Historic Happenings Blog

Sunday, February 23 – Somerset County SEANCE WITH JANE DOHERTY - the last seance we had with Jane was spectacular!  Limited to 20 people.  Tickets available on EventBrite.com The Meadows Foundation is pleased to present an afternoon with noted psychic Jane Doherty. She will address the spirits connected with each attendee, including loved ones who have passed on. Jane acts as a contact point to aid in communication between the earthly and spirit worlds. Beginning at 2:30pm, this 3-hr event will take place at the Wyckoff-Garretson house, a historic home stewarded by The Meadows Foundation. Listed on the state and national registries of historic places, the museum house dates to 1709, and has an established history of spiritual activity. This event is LIMITED TO 20 PARTICIPANTS. The cost is $60 per person, and light refreshments will be served. For more information or a flyer for this event. go to www.TheMeadowsFoundation.org, and look on our Upcoming Events page. For more infor...

Saturday, November 2 – Somerset County SEASONAL FOODWAYS Saturday, November, 2nd 1:30 pm The Dutch Barn at Rockingham In the 18th century, not all foods were available all year long. There were no supermarkets as we know today to sell out-of-season fruits and vegetables. You could not buy a peach in February or tomato in May (or any other month, actually) . You planned your menus according to what was available in your garden or from local markets during growing seasons and what was preserved, dried, pickled, smoked or salted in storage the rest of the year.  Deborah Peterson, foodways historian, will bring to light just how dependent colonial Americans were on the seasons of the year for their food on  Saturday, November 2nd at 1:30 . The presentation will also touch on the goods imported into the colonies.  This program will be presented in the barn at Rockingham State Historic Site, with time for questions and light refreshments to follow.  Seating is limited...

Saturday,  October 19  -  Franklin Township, Somerset County The Right to Vote for NJ Women - In 1776? American women, after decades of struggle and demonstration, finally were given the right to vote in 1920 with the ratification of the 19th amendment. Did you know that some New Jersey women (white women who owned property) had the right to vote from 1776 to 1807? On Saturday at 1:30 pm, Carol Levin will present, "Reclaiming Our Voice," a talk focusing on this intriguing slice of our state's early history. The program chronicles New Jersey's largely overlooked role in the women's suffrage movement. As the only state to have women's suffrage (the NJ 1776 state constitution enabled some women to vote), then lose it (the all-male legislature took it away in 1807), NJ was a symbol to many suffragists. It was a long struggle for all. Only one person who attended the first national Women's Rights Convention in 1850 lived long enough to see women attain the righ...

Saturday, June 22 – Somerset County Staged Reading of A Human Being Died That Night   at Franklin Library   Franklin Township Public Library is proud to host the Oldwick Community Players as they present a staged reading of  A Human Bering Died That Night  on Saturday, June 22 at 2 p.m. This performance of an anti-apartheid play by Nicholas Wright adapted from the book by Dr. Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela is free and open to the public. Actors include Christopher Rollins and Leonie Infantry.  Directed by Merry LaRue.      Registration is requested but not required .   Synopsis: Eugene de Kock was a paid white political assassin nicknamed 'Prime Evil' for his crimes against anti-apartheid activists. While he served his two life sentences, black psychologist Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela went to interview him, hoping to seek humanity and forgiveness within the government-sanctioned monster.  The thought-provokin...

Sunday, June 9 – Somerset County     The D&R Canal Watch Annual Meeting on Sunday, June 9 will feature naturalist, photographer and canal enthusiast James C. Amon.     For twenty-nine years, Jim Amon served as the executive director of the D&R Canal Commission, guiding that organization through its formative years, planning for the canal park’s future, guiding development of the park and administering a regulatory program to protect the canal from the harmful impacts of new development.     Upon his retirement in 2005 he became the director of stewardship for the D&R Greenway Land Trust, taking responsibility for managing over 100 nature preserves comprised of approximately 4,000 acres.   Jim lives in Lambertville with his wife, Kathleen, and their dog—really her dog— Sally. He is seriously involved in photography with exhibits in galleries throughout central New Jersey. He writes on environmental issues, ...

