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Sept/Nov 2010

"Oh Freedom" FREE Exhibit

  
"Many African Americans fought on both sides during the Revolution seeking a path to freedom."



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September 10 - November 10, 2010

Friday, September 10th, 7:00 pm, Exhibit Opening

"Oh Freedom" Exhibit

While many American colonists fought for their political freedom during the American War of Independence, blacks fought on both sides. They fought along side the British and American solders for what they believed was a path to their personal freedom from slavery and oppression.

This traveling exhibit captures the stories of these freedom fighters in New Jersey, nearly 5,000 of whom fought as American soldiers. Almost twice that number fought for the British. Open weekdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on selected weekend days. Free admission; donations gratefully accepted.



 

Previous Events!

September 26, 2009

Saturday, September 26th 9:30 am and 1:30 pm

Dutch Treat Bus Tour

". To celebrate the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson's discovery of the Hudson River in 1609, the HTA has organized a bus tour and visits to some of Somerset County's finest examples of historic Dutch houses and barns. Beginning in the late 1600's, Dutch farmers purchased large tracts of land in the southern half of Somerset County. The bus tour provides a perfect opportunity to take the family on a weekend outing and learn about the Dutch settlers, their contribution to local culture, and the architectural characteristics of Dutch houses and barns.

The "Dutch Treat" bus tour departs from the center of Millstone Borough at the corner of Amwell Road and Millstone River Road. Free parking is available at the same location

Cost: $10 per person. Reservations highly recommended.
 

November 7, 2009

Saturday, November 7th, 3:00 pm

Tombstones and Cemeteries: History and Design

New Jersey Cemeteries and Tombstones: History in the Landscape is an informative lecture on the last four hundred years of New Jersey Cemetery and Tombstone design. Historians Richard Veit and Mark Nonestied discuss the evolution of burial sites and gravemarkers from the seventeenth century to the dawn of the twenty-first century. Such topics as colonial gravestones, stone carvers, Victorian cemeteries, monuments, mausoleums, and ethnic and cultural burial grounds will be discussed. The speakers' research has culminated in the publication of a book on the subject that has been published by Rutgers University Press. Signed copies of the book will be available for purchase.

The program will be held at the historic Van Horne House Saturday afternoon, November 7, at 3:00 pm.

An optional pre-program, walking tour has been scheduled at the 'Old Cemetery' in Somerville at 1:00 pm. The cemetery contains many examples of tombstone carvings from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Anyone interested in visiting the cemetery before the program can join us and then proceed to the Van Horne House by 3:00 pm. The Old Cemetery is located at 191 South Bridge Street, Somerville, NJ 08876.

The Old Cemetery, also sometimes referred to as the Old Raritan Cemetery, was established just after the Revolutionary War. The cemetery was initially the burying ground for the Dutch Reformed Church, but was later shared by several other congregations. The Old Cemetery Association of Somerville has meticulously maintained the grounds and stones.

Cost: $5 per person. Reservations are not required but appreciated.

 

February 14, 2010

Sunday, February 14th, 10:00 am and 2:00 pm

Five Generals Bus Tour: Free Family Fun

Discover the five original historic houses that served as general staff headquarters during the Second Middlebrook Encampment - 1778-1789: the Van Horne House in Bridgewater; the Van Veghten House in Finderne, the Abraham Staats House in South Bound Brook; the Jacobus Vanderveer House in Bedminster and finally, the Wallace House in Somerville where General Washington stayed.

The village of Middlebrook was located just east of the Van Horne House in an area that is now the west end of Bound Brook. During the encampment, General Washington dated all of his dispatches from Middlebrook even though his headquarters was in the Wallace House, five miles away.

A perfect opportunity for a weekend family outing, a visit to these historic sites offers a unique educational experience, for young and old alike to learn about these unique places and the generals who made them their homes and offices during the American Revolution.

The tours, which start from the Van Horne House, 941 East Main Street, Bridgewater (across from Patriots Ballpark) are FREE, but space is limited and reservations are required. The five bus tours are scheduled to start on the hour: 10 am, 11 am, noon, 1 pm, and 2 pm. Call (732) 356-8856 for reservations or sign up online: register.
 

April 18, 2010

Sunday, April 18th, 9:30 am and 1:00 pm

Delaware & Raritan Canal Narrated Bus Tour

Join Linda Barth, author and D&R Canal expert, on a tour of one of Somerset County's historic treasures. You will visit locks, bridge sites, and other structures along the canal and learn about how the canal was built by hand - mostly by migratory Irish laborers. You will also visit picturesque villages that grew up alongside the canal and learn about the many industries that developed along its route. The tour is a perfect complement to the D&R Canal exhibit that will be opening at the Van Horne House on April 25th.

