HVHS Collections

The Hopewell Valley Historical Society archives are located at the Hopewell Township branch of the Mercer County. We will be available on Fridays from noon to 4:45 pm. 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!
Note that the Mercer County Library is closed the following Fridays in 2024: March 29, June 21, and Nov. 29.

About the HVHS Collections

Collections
One of the most important aspects of the Hopewell Valley Historical Society's mission is collecting and preserving material related to Hopewell Valley's rich heritage.

The Hopewell Valley Historical Society's collections are housed at a research room in the Hopewell Township branch of the Mercer County Library system at 245 Pennington-Titusville Road, Pennington, NJ 08534 (next to the Hopewell Valley Central High School). The room is staffed on Fridays, from noon to 4:45 pm. If you would like to visit, or know more, please send an e-mail to [email protected] or leave a message at the reference desk of the library. The Society is grateful to the County and to the outstanding librarians and staff for accommodating us.

From time to time HVHS accepts donations from organizations who are de-accessioning items of historical interest from their collection, or have records pertaining to a club or group that operated within Hopewell Valley.

Below is a list of historical material from our collections that is available to the public for research. To inquire about these or other items , send e-mail to [email protected].

A Note on Genealogical Collections
The HVHS, founded in 1975 to promote and share our local history, does not focus on genealogy. Some other sources for genealogical research include:

The Hopewell Museum began acquiring genealogies and Bible records early in the Twentieth Century. Visit their website for information and research fees.
Other significant collections are available through the Genealogical Society of NJ and the New Jersey State Archives.
FamilySearch, created and maintained by The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints, hosts a large collection of genealogical records, available to the public by creating a free account.

Frisbie Photos

Acquisitions
The Hopewell Valley Historical Society collects, preserves, and makes accessible published and unpublished material on the history of the Hopewell Valley, from presettlement to today. We collect primary and secondary resources documenting the inhabitants, institutions, and communities of the Hopewell Valley.

Please contact us at [email protected] to discuss possible donations.

Pennington Directory 1927

Resources Available Through Hopewell Branch Library

Copies of the following resources are available directly through the circulation desk of the Hopewell Branch Library of the Mercer County Library System. All collections are available directly through the HVHS. See below for more details. The Mercer County Library also has a collection of New Jersey books.

Hopewell Herald / Hopewell Valley News - Available on microfilm, 1881- 2003
Hopewell Valley Township Maps - Copies of display maps for 1849, 1860, 1875, 1903 available for reference and for sale, showing property owners and business locations
Hopewell Valley Historical Society Newsletters - Complete set available, 1975, to date, with index
George H. Frisbie Photograph Collection - Photocopies of images of Pennington & vicinity, circa 1890-1910, with guide
Joab Titus Family Papers - Ac. 93.001 - Photocopies of papers, Elm Ridge Road & vicinity, with finding aid

Mercer County 1875

Frisbie Photos

Document Collections

Hopewell Herald / Hopewell Valley News - This collection, donated by the Princeton Packet, includes almost the entire run of the newspaper from 1879-1958. Micro-film copies available at the Hopewell Branch of the Mercer County Library in Pennington.
Hopewell Valley Maps - From 1849, 1860, 1876 & 1903, showing the names of many landowners and locations of businesses, etc. These maps are also available for sale. Please inquire at the Reference Desk.
Pennington and Pennington Road Directory 1927 - Names and addresses of all the residents at the time, as well as advertisements for many local businesses.
Hopewell Valley Historical Society Newsletters - Bound copies (1975-present), including partial index and guide. Many well researched articles on local history.
Alice Blackwell Lewis Collection - Group of historical items gathered by a legend of local history, Alice Blackwell Lewis. These include old letters, photographs, brochures, tickets, etc.
Pennington Kleio Club Archive - Consisting of news clippings, photographs, pamphlets and miscellaneous correspondence. Spans over one hundred years, from the founding of the organization in the early 1900s, to the early 2000s.
Alice Stout Bidwell Collection - Correspondence [1921-1939], photographs and drawings of Alice Stout Bidwell of Titusville, who worked as a graphic designer for the New Jersey State League of Municipalities. Also includes copy books, invitations and lively illustrations.

