This Year's Past Programs - 2024
The Hopewell Valley Historical Society regularly sponsors community programs on local history, often in partnership with the Hopewell Museum. These programs typically are free and open to the public.
Recent 2024 Programs:
See also:
Recent 2024 Programs:
- May 18 - 27, 2024 - Hopewell Valley Heritage Week
- Fri., May 24, 2024 - A River Runs By It: How Hopewell’s geography influenced the American Revolution - Larry Kidder - VIDEO
- Wed., May 22, 2024 - Foursquares: An iconic American house of early 20th century Hopewell - Ian Burrow - VIDEO
- Sun., May 19, 2024 - HVHS Spring Social - Hopewell Valley Golf Club
- Wed., May 8, 2024 - St. Michael's Orphanage: A Visual History - Doug Dixon - VIDEO
- Wed., April 10, 2024 - The European Settlement of "Old Hopewell" - Joe Klett - CANCELLED
- Sun., March 24, 2024 - The Ghost Railroad of Hopewell Valley - Bob Lawless - VIDEO
- Mon., Feb. 5, 2024 - African Americans of Central New Jersey - Elaine Buck & Beverly Mills
See also:
Hopewell Valley Heritage Week
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Sat., May 18 - Mon., 27, 2024
Hopewell Valley Heritage Week is back, May 18 - 27, 2024, celebrating the rich heritage of the Hopewell Valley with a full week of events, some virtual and others outdoors.
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A River Runs By It:
Hopewell Township’s geography influenced how residents experienced the American Revolution
Presented by Larry Kidder
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Fri., May 24, 2024, 7 pm - Free and open to the public
- Attend in person at the First Presbyterian Church of Titusville - Or join online virtual presentation via Zoom -> Click here to register for online only Did you know that George Washington’s army spent most of the war in New Jersey where it was supplied by local farmers, including those of Hopewell Township, with farm products and other supplies to help keep it in the field. Each man in Hopewell between the ages of 16 and 50 struggled to do his regular full-time job, most were farmers, while also serving in the part-time militia, a duty that often took them away from Hopewell. The Delaware River, and Johnson’s Ferry, became involved in several key events involving local people, not just the very famous crossing. Later, Washington marched his army through Hopewell in June 1778 and held an important council of war, leading to the Battle of Monmouth, with his officers at a house in today’s Hopewell Borough.
Join with local author and historian Larry Kidder as he tells the story of how local geography influenced the many ways the people of Hopewell contributed to and had their lives changed by the American Revolution. About the Speaker
Larry Kidder is a retired history teacher who has authored two books on Hopewell history and five books on the American Revolution in west central New Jersey. He is a past president of the Hopewell Valley Historical Society in which he has been active for many years. For over 35 years he has been a volunteer historian, interpreter, and draft horse teamster for Howell Living History Farm in Hopewell. A Hopewell Valley Heritage Week event
Co-sponsored by the Hopewell Valley Historical Society and The Hopewell Museum - Attend the event at the First Presbyterian Church of Titusville, 48 River Drive, Titusville, NJ 08560. The in-person event is free and open to the public – No registration is required - Or attend the event online via Zoom - Click here to register for online only |
A brass relief adorning the Battle of Monmouth monument in Freehold, New Jersey illustrating Washington’s important council of war with his officers in Hopewell in June 1778
Larry Kidder
Download Flyer (PDF)
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Foursquares to the Fore:
An iconic American house type dominates early 20th century Hopewell History
Presented by Ian Burrow
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Wed., May 22, 2024, 7 pm - Free and open to the public
- Attend in person at the Hopewell Presbyterian Church - Or join online virtual presentation via Zoom -> Click here to register for online only So common as to be barely mentioned in books on architecture, the Foursquare house is an American icon of the early 20th century. From about 1900 into the1930’s it was one of the most common types of house built in this country, but only relatively recently has its importance and distinctive character been recognized.
At least 52 of these houses still stand in Hopewell Borough today, most of them probably built between 1910 and 1930. Only 11 are shown on the 1912 Sanborn Map. So why are there so many of these houses? What are their defining features? Could you buy one from Sears? Who built them and lived in them, and what does that tell us about early 20th century Hopewell? About the Speaker
Ian Burrow is a semi-retired archaeologist. He was born, raised and educated in England. After working there for 10 years as a professional archaeologist, he emigrated to the United States in 1988 to continue his archaeological career in New Jersey and surrounding states. He serves on the Board of the Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum (among other things). A Hopewell Valley Heritage Week event
Hopewell Public Library Speaker Series Co-sponsored by the Hopewell Valley Historical Society and The Hopewell Museum - Attend the event in person in Fellowship Hall at the Hopewell Presbyterian Church, 80 West Broad Street, Hopewell, NJ 08525. The in-person event is free and open to the public – No registration is required. - Or attend the event online via Zoom – Click here to register for online only |
Hopewell Foursquare c1900 - Audrey Jones
Sears, Roebuck 1926 House Catalog
Ian Burrow
Download Flyer (PDF)
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HVHS Spring Social
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A Spring Social!
