Hopewell Public Library - Holiday Open House
13 East Broad Street, 1 - 3 pm Come to the Hopewell Public Library for our annual Holiday Open House, held in conjunction with the Hopewell Museum and the Hopewell Baptist Meeting House. Delight in homemade refreshments while you peruse the library’s collection and review our 2024 programming. Winter-themed activities will be available in the children’s room. As a special bonus, you can enjoy live music – The Sounds of the Season – provided by the Raritan Valley Trombone Trio from 1:30 - 2:30 pm. Hopewell Museum - Holiday Open House 28 East Broad Street, 1 - 4 pm Come to the Hopewell Museum for our annual Holiday Open House, held in conjunction with the Hopewell Public Library and the Hopewell Baptist Meeting House. Visit us and see all the work that has gone on over the last year with our museum as we progress forward with our "Reimagination". This year we will be unveiling the plans for the museum's renovation in 2025 and showing off our vast conservation of the Hopewell Museum's large textile collection. As an added program, the museum will have Revolutionary War British reenactors in front of the museum, commemorating the raids in the Hopewell Valley in early December of 1776! Hopewell Old School Meetinghouse - Holiday Open House 46 West Broad Street, 1 - 4 pm Come to the Hopewell Old School Meetinghouse for our annual Holiday Open House, held in conjunction with the Hopewell Public Library and the Hopewell Museum. Visit us and check out this State Historic Site! The Baptist Congregation in Hopewell was organized at the residence of Jonathan Stout on April 23, 1715, and in 1747 the Hopewell Meeting House, a square stone building, was erected on ground given by Mr. John Hart, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Built in 1822, the current brick Old School Baptist Meeting House, together with its extensive graveyard, is one of the most historic sites in the Hopewell Valley. |
Wed., Oct. 9, 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 is "Hopewell 57" - that big brick building complex at the corner of Hamilton Avenue and Somerset Street in Hopewell Borough, which was earlier known as Rockwell and then Kooltronic?
That block along Hamilton actually has an agglomeration of buildings that developed over time as part of a quintessential Hopewell story - as an individual entrepreneur worked with the town to create a business that expanded to provide 75 years of good jobs for locals, eventually employing over 200 people. Doug Dixon will chronicle this local saga, starting in 1900 with a group of town boosters who invested in the town to attract new business, and with Hugh A. Smith, who chose Hopewell to pursue his dream of establishing a manufacturing business. He then will trace the evolution of the small Smith company into Rockwell, and the associated development of the building complex along Hamiliton Avenue. There's some angst in the story, and the eventual sad clearing of Somerset Street due to ground contamination. But there also is an ongoing theme of community in Hopewell, town and businesses, as Smith was twice elected mayor, and Rockwell provided ongoing support for town events and groups, especially the Fire Department.. 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 some 780 documents and maps, 4300 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 |
Thurs., Sept. 26, 2024, ## 8 pm ## (doors open at 7:30 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 When the Lindbergh baby was kidnapped on March 1, 1932. Hopewell became the center of the universe. Reporters from all over the world, along with their photographers descended on Hopewell hoping to get a story. Gebhart's Hotel on West Broad became their center of activity, staying open 24 hours a day. Broadcasting and telegraph hookups were set up all over town. As the State Police searched the Sourlands for clues, so did the reporters, often finding clues that were never followed up. This went on for ten weeks until the body of the baby was found on Carter Road just outside of town.
