Historic Happenings Blog

Second Saturday Each Month - Mount Laurel, Burlington County Tour Paulsdale Paulsdale is open to the public for Second Saturday Tours at 12:00 noon and 1:00 pm. Paulsdale is the birthplace of Quaker suffragist Alice Paul. Tours include a 15-minute presentation about Alice Paul's life and work and a guided tour of the first floor of the property where visitors learn about the Paul family's daily life in the house and its present day use as a girl's leadership center. Tours are $5.00 per person. Paulsdale is located at 128 Hooton Road, Mount Laurel, NJ. For information about group tours or future tour dates, contact the Alice Paul Institute at 856-231-1885, e-mail  info@alicepaul.org , or visit  www.alicepaul.org .

"Step Into History" Summer Camp REGISTRATION NOW OPEN! June 22-26, 2020 9:30 am to 3:00 pm Join the Colonial Dames of New Jersey (NSCDA-NJ) for a week of colonial fun! Children will be able to immerse themselves in colonial culture and learn about a life without wifi, tablets, and tv. Campers will experience the life of colonial children by interacting with Molly Pitcher herself, cook an outdoor colonial meal, learn period games, play with farm animals, and many more fun-filled activities.  This one-week summer camp is for children ages 7-14 and will take place at Peachfield, the 18th-century farm property owned by the NSCDA-NJ in Westampton, New Jersey. The focus of the camp experience will be historical as reflected through the everyday life of children in the 18th century. Snacks will be provided. Please bring a bag lunch. For children ages 6-14, this one-week camp will take place at Peachfield, the 18th-century farm property owned by the NSCDA-NJ in Westampton.  The camp ...

Magnolia Tea -- Registration open! Sunday, May 17, 2020 2:00 to 4:00 pm Rutgers Master Gardener of Burlington County Bobbie Herbs will discuss the care and nurturing of flowering spring trees, shrubs, and perennials in New Jersey. An afternnoon buffet seated tea will feature tea sandwiches and desserts, using China from Peachfield's collection.  Admission: $25 per person, prepaid reservations are required.  Sorry, no refunds. This is a seated tea. In the event of inclement weather or other circumstances, ticket holders will be notified by either phone or email and a full refund will be issued. Any cancellations will also be posted on Facebook and our website.  Otherwise, NSCDA-NJ has a no-refund policy.

Sunday, March 15 -- Burlington County  Postponed Until May 17, 2020 Peachfield Open Hearth Cooking Demonstration ,  2:00 pm - 4:00 pm   Presenter Margaret Quinn will use period recipes and cooking methods as she illustrates the ways food was prepared in Colonial days. Samples and light refreshments will be served.  Admission is $15 per person. Prepaid registration is required as space is limited. Please make checks payable to: NSCDA-NJ and mail to Peachfield, 180 Burrs Road, Westampton, NJ 08060.  We can be reached at 609-267-6996, or email us at  colonialdamesnj@comcast.net . This event takes place at Peachfield, 180 Burrs Road in Westampton, the Headquarters of The National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in The State of New Jersey.  Funding has been made possible in part by the New Jersey Historical Commission, Department of State and the Burlington County Board of Chosen Freeholders, Department of Resource Conservation,...

11th Annual Roebling Museum Car Show! April 25, 2020 9:00 am - 3:00 pm 11 th  Annual Roebling Museum Car Show Saturday, April 25, 2020 (Rain Date Sunday, April 26) 9am to 3pm Car registration $20.00 Day of show only. Free Registration for 1920 & Earlier Stock Cars. Spectator Fee $5.00 (Includes Museum Admission, Kids under 12 Free.) “Fun for the Entire Family!” All years, makes & models, foreign & domestic. “Rat Rods” welcome. Top 70 Trophies plus specialty awards. Music by Tom “E” Tunes. All Military Vehicles and Emergency Vehicles, free admission to display. (Not Judged)  Vendors Selling Various items.  Food, Ice Cream, Fresh Popped Popcorn, and More Available! Door Prizes! 50/50 Drawing! Sponsored by the Roebling Museum. Hosted & Judged by Movin’ on KruZers Car Club. Proceeds Benefit Roebling Museum’s Community Outreach & Education Programs.

Mrs. Harker's Tea  Sunday, April 19, 2020 2:00 to 4:00 pm In celebration of Miriam Harker, the benefactor of Peachfield, the New Jersey Colonial Dames will host an afternoon buffet tea with many of the delicacies reminiscent of those served in the 1930s by Mrs. Harker at Peachfield. Alicia McShulkis will discuss "The Beauty of Boxwood" and its use in American gardens.  Admission: $25 per person, prepaid reservations are required.  Sorry, no refunds. This is a seated tea.