The bus tours will leave from the JP's Steakhouse/Rhythms parking lot, 729 South Main Street (Route 533), Manville (corner of the Weston Causeway, Route 623). The cost is $20 per person and reservations are required. Call (732) 356-8856 for reservations or sign up online. Please indicate your choice of tours: 9:30 am or 1:00 pm.

This is a perfect opportunity for a family outing. The canal tour offers a unique educational experience to learn about our early industrial history and visit some of the most scenic areas of Somerset County.
 

May 7 - June 19, 2010

Exhibit Open every Sunday from 1 pm to 4 pm

Delaware & Raritan Canal Exhibit - FREE

The exhibit, "The Canals of New Jersey," features the Canal Society of New Jersey’s fourteen-panel display depicting the life, history, and geography of New Jersey's 19th- and early 20th-century manmade waterways. Following the opening of the Erie Canal, there was a frenzy of canal building to cheaply transport the resources of the interior of the United States, offering the most economical way to move goods to growing markets. The exhibit explores the building, technology, and operation of the canals.

New Jersey's canals were primarily built to bring Pennsylvania anthracite coal to New York City and manufacturing centers in eastern New Jersey. In addition, they carried iron ore from northern New Jersey to the markets of the Lehigh Valley, Trenton, and New York. The Delaware & Raritan Canal provided a water route from Bordentown on the Delaware to New Brunswick on the Raritan River, connecting the New York and Philadelphia markets; it was also an important link on the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. The Morris Canal ran 102 miles from Phillipsburg on the Delaware River to Jersey City on the Hudson. The development of the railroads brought serious competition to canals as early as 1850, but the New Jersey canals continued to operate until around 1930.

There is no charge for the exhibit, and free parking is available behind the Target store adjacent to the Van Horne House entrance.


May 29, 2010

Saturday, May 29th, tours starting from 10:00 am until Noon.

Victorian Somerville Walking Tour - FREE

Southern Jersey may have Cape May, but central Jersey too is home to beautiful Victorian homes, particularly in Somerville. Starting in the first half of the nineteenth century, Somerville became a fashionable summer retreat for families from New York. Many built elegant summer homes and eventually became permanent resident. A number of these fine old homes have been restored to their original architectural style that include: Greek Revival, Queen Anne, Second Empire, and Gothic Revival. The Victorian Somerville Walking Tour offer you an opportunity to learn about the times and styles of that period. The tour takes place on the weekend of the Somerville bicycle races.

Heritage Trail Association is sponsoring a guided walking tour around one of Somerville's most interesting historic neighborhoods. The tour takes apploximately an hour and a half at a gentle pace, and is limited to public sidewalks.

Tours groups will begin forming on the hour from 10:00 am until noon. The tour starts at the corner of Mountain Avenue and West High Street, in Somerville, in front of the Immaculate Conception Church.

 

June 12, 2010

Saturday, June 12th, 10:00 am until noon

Somerset County History Roundtable:  "Preserving the Written Record"

Heritage Trail Association invites you to participate in open forum to exchange ideas, make recommendations, and reexamine how the written record Somerset County history is being preserved. Among the questions to be addressed, are:

  • What should we keep?
  • Who should keep it?
  • Where should it be kept?

Recent policy changes at the Bridgewater Library regarding the New Jersey history collection has raised concerns about Somerset County's commitment to the preservation of our written records. Historians, genealogists, librarians, and researchers will have an opportunity to provide feedback on how their needs are currently being met, as well as to suggest ways to improve access to historic resources within the county.

Special guest members of the roundtable will include: Jessica Myers, archivist of the Plainfield Public Library and Candis Willis, from the Mary Jacobs Library. Each participant will have the opportunity to share their concerns and experiences with the forum.

The History Roundtable will be held Saturday morning, June 12, 10:00 AM, at the Van Horne House, 941 East Main Street, Bridgewater, NJ. Parking is available behind the Target store at 200 Promenade Boulevard or on the opposite side of Main Street in the Patriot Stadium parking lot. Refreshments will be served.

Pre-registration is suggested but not required; however, even if you are unable to attend, please register online. The information will assist us in planning the event and enable us to notify you of future roundtable forums. To insure that every active historical group in the County is represented, please consult with other members of your organizations and encourage at least one member to join us.

For additional information, please feel free to contact us by email or phone:

(732) 356-8856
info@heritagetrail.org

 

                                          Roundtable Summary and recommendations: download pdf


Click here to register online.

Bus tours run approximately 2 hours in length. Unless otherwise noted, all programs will begin and and end at the Van Horne House, 941 East Main Street, Bridgewater. Also please note that the schedule is subject to change.


Click Here For Photos From Previous Events

The Heritage Trail Association received an operating support grant from the New Jersey Historical Commission, a division of the Department of State.

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Heritage Trail Association
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Van Horne House:
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P.O. Box 698, Bound Brook, NJ 08805
941 East Main Street, Bridgewater, NJ 08807
(732) 356-8856
info@heritagetrail.org
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