Sunday, June 2 – Somerset County Project Trio Performing   at Franklin Library     Franklin Township Public Library is proud to host  Project Trio on Sunday, June 2 at 2 p.m. This concert is free and open to the public.  To listen, visit  http://www.projecttrio.com/ Combining the virtuosity of world-class artists with the energy of rock stars, Project Trio is breaking down traditional ideas of chamber music. Blending their classical training with an eclectic taste in musical styles, they make a big impact on audiences of all ages.  The genre-defying Trio is acclaimed by the press as “packed with musicianship, joy, and surprise” and “exciting a new generation of listeners about the joys of classical and jazz music.”     Registration is requested via the library’s online events calendar at www.franklintwp.org or call (732) 873-8700 ext. 111. The Franklin Township Public Library is located at 485 DeMott Lane, Somers...

Wednesday, April 17 – Somerset County Documentary Screening of Alice’s Ordinary People and Discussion with the Filmmaker at Franklin Library      Join us for a film screening of  Alice's Ordinary People  and an opportunity to meet with the filmmaker on Wednesday, April 17 at 6:45 at Franklin Township Public Library.         The documentary is about Alice's Tregay's Life: Ordinary people effecting extraordinary change for human rights.  It documents five decades of fearless activism and the continuing relevance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to the ongoing fight for justice.      See the film. Meet the filmmaker. More information about the movie can be found at  http://imaginevideo.org/alices-ordinary-people/     This program is free and open to the public. The Franklin Township Public Library is located at 485 DeMott Lane, Somerset, NJ 08873 in the ...

Sunday, April 7 – Somerset County Blues with SaRon Crenshaw Band at Franklin Library (Somerset) Come enjoy a blues concert with SaRon Crenshaw and his band at Franklin Township Public Library on Sunday, April 7 at 2:00 pm. This concert is free and open to the public. Registration is requested but not required.  SaRon Crenshaw learned to play guitar at the age of ten and travels the country playing jazz and rhythm and blues. He has shared stages with talented recording artists such as Lee Fields, Roy Roberts, Denise LaSalle, Bobby Rush, Jessie James, Tyrone Davis, and Chuck Roberson. Crenshaw plays a Gibson 'Lucille' model guitar signed by B.B.King himself and is a regular at Terra Blues in New York City. He puts on a show that is not to be missed! For more information about the musician, visit  http://www.saroncrenshaw.com/.  For more information, visit the Library’s online events calendar at www.franklintwp.org or call (732) 873-8700 ext. 111. The Library...

Now through March 29 – Somerset County Quilt Display at Franklin Library (Somerset)     Franklin Township Public Library is proud to host a  collection of beautiful quilts by the Pieced Together Quilters  through March 29, 2019.       The quilts were designed in response to a “Paint Chip Challenge” in which quilters are given a paint chip and must make a quilt with the colors in the chip, and one other color—either white, cream, or black.    The Pieced Together Quilters offers members opportunities for inspiration, education, and friendship with other quilters, and a chance to share their talents with their local community through their charitable endeavors.     The group meets at the Green Knoll Rescue Squad at 608 North Bridge Street, Bridgewater, NJ. Meetings are from 7:00-9:30 p.m. on the 2 nd  and 4 th  Wednesday of each month from September to June, and once a month during July...

Monday, February 25 – Somerset County Poetry Reading: Jacquese Armstrong reads from Blue Legacy at Franklin Library (Somerset)     Poet and writer Jacquese Armstrong will be reading from her newest book of poetry,  Blues Legacy , on Monday, February 25 at 7 p.m. at Franklin Township Public Library in Somerset, NJ. This event is free and open to the public.      Blues Legacy  is Armstrong’s exploration of the relationship of African-Americans to music and their relationship to the United States. Her reading will center around some pieces from  Blues Legacy  relating specifically to music.     Jacquese Armstrong is the recipient of the 2019 Naomi Madgett Long Poetry award and resides in Central New Jersey. Her book,  Blues Legacy , was published this month from Wayne State University Press. Armstrong’s poetry chapbook,  dance of the shadows , was published in 2017. Her work has been seen in seve...