Dora Lewis: "Philadelphia Reformer and Suffragist" "FIRST SUNDAY SERIES" features theatrical presentations and is held at Peachfield, 180 Burrs Road in Westampton. Sunday, April 5, 2020 2:00 to 4:00 pm Women began their long journey to achieving the power of the ballot when a determined group of activists gathered in 1848 for the first Woman’s Rights Convention at Seneca Falls, NY. Across the nation, suffrage societies undertook the difficult battle to convince a democratic government-driven solely by men that “We the People of the United States” included women. For decades, the primary strategy to win the vote for women focused on passing laws state-by-state. The suffragist movement gained momentum when Alice Paul, a young Quaker intellectual, formed the National Woman’s Party, pushing for a federal amendment to the United States Constitution. Dora Lewis, a Philadelphia reformer and suffragist, became Alice Paul’s closest confidant and indefatigable supporter.  Twe...

Meet Teddy Roosevelt, Free Event Thursday, April 2, 2020, at 7 PM – 10 PM Friends Meeting House, 14 Union St., Medford, NJ 08055 Enter the days of the 26th President of the United States as he shares the appearance and experience of this truly unique leader in American history.  President Roosevelt was also a conservationist, naturalist, and writer who served from 1901-1909.  He is often ranked by historians as one of the five best American presidents.  Major aspects of his life include his "outdoorsman" image, his "Square Deal" agenda, his service with the Rough Riders and steps to create several National Parks.  "Teddy" Roosevelt was born on October 27, 1858, and for his six decades of life, he truly lived.  With debilitating asthma and poor eyesight in his youth, he still worked to overcome such challenges, channeling the words of his father: "You must make your body," and "get action; be somebody." Following graduation from Harvard,...

Wednesday, March 11 – Burlington County The Blue Comet of NJ's Central Railroad   On March 11th @ 7:00 p.m., the New Jersey History Speaks Lecture Series (a joint venture between the Historical Society of Moorestown and the Moorestown Library) welcomes back Hank Cutler and Randy Acorcey to speak again on New Jersey’s railroad history.  This time they will present a program that explores the history of The Blue Comet, the “Seashore’s Finest Train.”     The Blue Comet served passengers of the Central Railroad of NJ from 1929 to 1941. Billed as a first-class train at coach fares, the Blue Comet broke all standards of railroading in 1929 ferrying passengers between Jersey City and Atlantic City. Unfortunately, the train didn’t always offer a smooth ride. Hank and Randy recently hiked extensively in an area where the Blue Comet crashed, and they have cleared up some misconceptions about the actual location of the crash through both reports and pictures. ...

Sunday, March 1 -- Burlington County First Sunday Series: Carrie Chapman Catt 2:00-4:00 pm The Women Suffrage effort was one of the most intense and difficult campaigns in US history. Women and men worked tirelessly to convince our legislators that every citizen deserved the right to vote. One of the most important individuals in making this a reality was Carrie Chapman Catt, who succeeded Susan B. Anthony as head of the National American Woman Suffrage Association.             Catt's crowning achievement remains with us today in the League of Women Voters, which she founded to help women gain political knowledge to be informed voters, free of religious or racial bias, achieved through non-partisan political education and leadership. Pat Jordan of American Historical Theatre brings her story to life.   Admission is $10 per person. Friends of Peachfield are admitted free. Please make checks payable to: N...

Sunday,  February 23  - Fieldsboro, Burlington County Tours of White Hill Mansion Over the years plenty of people have lived their lives at the White Hill Mansion. Some of them may still be here.  On Sunday, learn about the people who lived and died in this 300-year-old estate from 1:00 - 3:00 pm with  the Friends of the White Hill Mansion. Tours are $8 for adults, $5 for seniors/veterans, and FREE for m embers, Active Military (and their families), Fieldsboro residents, and children under 14. The tours last approximately 45-60 minutes. White Hill Mansion is located at 217 4th Street, Fieldsboro, NJ. For more information, e-mail  whitehillinfo@yahoo.com  or visit  www.whitehillmansion.com .

Sunday, February 16 -- Burlington County BLUE WILLOW TEA 2:00-4:00 pm  An afternoon buffet seated tea includes tea sandwiches and a dessert using Blue Willow China belonging to Peachfield. A talk will be given on the history of Blue Willow China, and collectors are encouraged to bring a piece of their own. Admission is $25.00 per person, prepaid reservations are required. Please make checks payable to: NSCDA-NJ and mail to Peachfield, 180 Burrs Road, Westampton, NJ 08060. Contact us at (609) 267-6996, or email at  colonialdamesnj@comcast.net  This event takes place at Peachfield, the Headquarters of The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America in The State of New Jersey, 180 Burrs Road in Westampton.