The Hopewell Valley Historical Society Sunday, May 19, 2024 - 3:00 to 5:30 pm Hopewell Valley Golf and Country Club Refreshments by Chez Alice • Cash Bar Available Performance by Con Brio, Hopewell Valley’s premier A Cappella group Space is limited • Please respond by May 8 All reservations are $50 per person Order tickets online through PayPal - or by check made out to HVHS:
Hopewell Valley Historical Society Box 371, Pennington, NJ 08534 Order Tickets through PayPal
Click for order form - Enter number of tickets - then pay with PayPal or credit card About the Hopewell Valley Historical Society
For almost 50 years HVHS has supported the research and preservation of local history. Our Archives include thousands of original photographs and documents. The Oral History Project has 160 documented interviews. We sponsor monthly programs about Hopewell Valley history with 34 past talks accessible on YouTube videos. The House Lineage Project has researched and documented almost 100 houses. To celebrate our 50th Anniversary we are publishing a book about the highlights of life in Hopewell Valley. Become a member and receive our award-winning Newsletter. Access to history is available to anyone at hopewellvalleyhistory.org. Photo caption: William Howe and family and friends ride in the 1912 July 4th Parade. HVHS Frisbie Collection |
HVHS Spring Social invitation (PDF)
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St. Michael's Orphanage: A Visual History
Presented by Douglas Dixon
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Wed., May 8, 2024, 7 pm - Free and open to the public
- Attend in person at the Hopewell Presbyterian Church - Or join online virtual presentation via Zoom -> Click here to register for online only What was St. Michael's Orphanage? Some know it from old photos, with the large forbidding building standing alone in an empty field. And many now know it as the over 400-acre D&R Greenway St. Michael's Farm Preserve just outside Hopewell Borough, with few visible remnants of its past use.
In this presentation, Doug Dixon provides a visual history of St. Michael's, using photos and memories from a variety of contributors. We will "walk" behind the building to see kids playing on the playground and around the grounds. Then we will go inside the building to see the children in the nursery, school rooms, chapel, dining room, and dorm rooms. More on St. Michael's St. Michael's Orphan Asylum and Industrial School was a major local institution that operated for three quarters of a century (1898 to 1973), providing support and education for abandoned and neglected children, from infants to around age 14. The buildings are gone, but St. Michael's lives on in local memories. The building had a capacity of 450, and was home over the years to thousands of children, over a hundred Sisters of St. Francis who operated the facility, and other live-in staff, plus families living on the associated farm. The site also hosted additional day workers and day students.
About the Speaker
Douglas Dixon is an independent technology consultant and writer, now morphed into a history enthusiast and author. He is a board member of The Hopewell Museum and the Hopewell Valley Historical Society, and developed the Hopewell Valley History Project (HopewellHistoryProject.org). Since mid-2019, the History Project has collected, digitized, and freely shared local historical materials to aid research into area people and places. With the assistance of some 140 local contributors, the site now hosts over 640 documents and maps, 4100 images and videos, and an interactive Hopewell History Map. With these materials, Doug also has authored some 40 Hopewell Borough History Briefs, over 500 pages of research reports on local organizations, businesses, and properties – and the people who made them. As a software technologist, Doug specializes in Web technology, databases, and digital media. He has authored four books on digital media, published hundreds of feature articles, and presented over a hundred technical seminars and talks. Hopewell Public Library Speaker Series
Co-sponsored by the Hopewell Valley Historical Society and The Hopewell Museum - Attend the event in person in Fellowship Hall at the Hopewell Presbyterian Church, 80 West Broad Street, Hopewell, NJ 08525. The in-person event is free and open to the public – No registration is required. - Or attend the event online via Zoom – Click here to register for online only |
Children & sisters, 1928 [Klevze]
Boys Side Gazebo, 1935 [SOSF]
Doug Dixon
Download Flyer (PDF)
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The European Settlement of "Old Hopewell" - CANCELLED
Presented by Joseph Klett
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Wed., April 10, 2024, 7 pm - CANCELLED
Joseph Klett, Executive Director of the New Jersey State Archives and President of The Hopewell Museum, will discuss the earliest European settlement of "old Hopewell," which included Trenton and Ewing prior to 1720.
