Programs
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The Hopewell Valley Historical Society regularly sponsors community programs on local history, generally in partnership with the Hopewell Museum, and with co-sponsors including the Pennington Public Library and the Hopewell Branch of the Mercer County Library. These programs typically are free and open to the public.
Upcoming:
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Note on Internet Webinars: These upcoming programs are presented as online webinars, typically using the Zoom or GotoMeeting video conferencing applications. You then view these presentations live on a computer, or on a mobile tablet or even a smartphone. (You also can use these applications for videoconferencing, using a camera with your device to send your own video and audio, but you don't need these features just to view the presentations.) See Joining a Zoom Meeting for information on setting up Zoom and joining a meeting using web browser, the Zoom desktop client, or the Zoom mobile app. See the GoToMeeting Installation Instructions (PDF) to set up GotoMeeting.
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2024 Hopewell Harvest Fair
Sat., Sept. 21, 2024, 9:45 am - 4 pm
Hopewell Elementary School Come join the HVHS and other community groups exhibiting at the 36th Annual Hopewell Harvest Fair on Saturday, September 21, 2024, on the grounds of the Hopewell Elementary School. We'll have some fun photos and maps to enjoy local history.
The Hopewell Harvest Fair is a volunteer community event designed to provide a day of fun and entertainment for the families and friends of the Hopewell Valley. In addition to a day of entertainment under the big tent, you’ll find your favorite family activities including hay rides, pony rides, a petting zoo, children’s games, face-painting, and local food vendors and farmers showcasing their goods. Plus, there are contests for everyone: a bake-off, homegrown vegetable contest, kids’ art, photography, and even a doggie dress-up contest for our furry family members. |
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2024 Annual Meeting of the HVHS
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Michael Cuba
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Hopewell was like a Roman Circus:
Hopewell, the Sourlands and the Lindbergh Kidnapping
Presented by Jim Davidson
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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 |
Gebhart's Hotel, 1932 Hopewell
Jim Davidson
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Smith to Rockwell to "Hopewell 57" - A Hopewell Story
Presented by Douglas Dixon
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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 |
Rockwell Fire Brigade, 1957 [RMA]
Rockwell Complex, 2020 [HVHP]
57 Hamilton from corner of Somerset, 2020 [HVHP]
Doug Dixon
Download Flyer (PDF)
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