January 2026 Partner Events

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 copies of Tom Paine’s War immediately. A portion of the proceeds of book sales will also benefit PJS. 

Princeton Junior School Benefit, a TenCrucialDays.org event. Author talk and Q&A with Jack Kelly, author of Tom Paine's War: The Words That Rallied a Nation and the Founder for Our Time.    In 1776, one man’s words—and the determination of American patriots—helped our nation survive its first crisis. Two hundred fifty years ago, the Declaration of Independence marked America's birth, but Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, published January 10, 1776, profoundly influenced Americans by rejecting monarchy and aristocracy, inspiring rebellion. Paine then joined the military. His following bestselling pamphlet was The American Crisis, which rallied citizens and soldiers to “The Cause” during the “…times that tried men’s souls.” His words and beliefs continue to resonate in America’s ongoing story of resilience.

Jack Kelly is an award-winning author and historian. His books include Band of Giants, which received the DAR History Medal, and God Save Benedict Arnold, a finalist for the New England Book Awards. He has published five novels and is a New York Foundation for the Arts fellow in Nonfiction Literature. Kelly has appeared on The History Channel, National Public Radio, and C-Span. He resides in New York's Hudson Valley.

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Saturday, January 10

Our own Board Trustee, Larry Kidder will speak about the Crossing of the Delware:

1 PM, Raritan Library, 54 East Somerset Street, Raritan, NJ

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January 17

2pm at the New Brunswick Free Public Library, 60 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick, NJ.

If you missed her at our Annual Meeting in September, you have another chance to hear Dr. Maxine Lurie speak about her book, Taking Sides in Revolutionary New Jersey, in New Brunswick.

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January 24

3-5 pm on January 24 and ongoing at the Historic Hunterdon County Courthouse, 71 Main Street, Flemington NJ

Our friends at Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum are taking their show on the road to Flemington with their powerful exhibit The Head That Wears the Crown: Black Women's Headwear from Slavery to Freedom. The exhibit will be on display at the Historic Hunterdon County Courthouse in Flemington, NJ from mid-January through the end of February.

To celebrate its arrival, SSAAM is hosting a special Exhibit Launch Event on January 24th from 3–5 PM, featuring a lively hat show that honors the beauty, creativity, and cultural significance of Black headwear traditions.

They are currently seeking community participants of all ages and genders to model any form of headwear—church hats, fascinators, turbans, durags, wraps, crowns, and more. If you wear it with pride, we’d love to have you represent. Those who are interested can sign up here! Visitors can also explore the Historic Hunterdon County Courthouse during weekly open hours on Wednesdays from 10:00 AM–4:00 PM, as well as during select special events.

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January 25

1:00-2:30 pm at the Pittore Justice Center, 25 South Union Street, Lambertville

Special Presentation by Mark Sirak - Washington Crossing State Park: The Future Unveiled at the Lambertville Historical Society Annual Meeting -  

After the annual LHS business meeting, discover the exciting future of Washington Crossing State Park! Park Historian Mark Sirak will describe the $28 million transformation of this nationally known local landmark. Mark will discuss: 

• The NEW Museum & Visitor Center

• The immersive “Experience the Crossing” feature

• The remarkable artifacts from the Swan Foundation

• Updates on the Park’s 13 miles of trails

• The restoration of the Park’s 1932 Arboretum

• The exciting preparations for 2026’s 250th Birthday Celebration

• The return of the Harding Mural

  
  

Mark Sirak is a “Resource Interpretive Specialist” at the NJ Department of Environmental Protection, with over 37 years of service at Washington Crossing State Park. He administers the Washington Crossing Museum & Visitor Center and its extensive collection of Revolutionary War artifacts, gives tours to school children and other visitors, runs lectures and programs, and offers weekly musket firings to the delight of all.