Jim Davidson will share his stories of the Lindbergh kidnapping along with a presentation of many never before seen pictures of of those whirlwind weeks in Hopewell and the Sourlands. About the Speaker
Jim Davidson is a renowned speaker about the Lindbergh case, and author of three books on the subject. A former Hunterdon resident and history teacher, he served as the president of the East Amwell Historical Society and as a member of the township’s Preservation Committee. Co-sponsored by the Hopewell Public Library, 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 |
2024 Annual Meeting of the HVHS
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3 pm - Historic Preservation Program -
“Dendrochronology Demystified” The HVHS is honored to have Michael Cuba talk to you about dendrochronology – the science or technique of dating events, environmental change, and archaeological artifacts by using the characteristic patterns of annual growth rings in timber and tree trunks. While this science can offer conclusive felling dates for timbers used in building, interpretation and context for this information relies on both documentary and physical evidence. Michael will use examples of recent reconstruction projects of the Dominy House, in East Hampton, NY, and the reconstruction of one of the trusses from the Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral that was lost in a fire in 2019, to underscore the importance of documentation in preservation work. Michael is the founder of Transom Historic Preservation Consulting, a firm that specializes in the documentation and analysis of historic timber framed structures. Services include historic research and documentation, dendrochronology coring, condition reports and comprehensive conservation planning. |
Meeting Information and Registration
- 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 |
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 |
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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 |
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: Save The Date |
Sun., May 19, 2024, 3:00 - 5:30 pm - Reservations to be announced
Hopewell Valley Golf and Country Club Come Along for the Ride, Stay for the Good TimesThe Hopewell Valley Historical Society invites you to A Spring Social Sunday, May 19, 2024, 3:00 to 5:30 pm Hopewell Valley Golf and Country Club Save the date - More to come ... |
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 some 640 documents and maps, 4170 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 |
HVHS Spring Social: Save The Date |
Sun., May 19, 2024, 3:00 - 5:30 pm - Reservations to be announced
Hopewell Valley Golf and Country Club Come Along for the Ride, Stay for the Good TimesThe Hopewell Valley Historical Society invites you to A Spring Social Sunday, May 19, 2024, 3:00 to 5:30 pm Hopewell Valley Golf and Country Club Save the date - Reservations to be announced |
Sun., March 24, 2024, 2 pm - Registration required
- Attend in person at Hopewell Branch of the Mercer County Library - 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 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. 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 - 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 |
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Wed., April 10, 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 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 - 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 |
Mon., Feb. 5, 2024, 6:30 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 |
In the last few years local historical researchers and preservation experts have been finding out more about the history of the nationally important Old School Baptist Meeting House and its congregation, founded in the early 1700’s. Come and hear about what is being uncovered, and about planning for the future of this historic Hopewell treasure. Followed by a Q&A session.
Hopewell Public Library - Holiday Open House
13 East Broad Street Come to the Hopewell Public Library for our annual Holiday Open House, our biggest event of the year! Activities will be available in the Children's Room. Enjoy homemade refreshments while you peruse our collection, review 2023 programming, and see what we have in store for next year! Hopewell Museum - Annual Holiday Open House 28 East Broad Street Please join us at The Hopewell Museum for our annual Holiday Open House. Themed "Behind the Scenes, Act II," there will be tours of our many projects happening inside the building. Refreshments and bagpipe selections by Vincent Janoski will be offered in a heated tent on the front lawn. We will also honor the memory of our late past president and friend, David M. Mackey. Hopewell Old School Baptist Church - Open House & Bake Sale 46 West Broad Street Support and learn more about the Meetinghouse by joining us for an Open House and Bake Sale fundraiser! |
Wed., Dec. 13, 2023, 7:00 - 8:30 pm - Free and open to the public
- Attend in person at the Hopewell Presbyterian Church, 80 West Broad St., Hopewell, NJ - Or join online virtual presentation via Zoom -> Click to register here for online only In the last few years local historical researchers and preservation experts have been finding out more about the history of the nationally important Old School Baptist Meeting House and its congregation, founded in the early 1700’s. Come and hear about what is being uncovered, and about planning for the future of this historic Hopewell treasure. Followed by a Q&A session.