Pennington Klieo Club

Bidwell Photos

Photographic Collections

George Frisbie Photograph Collection - Approximately 800 4”x5” gelatin dry plate and film negatives, dating from about 1895-1920. Photographs feature street scenes of Pennington, family portraits, leisure activities in the outdoors, and houses. A small number of photographs are portraits of African American members of the Hopewell community. A partial index is available at the Historical Society. See the finding aid for more information.
Margaret J. O'Connell Photographs - Margaret O'Connell collected hundreds of photographs of Pennington from across its history while researching her book, Pennington Profile: A Capsule of State and Nation, published in 1966. See finding aid for more information.
Christopher Bannister Collection - Includes images from all over the Hopewell Valley from 1860 - 1925.
Michael A. Thomsen Collection - Reprinted photographs of Pennington Borough and vicinity dating primarily from 1946-1959. Thomsen grew up in Pennington and used these photographs in his memoir, "'Pop,' Sam and the Chief." See finding aid for a full description and index.
Postcard Collections - Historic postcards with Hopewell Valley scenes.
HVHS Calendars - The HVHS Calendar was published from 1986 to 1991, including special editions in 1990 and 1991 for the Pennington and Hopewell Centennials. These include selected photographs from the collections with historical commentary. Click to download previews of the calendars:
HVHS Calendars by Year (PDF): 1986 - 1987 - 1988 - 1989 - 1990 (Pennington) - 1991 (Hopewell)

Bannister Photos

Thomsen Photos

HVHS Calendars

Media Collections

Meeting Archives - Audio and video recordings of various HVHS presentations.
Oral History Recordings - Audio and video recordings of oral history interviews.
HVHS YouTube Channel - Featuring past HVHS Program Videos.

Family History Collections

Chatten Family Collection - This collection documents the Chatten family of Pennington, N.J. It consists of newspaper clippings, correspondence, and genealogical research. It includes documents relating to the military service, mayoral campaigns, and mayoral office of Chauncy Corwynne Chatten, Sr. See finding aid for more information.
Inez and Charles Howell Papers - A collection of primarily photographs, clippings, and correspondence collected by Inez Howell, in which she documented the political life of her husband, Charles Howell, and his position as Commissioner of Banking and Insurance of New Jersey. See finding aid for more information.
Joab Titus Collection - Binder containing photocopies of deeds, family and estate papers, centering on the Elm Ridge Road area of Hopewell Township, N.J. includes guide.
Ethel Hart Collection - This collection includes ephemera, bills, correspondence, and legal records primarily relating to the Hart family's residence at 117 South Main Street in Pennington, NJ. It also contains a medical log book by Dr. Edward L. Welling from 1888. There are turnpike records for the Hopewell and Ewing Turnpike (a portion of NJ 31) from the 1890s. See finding aid for more information.
Enoch Phillips and Ethel Hart Collection - The collection contains legal documents, property records, and notes relating to Enoch Phillips’ and Stephen Blackwell’s activities as executor of David Blackwell’s estate. Additional materials include 20th century records related to Augusta and Ethel Hart’s ownership of and residence in 117 South Main Street, Pennington, NJ. See finding aid for more information.
Caroline Woodward Family Collection - Includes Hunt and Woodward genealogies, guest book of the 1919 marriage of LeRoy V. Woodward to Helen E. Hunt, and a minute book [1947-1953] recording the social activities, excursions and projects of the Hopewell Township Older Youth. Young Donald Woodward was a founding member. Both he and Caroline served as mayors of Hopewell Township. Also includes photographs of the historic farm throughout the 20th century.
Woolsey Family Collection - Archival material from one of Hopewell Valley’s oldest families. The Woolsey family first settled here in the mid-1700s. Family members served with distinction in the Revolutionary War, Civil War and both World Wars. The items in this important collection include old photographs, land deeds, newspapers and a former Pennington mayor’s personal scrapbook.
CDs - Containing genealogy publications and census indexes for New Jersey and surrounding states. (Note: also make use of the library's New Jersey Collection which contains many of the important published works on the area.)

Titus Documents 1732

Woodward Collection