Sojourner Truth--First Sunday Series Sunday, February 2, 2020, from 2 pm to 4 pm Peachfield, 180 Burrs Rd, Westampton Township, New Jersey 08060 In 1850, Sojourner began speaking on women's suffrage, believing the causes of abolition and women's rights to be intertwined and equally important. Truth also helped recruit black troops during the Civil War for the Union Army, and she worked as a Union nurse. Ms. Truth's most quoted speech, "Ain't I a Woman?" is disputed over the words she spoke and the rhythm of her speech, but there is no debate about the power and integrity of the speaker and her impact. Daisy Century, a commanding performer, will bring to life Sojourner Truth--a woman who was undeterred by incredible obstacles. Admission is $10 per person. Friends of Peachfield are admitted free. Please make checks payable to: NSCDA-NJ and mail to Peachfield, 180 Burrs Road, Westampton, NJ 08060.

Saturday, December 14 – Burlington County 2:00PM - 4:00PM    Paulsdale is open to the public for a Holiday Open House from 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm. Paulsdale is the birthplace of Quaker suffragist Alice Paul. The home will be decorated in Quaker fashion by the Mount Laurel Garden Club and guests can  view the  Alice Paul: In Pursuit of Ordinary Equality  exhibit, enjoy refreshments, shop for holiday gifts in our gift shop, and view the Quaker influenced natural holiday decorations. Learn about Alice Paul's life and work and the site's present-day use as a girl's leadership center. Admission is free but donations are welcome. Paulsdale is located at 128 Hooton Road, Mt. Laurel. For information about group tours or future tour dates, contact the Alice Paul Institute at 856-231-1885, e-mail  info@alicepaul.org , or visit  www.alicepaul.org .

Sunday, December 1 – Atlantic County WINTER IN THE PINES, BATSTO’S ANNUAL HOLIDAY EVENT -- 12 P.M. - 4 P.M. BATSTO VILLAGE -   Come celebrate the holidays with a glimpse of the past at the annual “Winter in the Pines” event hosted by the Batsto Citizens Committee Inc. (BCCI) on Sunday, December 1, 2019, from 12 noon to 4 p.m.  Centered within the heart of the historic Pinelands village, the afternoon-long event will feature music, carriage rides, holiday treats and special tours of some of Batsto’s original 18th and 19th-century buildings.  The South Jersey Carriage Company will offer  rides aboard their beautiful Victorian designed carriages , which will wind throughout Batsto’s upper village from 12 noon to 3:45 p.m. There is a $3 per person charge for the rides. Two carriages will be operated simultaneously because the rides have become so popular during the holiday event.  Throughout the afternoon,  the Aurora Choir of St. Nicholas Church...

Kids Create! STEM Saturdays at Roebling Museum Roebling Museum 100 2nd Ave, Roebling, NJ 08554 Saturday, November 23, 2019, at 11 AM – 4 PM Let's explore the world of STEM! Children and families can visit the Roebling Museum for just $5 per person for a day filled with fun and interesting learning activities that make science, technology engineering and math come to life. Build something! Make something! Try something new! Learn about structures, and try your hand at becoming Junior Engineer!  Learn how the Roebling history and legacy can inspire young minds and imaginations today.  Museums are cool! History is Cool!  STEM/STEAM is cool!  Join us! Call 609-499-7200 or visit roeblingmuseum.org for advanced tickets and registration.  This is an excellent activity for scouts, youth groups and STEM clubs.  Children ages 5 and under admitted FREE of charge. Tips for a Successful Kids Create! STEM Saturday event: > Arrive as early as 11am or whenever you like....

Sunday, November 17 – Burlington County PINECONE TEA 2:00-4:00 pm       Forestry expert Mike Martini will discuss "Native Pines and Evergreens to New Jersey and Their Uses in Urban Environments." This seated buffet tea will include tea sandwiches and a dessert.    Admission is $25.00 per person; prepaid reservations are required. Please make checks payable to: NSCDA-NJ and mail to Peachfield, 180 Burrs Road, Westampton, NJ 08060. Contact us at (609) 267-6996, or email at  colonialdamesnj@comcast.net .        This event takes place at Peachfield, the Headquarters of The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America in The State of New Jersey, 180 Burrs Road in Westampton.