Presentations:
About the Speakers
Hopewell Public Library Speaker Series Co-sponsored by the Hopewell Valley Historical Society and The Hopewell Museum - Attend the event in person in the Sanctuary of 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 to register here for online only |
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Sun., Oct. 22, 2023 - 1 pm ET
In person at the Washington Crossing State Park Visitors Center Museum, 355 Washington Crossing Pennington Road, Titusville, NJ Or online virtual presentation via Zoom -> Register here for online only Hopewell Valley is home to many bridges, but how did people get around before
they were built? Early colonists may have been able to wade their horses across our many streams but imagine no Scudder Falls or Washington Crossing Bridge! Pennsylvania was just an aspiration to many before ferries were established every couple of miles along the Delaware. Who ran those operations and how did it work when you wanted to visit your cousin in Yardley ? Or buy goods in Philadelphia? Or defeat the British? Join us on October 22 as historian Stan Saperstein explains early ferry operations and how important they were both to regular people and to General Washington in winning the Revolutionary War. Stanley Saperstein is a professional historian, living historian and author. He is a graduate of Rider University and the College of New Jersey with a masters in History and Education. He has taught History courses for the Princeton Evergreen Forum and has been an adjunct instructor for several local colleges. He served on the Board of Directors of the Swan Historical Foundation, Director of Preservation for The Sons of the Union Veterans of the Civil War Museum, served on the Trenton Bicentennial Commission, and is a trustee of the Washington Crossing Park Association. Saperstein also is a Master Carver Furniture Maker and Conservator Emeritus, and founder of Artisans of the Valley, Fine Custom Wood Working.
Co-sponsored by the Hopewell Valley Historical Society, the Hopewell Museum, and the Washington Crossing Park Association. - Attend the event in person at the Washington Crossing State Park Visitors Center Museum, 355 Washington Crossing Pennington Road (Route 546), Titusville, NJ - No registration required You are welcome to also visit the Museum, which will be open from 9 am to 4 pm. - Or attend the online virtual presentation via Zoom -> Register here for online only Directions to the Museum (see map):
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Sun., Sept. 24, 2023
- 2 pm - Business Meeting & History Awards Presentation; 3 pm - Program In-person: Howell Living History Farm, 70 Woodens Lane, Hopewell Township Online: Internet Webinar via Zoom - Register Here |
2 pm - HVHS Annual Membership Meeting with Election of Officers and Trustees
The public is welcome to attend. Members will vote on HVHS business. Presentation of the Hopewell Valley History Awards. |
3 pm - Historic Preservation Program -
“The Archaeology of Two Hopewell Farms” The HVHS is honored to have two eminent New Jersey archaeologists talk to you about two of the Hopewell Valley’s historic farm families. Michael J. Gall is a Principal Senior Archaeologist at Richard Grubb & Associates, Inc., a cultural resource management firm in Cranbury, New Jersey, and serves as an Adjunct Professor in the History and Anthropology Department at Monmouth University. Dr. Richard Hunter is President of Hunter Research, Inc., an historic preservation consulting firm. The company provides historical, archaeological and historic architectural services to a wide range of clients. A long-time resident of Hopewell Township, he currently serves as a Mercer County Cultural & Heritage Commissioner and past President of the Hopewell Valley Historical Society. Mr. Gall’s talk will be on the Moore Family Farmstead in Hopewell. That archaeological work was undertaken in advance of construction for the Capital Health Medical Center in Hopewell and revealed important clues about the mid-18th-century Moore family. Their story is told through the archaeology of their former farmstead and the artifacts the family left behind. Mr. Hunter’s talk will trace the Phillips Family of Pleasant Valley, especially as it relates to Howell Living History Farm. Over the course of the 18th and 19th centuries, the Phillips’ farmed, milled, and smithed in the Valley. The house of blacksmith John Phillips no longer exists but the house of his farmer/grist miller son Henry still exists on the grounds of Howell Living History Farm. |
Meeting Information and Registration
In-person: Howell Living History Farm, Visitor Center, 70 Woodens Lane, Hopewell Township, NJ 08530
Online: The annual meeting and the presentation will be streamed online over Zoom. Register here for the online Zoom presentation |
You also can automatically donate to the HVHS every time you shop on Amazon, at no cost to you. Just shop at smile.amazon.com with the same products and prices, and Amazon will donate a portion of your purchase price to the HVHS. On your first visit, simply select the "Hopewell Valley Historical Society Inc" as the organization to receive your donations, and then every eligible purchase you make will result in a donation. Visit smile.amazon.com to sign up, or to continue shopping. Thanks!