Joe will touch upon Indian villages and paths, early roads, civil boundaries, and the Quaker, Presbyterian, Dutch Reformed, and Baptist families that settled here starting in the late 1600s. He will also highlight early primary sources such as land and probate records, documentation on slave holdings, etc. Hopewell Public Library Speaker Series
Co-sponsored by the Hopewell Valley Historical Society and The Hopewell Museum |
Joseph Klett and his Map of Old Hopewell & Vicinity, 1680-1720, now in development
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The Ghost Railroad of Hopewell Valley:
A Brief Account of the Mercer & Somerset Railway
Presented by Robert Lawless
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Sun., March 24, 2024, 2 pm - Registration required
- Attend in person at Hopewell Branch of the Mercer County Library - Full - please join online - Or join online virtual presentation via Zoom -> Click here to register for online only Join Bob Lawless as he recounts the origin, construction, and operations of the short-lived Mercer & Somerset Railway. Built in the early-1870’s, this railroad provided the citizens of Hopewell Valley with the means of traveling to Trenton, Philadelphia, and New York in less time than ever before. While the events surrounding the “Frog War” are the most memorable, the history of the railroad is replete with fascinating accounts related to the communities of which it served. Although service ended less than a decade after it started, many relics of the line remain as reminders of the railroad that contributed to the prosperity of the Hopewell Valley.
This presentation will provide many details about the railroad and offer a unique opportunity to those in attendance. All attendees are welcome to join the speaker at a post-presentation reception hosted by Sentiment Depot, held in the M&S Station Agent dwelling located across the road from the library. The opportunity to continue discussions about the Mercer & Somerset Railway will be afforded. Robert Lawless is a board member of the Hopewell Valley Historical Society, and Chairperson of the Program Planning Committee. His extensive research has focused upon the development and operations of railroads in New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania. Robert has worked in the railroad industry for most of his career, and presently employed by a regional transportation authority. Co-sponsored by the Hopewell Valley Historical Society, the Hopewell Museum, and the Friends of the Hopewell Branch Library. - Attend the event in person at the Hopewell Branch of the Mercer County Library, 245 Pennington-Titusville Rd., Pennington, NJ The in-person event is free – but has limited space - Registration required In-person registration is full - please join the meeting online - register below - Or attend the event online via Zoom – Click here to register for online only |
Former Hillsborough M&S station, from Fare to Midlands - Forgotten Towns of Central
New Jersey by Henry Charlton Beck, 1939
Bob Lawless
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African Americans of Central New Jersey: A History of Harmony and Hostility
Presented by Elaine Buck and Beverly Mills
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Mon., Feb. 5, 2024, 6:30 - 8:00 pm - Free and open to the public
- Attend in person at Hopewell Branch of the Mercer County Library, 245 Pennington-Titusville Rd., Pennington, NJ - Click here to register for in-person (through the Mercer County Library) - Or join online virtual presentation via Zoom -> Click here to register for online only Please join us in a discussion with Beverly Mills and Elaine Buck, the authors of African Americans of Central New Jersey: A History of Harmony and Hostility. Through grit and determination, the founding Black families of Sourland Mountain and surrounding Central New Jersey put down roots, built homes, established churches and navigated their lives in an unforgiving world. Through extensive research and interviews authors Elaine Buck and Beverly Mills reveal stories of the families who shaped the region for generations.
Copies of their book, African Americans of Central New Jersey, will be available for sale, as well as signing. Elaine Buck and Beverly Mills are the founders of the Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum and co-authors of If These Stones Could Talk. They proudly received the Kirkus Book Review in October 2018 and in 2019 the New Jersey Author's Award Non-Fiction Popular Works Category. In 2020, they partnered with the Museum of the American Revolution for an exhibition titled When Women Lost the Vote. In 2021, they received Doris C. Carpenter Award on behalf of Preservation New Jersey for their work on the March of America's Diverse Army through New Jersey and the Solomon Northup Family Award for uplifting the memory of enslaved people. Their new book, African Americans of Central New Jersey: A History of Harmony and Hostility, was released in July. Co-sponsored by the Hopewell Valley Historical Society, The Hopewell Museum, and the Friends of the Hopewell Branch Library. - Attend the event in person at the Hopewell Branch of the Mercer County Library, 245 Pennington-Titusville Rd., Pennington, NJ The in-person event is free and open to the public – but has limited space - Click here to register for in-person (through the Mercer County Library) - Or attend the event online via Zoom – Click here to register for online only |
Elaine Buck and Beverly Mills
African Americans of Central New Jersey
Download Flyer (PDF)
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Next - Past Programs 2023