographing grave markers on the ground and explain the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (aka UAVs or drones)and geographic information system (GIS) technology to organize and process cemetery data into an interactive mapping format that can guide you to the grave of your choosing at your desktop or on your mobile phone.
Jim Lee, Vice President and Principal Archaeologist at Hunter Research, a Trenton-based historic preservation and cultural resource management consulting firm, specializes in the excavation and recording of cemeteries, canals, house sites and many other types of historic properties. He resides at an inclined plane tender’s house on the Morris Canal near Phillipsburg.
Alexis Alemy, Archaeologist at Hunter Research, is a recent graduate of the Master’s program in archaeology at Monmouth University. Expert in the study of human remains, she spent much of 2018-19 retrieving and analyzing several hundred skeletons from the Halsey Street Methodist Episcopal cemetery in Newark and has more recently been excavating burials at the Randolph Friends Meeting House cemetery in Morris County.
Co-sponsored by the Hopewell Valley Historical Society and The Hopewell Museum with the Pennington Public Library. Click for Flyer
April 2021 - The Hopewell Valley Historical Society (HVHS) has joined with the Washington Crossing Card Collectors Club (WC4) to produce a historic postcard celebrating the life of Carol Meszaros for her dedicated service over the past half century as a volunteer and board member for both organizations.
The postcard is from the collection of Bob and Carol Meszaros, and shows the canal bridge in Titusville in c. 1907, with the hand annotation "P.R.R. Station and Canal Bridge, Titusville, N. J."
The card is being distributed to the members of the two organizations, and is available for free at multiple locations throughout the Hopewell Valley, including the Hopewell Branch of the Mercer County Library in Pennington, the Pennington Public Library, the Hopewell Public Library, the Boro Bean coffee shop in Hopewell, Hopewell Borough Hall, and the Titusville Post Office.
Please enjoy this snapshot of local history, and feel free to use the postcard to write a note to share with family and friends.
Carol and Bob Meszaros
Trolley Car in the House: The Rescue of Trenton Transit #288 - presentation by J.R. May
J.R. May will describe the Trenton Trolley #288 Project. This trolley was found embedded in a Hamilton home that was being demolished. It was rescued and is in the process of being restored. The program will include information about finding the car, the history of the car, moving the car, efforts to develop drawings of the missing elements of the car, and opportunities for the public to volunteer to assist with the effort. The talk will also mention inspiration and experience gained from the restoration of a Pennsylvania RR 1915 N6b caboose, or “cabin car” which, like the 288, is a wood body on a steel frame. Liberty Historic Railway (LHRy) is now looking for a large indoor space where they can work on the restoration of the trolley car.
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View slides from J. R. May's presentation. J.R. May has a longstanding commitment to the history of railway and trolley transportation. He has volunteered for the New Jersey Museum of Transportation (NJMT) in various capacities since 1972, working on a range of acquisitions,
restoration projects, and hands-on operating and maintenance activities, and serving as Chairman of the Board of NJMT from 2000 to 2004. Since that time he has worked personally on the acquisition and restoration of several steam locomotives and a caboose, most recently with Liberty Historic Railway, Inc., which saved Trenton Transit Co. #288 during the demolition of a house where it was discovered. He is currently part of the effort to restore the trolley car to its original state.
Mr. May is president of Melvin M. May Associates, Inc. of Manasquan, NJ, and serves on several professional organization boards. He lives in Wall Township, NJ with his wife Patti.
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Co-sponsored by the Hopewell Valley Historical Society and The Hopewell Museum with the Hopewell Branch of the Mercer County Library. Click for Flyer
"A Monument to Fallen Royalty":​ Rediscovering Joseph Bonaparte's Point Breeze Estate - presentation by Richard Veit
Recent archaeological excavations in Bordentown, New Jersey have unearthed the remains of Joseph Bonaparte’s palatial estate, Point Breeze. Joseph, the elder brother of Napoleon Bonaparte and former King of Spain and Naples, fled to the United States in 1815. He lived in New Jersey from 1816 until 1839. During this period he built two palatial homes, laid out a 1900-acre picturesque landscape, and acted as an unofficial cultural attaché. His home was a center for French refugees in America. His library and art collections were the largest in the country. At Point Breeze, he entertained many of the leading intellectuals, politicians, artists, and military figures of the day. Bonaparte’s passion was landscape architecture, and on his property he created one of the first purposefully-designed picturesque landscapes in America. Archaeological excavations have revealed the remains of Joseph’s first mansion and recovered an intriguing collection of artifacts that provide a unique glimpse of the lifestyles of the rich and famous in 19th century New Jersey.
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Richard Veit, Ph.D. is Professor of Anthropology and Associate Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Monmouth University. Rich is a North American historical archaeologist whose research focuses on the Middle Atlantic Region between the late 17th and early 19th centuries. His work focuses on commemoration, symbolism, vernacular architecture, and military sites archaeology. He has authored or co-authored numerous articles and reviews and eight books including Digging New Jersey’s Past: Historical Archaeology in the Garden State (Rutgers Press 2002), New Jersey Cemeteries and Tombstones History in the Landscape (co-authored by Mark Nonestied, Rutgers Press 2008), and New Jersey: A History of the Garden State (co-authored with Maxine Lurie, Rutgers Press 2012). In 2007 he was the recipient of Monmouth University’s distinguished teacher award. He regularly presents on topics relating to historical archaeology and New Jersey history and has been a TED speaker.​
Co-sponsored by the Hopewell Valley Historical Society and The Hopewell Museum with the Pennington Public Library.
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​The D&R Greenway has recently announced the preservation of 60 acres of the Point Breeze Estate as open space - see Winter 2020 Newsletter
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See New York Times article on the preservation of Point Breeze
Revolutionary Princeton 1774-1783:​ The Biography of an American Town in the Heart of a Civil War - presentation by Larry Kidder
The story of Princeton between 1774 and 1783 is a microcosm of the struggles faced by ordinary Americans during the Revolution, struggles intensified by Princeton’s geographic location within the State which saw more military activity than most and on a road constantly used to move troops and their supplies. Life in Princeton connected to just about every aspect of the Revolution. The stories of people who lived in Princeton, or who spent time there because of the Revolution, helps us better understand the hitherto untold importance of this town beyond the one, well-known, day of battle.
This case study of a small New Jersey town located at the crossroads of the Revolution reveals the very human consequences, costs, and benefits of the war experienced by “ordinary” people.
Larry Kidder is a retired history teacher who taught for 40 years, including 32 years at
The Hun School of Princeton. He is a graduate of Allegheny College (BA 1967, MS 1969) and served four years in the US Navy. Larry has been a volunteer historian and historical interpreter for the Howell Living History Farm in Hopewell for over 30 years and is a member of the board of the Princeton Battlefield Society where he focuses on educational programs and battlefield tours. He is a past president of the Hopewell Valley Historical Society and has served on the board for many years. The author of two books on rural New Jersey history and three on aspects of the American Revolution in Mercer County, Larry is a frequent speaker throughout New Jersey. He has also been a presenter at conferences on the American Revolution in Pennsylvania, Virginia, and New York. For more of Larry's projects and books, visit his website.
Co-sponsored by the Hopewell Valley Historical Society and The Hopewell Museum.
The talk is based on Mr. Kidder’s research for his recent book of the same title, Revolutionary Princeton, 1774-1783: The Biography of an American Town in the Heart of a Civil War (The Knox Press). Find the book on Amazon.com.