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A Return to Summer Socials -
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Mon., May 22, 2023 - 6:30 - 8 pm ET
The Hopewell Museum, 28 East Broad Street, Hopewell, NJ Join William L. Kidder, Catherine Granzow, and Sarah Mezzino - local experts in historical agriculture, hearth cooking, and decorative arts - for a “show and tell” about antique farm tools, kitchen gadgets, and serving ware. The program will feature objects from The Hopewell Museum, Howell Living History Farm, and the Granzow personal collection.
The event will be held outdoors, behind the the Hopewell Museum at 28 East Broad Street, Hopewell Borough, weather permitting. |
Fri., May 26, 2023 - 6 pm ET - Meet at the north entrance to the Preserve
Rick Klevze will be offering a walking tour of St. Michael's Preserve on May 26th at 6:00PM. St. Michael's land was farmed by the Klevze family. Rick will explain the history of the farm, the orphanage and the farm's relationship to St. Michael's Orphanage..
Rick Klevze is a lifelong area resident who was raised on and worked the St. Michael's farm until 1997. He has a Bachelor’s degree in animal science from Cook College/Rutgers University and a Masters degree in soils and crops from Rutgers. He is currently employed by Growmark FS as a Certified Professional Agronomist and Certified Crops Advisor, where he has worked for 43 years. Klevze serves on the Farm Credit East Customer Service Council and is a member of the MidAtlantic CCA exam writing committee for the American Society of Agronomy.
Klevze's grandfather, Charles Murphy, came to St Michael’s as an orphan in 1902. His grandmother, Mary Fish Murphy arrived between 1909 and 1920. They became a caretaker and cook respectively. His mother, Catherine Murphy Klevze, was born in 1932 and was raised on the farm. In 1949, his father, Frank Klevze, was sponsored by the Catholic Church and emigrated to the US. He was placed at St. Michael’s to work the farm. In 1955, he partnered with Klevze's uncle, John Eichinger, and leased the property from the Diocese. He operated a dairy until 1976 and then continued with livestock and field crops until 1997. A Hopewell Valley Heritage Week event, sponsored by the Hopewell Valley Historical Society. Meet at 6 pm at the north entrance to the St. Michael's Preserve, past First Street just outside of Hopewell Borough. Parking is limited at the Preserve, with overflow parking at the Hopewell Elementary School, 35 Princeton Avenue. (The main St. Michael's lot further south also is in use for the new Awakening sculpture in the field.) See D& R Greenway map of the St. Michael's Preserve. |
Wed., May 24, 2023 - 7 pm ET
- Attend in person at the Hopewell Branch of the Mercer County Library 245 Pennington-Titusville Rd., Pennington, NJ Free, but limited space - Registration Required -> Register here (through MCL) - Or join online virtual presentation via Zoom -> Register here for online only Larry Kidder tells the story of the changing nature of agriculture that led to changes in rural life in the early 20th century. New opportunities in towns and cities resulting from the industrial revolution, combined with a focus on celebrating rural life and finding ways to make farming a viable lifestyle, led to the creation of educational opportunities for all ages and especially the young. The 4-H programs that we know today grew out of that movement. In Pleasant Valley, one of the earliest and very successful programs for young people in Mercer County developed into the Pleasant Valley Calf Club during the second decade of the twentieth century. One activity of the club was putting on a community wide agricultural fair in the summer, which was held at the rural school house in the center of the Valley. The Calf Club and other youth clubs devoted to aspects of rural life became part of the growing 4-H program and the annual county 4-H fair. Today, the Mercer County 4-H Fair is held in central Pleasant Valley near where those early Calf Club Fairs were held.
