News for September!
- Sep 4
- 3 min read
Updated: Sep 9
Happy Fall Everyone!
It might not be the autumnal equinox quite yet but it sure feels like fall. After a summer’s relaxation, the Hopewell Valley Historical Society is excited to get back into the swing of bringing you original programming on historic events of interest to the Hopewell Valley community as well as letting you know about the work our partners in history are producing.
First – DID YOU KNOW that our friends at the Hopewell Township Historic Preservation Commission successfully nominated the Mershon Tavern, on Bear Tavern Road, to Preservation New Jersey’s list of 10 most endangered historic sites for 2025? The HTHPC also has been busy successfully nominating the Furman Larison House (at Pennytown) and the Burrowes Oldis House (218 Washington Crossing – Pennington Road) for inclusion on the Township’s historic register and obtaining a Certificate of Eligibility from the NJ State Historic Preservation Office for Burrowes/Oldis to start the process to nominate it to the National Historic Register.
You can see the Burrowes/Oldis house up close at the Hopewell Valley Historical Society’s Annual Meeting on September 28th! The Township has graciously allowed us to hold our meeting there and we are very excited! Michael Cuba, the Dendrochronologist featured at our 2024 Annual Meeting, came out to Burrowes/Oldis and he determined that the small, western part dates to 1715 and the larger Federal style part dates to 1800. We already knew that the Oldis Family built the southern addition when they moved there in the 1910s. Much more research is yet to be done but we will tell you what we know at the meeting. We also have one or two surprises to share with you so register today! You can Register for the 2025 Annual Meeting here.
The Annual Meeting also will feature historian Maxine Lurie who has written many books on New Jersey history. Her latest “Taking Sides in Revolutionary New Jersey: Caught in the Crossfire” reminds us that the Revolution was a civil war. As we enter the 250th anniversary of that troubled time, Lurie presents portraits of NJ colonists who had to choose sides, sometimes against their own friends and family.
Also coming in September:
September 11 – North Jersey American Revolution Roundtable’s September Speaker series will feature Hopewell’s own Matt Skic, now Director of Collections & Exhibitions at Philly's Museum of the American Revolution. Matt will speak about "Banners of Liberty: Flags from the Revolutionary War" The talk is hybrid - in person or zoom. Contact arrt.nj@gmail.com for more information.
September 17 – Revolution NJ is presenting “An Afternoon with Ken Burns” who has made a documentary about the American Revolution. Learn more here.
September 20 – Hopewell Harvest Fair. We will be there – will you? Come say hello at our tent.
September 21 – Princeton Battlefield presents “Young Patriots’ Day” an immersive experience in 18th-century life—perfect for children, families, and history lovers of all ages.
And don’t miss the exhibit about the history of Girls in Sports in the Hopewell Valley, curated by Suzanne Dutko Stout and Caroline Flannery. Currently available at the Hopewell Branch of the Mercer County Library. Read about it here.
Looking forward
Save the date October 18 for a very special program by historians Larry Kidder and Roger Williams entitled “Just After the Crossing: Washington’s Night March to Trenton.” Details coming soon.
In October, the Hopewell Valley Historical Society will begin celebrating our 50th year in existence – amazing! If you haven’t already, please scroll through our website to see all the things this all-volunteer run organization does. And if you haven’t already, please sign up for or renew your membership in the society today. Your membership dues help us keep history alive in the Hopewell Valley! Click here to sign up or renew online or send a check to HVHS at PO Box 371, Pennington, NJ 08534. If you have questions, please email us at info@hopewellvalleyhistory.org.
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