Historic Happenings Blog

Nature Impressions & Campfire Turkey Swamp Park  Shelter Building 200 Georgia Road, Freehold, NJ 07728  Sat, Aug 29, 2020, 7:00-8:30 PM (ages 5 and up, with adult) Gather a variety of leaves, flowers, twigs, or anything else found in nature as we take a short hike. Once we complete our hike, we will use our collected pieces from nature to create a wonderful masterpiece. See the beautiful impressions your collected nature pieces leave behind as you press them into your art form! Afterwards, reward yourself with a campfire and s’mores. One Session $8.50 Per Person

Summer Campfire - Night Fliers Turkey Swamp Park  Council Ring 200 Georgia Road, Freehold, NJ 07728  Sat, Aug 22, 2020, 7:00-9:00 PM (approx.) (all ages, under 18 with adult) While gathered around the summer evening campfire at Turkey Swamp, roasting s’mores and telling stories, you might be surprised at what could be flying. Birds, bats and bugs if we are lucky! Join Park System Naturalists as they look and listen for night flying forest friends. You never know what might fly in! One Session $7.00 Per Person

Cold-blooded Campfire Turkey Swamp Park  Shelter Building 200 Georgia Road, Freehold, NJ 07728  Sat, Aug 15, 2020, 7:00-8:30 PM (all ages) Warm up to cold-blooded critters. Meet turtles, toads and snakes at Turkey Swamp Park. After seeing native reptiles and amphibians, enjoy toasted marshmallows and s’mores. One Session $8.00 Per Person

Butterfly Quest at Turkey Swamp Park Turkey Swamp Park  Council Ring 200 Georgia Road, Freehold, NJ 07728  Sat, Aug 8, 2020, 10:00-11:00 AM (all ages) Summer is the best time for butterflies! These insects are amazing to see and fun to identify. With luck we will observe caterpillars and eggs up close! Closed-toe shoes are strongly advised. One Session $5.00 Per Person

Ancient Stories from Native People Turkey Swamp Park  Council Ring 200 Georgia Road, Freehold, NJ 07728  Sat, Aug 1, 2020, 7:30-9:00 PM  (all ages) Join a Park System Naturalist in our campfire council ring or inside the shelter building if it’s raining at Turkey Swamp Park for an evening of Native American stories. Discover the legends, lore, and myths from the Lenape people about creatures of the forest while relaxing in the shadows of towering pine trees and hearing sounds of the night. We will start the program with a short nature walk to discover our spirit animal and learn about the plants of a pine-oak forest. Afterward we will enjoy some ancient stories, tasty s’mores, and perhaps even some Native American food by the light of a campfire. One Session $7.00 Per Person

Frog Encounter and Campfire Turkey Swamp Park  Shelter Building Sat, Jul 11, 2020, 7:00-8:30 PM 200 Georgia Road, Freehold, NJ 07728  (all ages, under 18 with adult) What do the sounds “g’lunk”, “jug-o-rum”, and “peeppeep” have in common? They are all frog calls! We will track the frog calls to their source and hopefully lay our eyes on these amazing animals. After our “hunt” we’ll sit before the campfire and enjoy a s’more. One Session $8.00 Per Person

Canoe, Kayak, Campfire, Music, and  S’Mores Turkey Swamp Park  Council Ring 200 Georgia Road, Freehold, NJ 07728  Sat, Jun 20, 2020, 7:00-9:00 PM (approx.) (ages 4 and up, under 18 with adult) Bring your friends and family for an evening of fun and adventure in the beautiful woodlands of Turkey Swamp Park. Program starts with a sunset paddle from 7-8pm followed by a good old-fashioned campfire including s’mores and fireside music. Space is limited so register early. Bring your flashlight! One Session $8.00 Per Person

Roving Naturalist @ Turkey Swamp Park Saturday, January 4, 2020, at 9:00 AM Turkey Swamp Park Main Parking Lot 200 Georgia Road, Freehold, NJ 07728 (all ages, under 18 with adult) Join a Park System Naturalist for a leisurely walk on well maintained trails in our parks. We will explore a different park each session as we discuss seasonal points of interest, search for signs of wildlife and identify a bird or two. This is a free 1 1/2-2 hour program, but feel free to join in or drop out at any point during the walk. Dress for the weather as light rain and snow are not deterrents. Meet us on the following Saturday mornings at 9:00 AM

Period Clothing Sewing Group 3rd Saturday of the month February to December 2019 12:00 noon - 4:00 pm Monmouth County Historical Association 70 Court St, Freehold 07728 If you're interested in sewing, or like period clothing and want to know more about construction, or are working on period clothing, come on by! Meetings will be held every third Saturday of the month from 12 - 4 pm at the museum in Freehold. This group is free for members and $5 for non-members. Below is a tentative schedule of meetings for 2019. Please note dates and topics are subject to change. February 16 - Aprons & Neckerchiefs March 16 - Caps April 13 - Shortgowns & Bedgowns May 18 - Jackets June 15/16 - Tentative Gown Workshop at Taylor-Butler July 20 - Finishing Ongoing Projects August 17 - Tentative Workshop or Fieldtrip Sept 21 - Hats October 19 - Accessories, (i.e. mitts, hoods, etc.) November 16 - TBD December 21 - TBD If you are interested in in this group or have any question call Outreach Man...

Family Halloween Camping Turkey Swamp Park 200 Georgia Road, Freehold, NJ 07728 Sat, Oct 26-27, 2019, 12:00 PM-12:00 PM. (ages 5 and up, families, with adult) Spend a spooktacular weekend camping with your family at the Nomoco Activity Area of Turkey Swamp Park, Freehold. Decorate your tent, carve a pumpkin, play Halloween games, go trick-or-treating, hike in the woods at night, and even see a live animal presentation! Each family will be provided with a platform tent, dinner for Saturday night and breakfast for Sunday morning. Additional camping equipment can be provided upon request. $200.00 Per Family (3-6 Persons Per Family)

Volume 3, Issue 6 Lightship  Sandy Hook ...in a whole new light! This vivid depiction of the lightship  Sandy Hook  (LV-51) was painted in 1896 by Milton James Burns (1853-1933), an esteemed American artist with a passion for the great outdoors. The steam-powered Sandy Hook was constructed in 1892, the first of its kind to utilize electric lighting. She served post for fourteen years on the southern side of the Ambrose Channel off the coast of Sandy Hook, guiding trans-Atlantic steamers approaching the New York Harbor. In 1919 the retired vessel was rammed and sunk by a Standard Oil barge while relieving lightship Cornfield Point in the Long Island Sound. Coast Guard historians were finally able to locate the wreckage in the fall of 2000, at a depth of 190 feet. The Monmouth County Historical Association received the painting in 1965 in stable condition but suffering from ill-effects of time and exposure. Thankfully, in early June of this year, it...

Volume 3, Issue 5 Congr atul ations to MCHA Volunteer Marilyn Scherfen for receiving the Outstanding Anthropology Student Award at Monmouth University this year! The front of Covenhoven House during its restoration, around 1970-1972. The house's surviving original fish scale shingles can be seen on the left, on the west side of the house. The other shingles, made of cedar,  are seen here just installed prior to painting. 120th Anniversary Series Growing Pains and Maturity 1968 - 1978 The end of the sixties saw the Monmouth County Historical Association with four historic houses, a main museum building, burgeoning collections, and a busy research library. The organization survived that tumultuous decade with the help of dedicated staff, hardworking trustees, and supportive members and volunteers. The 1970s would see the country celebrate 200 years of existence, while the Historical Association would commemorate not only America's Bicentennial but mark its seventy-fifth anniversa...