William L. (Larry) Kidder received his bachelor's and master's degrees from Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania and is a retired high school history teacher who taught for forty years in both public and private schools, including 32 years at the Hun School of Princeton.
He served four years of active duty in the US Navy and was assigned to the US Navy Research and Development Unit, Vietnam and then the destroyer USS Brownson (DD868) home ported in Newport, Rhode Island. In the 1980s he was the lead researcher and writer for the creation of the Admiral Arleigh Burke National Destroyermen’s Museum aboard the destroyer museum ship USS Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. (DD850) at Battleship Cove in Fall River, Massachusetts. For more than thirty-five years, Larry has been a volunteer at the Howell Living History Farm, part of the Mercer County Park System, in Hopewell, New Jersey where he has served as an historian, interpreter, and draft horse teamster. He is an avid member of the Association for Living History, Farm, and Agricultural Museums (ALHFAM). Larry is the author of five books focusing on the American Revolution in the Mercer County region. Active in historical societies in Ewing (past president), Hopewell (also a past president), and Lawrence townships, Larry has given a number of talks to a variety of groups in New Jersey, New York, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. He has worked on several projects for Crossroads of the American Revolution, including as editor for its Meet Your Revolutionary Neighbors project and consultant for the creation of its recent Ten Crucial Days Audio Tour. He is also a consultant and battlefield tour guide for the Princeton Battlefield Society. As a founding member of the non-profit TenCrucialDays.org he helps narrate full-day bus tours of Ten Crucial Days sites. For more of Larry's projects and books, visit his website, wlkidderhistorian.com. A Hopewell Valley Heritage Week event, co-sponsored by the Hopewell Valley Historical Society, The Hopewell Museum, and the Hopewell Branch of the Mercer County Library. |
Wed., May 3, 2023, 7 pm - Free and open to the public
- Attend in person at the Hopewell Theater, 5 South Greenwood, Hopewell, NJ - Or join online virtual presentation via Zoom -> Register here for online only The Hopewell Inn, long known as the Central Hotel, had a nearly 150 year history as a part of the town of Hopewell before it was demolished in July 2022. The building was used for residential and retail, hotel and livery, saloon and apartments, luncheonette and rooming house, and bar and bistro.
This presentation explores the forgotten history of the Hopewell Inn, and of the people and families who nurtured and reinvigorated the building and ran the businesses through the years. We also will take a visual tour the building in its final form – not only the exterior and public spaces, but also the upstairs rooms and cellar – and discover clues about how the building was constructed and expanded over time.
The story of the Hopewell Inn begins in the 1870s with the Sexton sisters, who sold their family farm and opened Hopewell’s first drug store in the building.
After being converted into a hotel in 1893 and expanded in the early 1900s, the building’s heyday continued into the 1930s, when, as Gebhart’s Hotel, it became the headquarters for the world press after the Lindbergh kidnapping. Since the 1950s, the building was shepherded by multiple generations of two different families, as it evolved into a friendly neighborhood bar, restaurant, and gathering space. In addition to the building owners who focused on food and lodging, we also will remember others there who contributed to Hopewell, including Mrs. Carter’s Millinery and Fancy Goods store (and Library!), Cray’s Oyster Saloon and Livery, Funeral Director F. K. Forsythe, and Paul (“Pop”) and Bertha Gebhart’s Lunch Room. 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 since 2019, Doug has developed the Hopewell Valley History Project (HopewellHistoryProject.org), working with over 100 local contributors to collect and freely share digital copies of local historical materials. The History Project now hosts some 500 documents and maps, 3000 images and videos, and an interactive historical map of Hopewell to aid research into Hopewell area people and places. 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 at the Hopewell Theater, 5 South Greenwood Ave, Hopewell, NJ. The event is free and open to the public – No registration is required. - Or attend the event online via Zoom – Register here for online only |