Historic Happenings Blog

“Trenton’s Historic Legacy: The Old Barracks and the Trenton Battle Monument” December 30, 2019  @  11:00 am  –  12:00 pm A presentation highlighting the early efforts to save the Old Barracks by the city’s Daughters of the American Revolution chapter and the work of the Trenton Battle Monument Association in creating the Trenton Battle Monument followed by a walking tour of the gravesites of some of the civic-minded men and women associated with these endeavors. Each participant will receive a booklet. Reservations are required as seating for each presentation is limited to 20 participants: historian.riverviewcemetery@gmail.com or 267-201-3655., $10 per person children under 12 free.

Wednesday, December 4 – Union County Westfield Historical Society’s December First Wednesday Luncheon: “ Stoned in History…Lore from Cemetery Stonework ” with David Rogers  As part of "The Westfield Historical Society’s First Wednesday Luncheon" series,  David Rogers' talk is on the subject "Stoned in History…Lore from Cemetery Stonework” for December 4, 2019. Mr. Rogers takes a look at stonework as it records little-known facts about wars, conflicts, and families through the centuries . The event will begin with check-in at 11:45 am at Ferraro’s Restaurant (2 nd  Floor), 14 Elm Street, Westfield.     Mr. Rogers has accumulated much information from local cemeteries. This information provides facts, through the centuries, about life in those times. He will present his findings which are organized in a time-line fashion.      Some of his research is based on the Presbyterian Church in Westfield’s cemetery, the Burial Grounds of the P...

Sunday, November 3  - Montclair, Essex County Rosedale Cemetery Tour Founded over 175 years ago, Rosedale Cemetery marked the beginning of a new movement in how America took care of its deceased. We’ll talk about grave imagery as well as the people who are buried in the oldest section of the cemetery. Led by Executive Director, Jane Eliasof, and Assistant Director, Angelica Diggs.  Admission is $10 per person and registration is required. To register, call 973-744-1796, email mail@montclairhistorical.org, or  register online . Tour will begin at the Rosedale Chapel for a brief introduction at 408 Orange Road, Montclair, NJ. Carpooling is suggested due to limited parking on site and driving to distant parts of the cemetery. Tour is from 2:00 to 4:00 pm, about 1 mile of walking. For more information, call 973-744-1796, e-mail  mail@montclairhistorical.org , or visit  www.montclairhistory.org .

The Spirits of Rahway – A Lantern Lit Tour of the Rahway Cemetery WHEN:  October 26, 2019 @ 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm  COST:    20.00 Join us the weekend before Halloween for a lantern-lit, nighttime tour of the historic Rahway Cemetery. Our spirit guides will share eerie and true tales of unsolved murders, tragic deaths, and the rumored hauntings witnessed in both the cemetery and the Museum. Five tours will be given each night at 7:30, 8:00, 8:30, 9:00, and 9:30. Tours take approximately one hour and end with refreshments in the Museum kitchen. Guests are also welcome to tour the Museum. Tickets are $20.00 and may be purchased through PayPal below, or the night of the tour. (These tours are designed for teen and adult audiences.) These tours sell out fast –  so make your reservation online , or call the Museum at 732-381-0441!

Saturday, October 26 – Ocean County 5pm— Travel back in time with us, to an era of sailing ships, pirates, and the Revolution!  This special event is a candlelight walk through Waretown’s Victorian Cemeteries at dusk.   The tour begins at the museum, with light refreshments. Then we move on to Old Presbyterian and Cedar Grove Cemeteries. It’s spooky fun, with a history lesson thrown in!      The cost is $10 per person. All proceeds go to the Waretown Historical Society Scholarship for Southern Regional High School seniors. The tour is  limited to 75 guests , and it fills up quickly. Please text me at 609-661-1733 to reserve a spot.      As always, thanks for your continued support of the Waretown Historical Society.  The tour begins at the Little Red Schoolhouse Museum, 182 Wells Mills Road, Waretown, NJ. We meet for light refreshments and to purchase tickets, then drive to the cemeteries...

Ghosts of the Past Cemetery Tour – The Revolution in Rahway WHEN:October 6, 2019 @ 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm WHERE:Merchants and Drovers Tavern Museum                 1632 Saint George Avenue CONTACT:                 Alex Shipley                 732-381-0441 In just seven years, our country will be celebrating its Sesquicentennial, its 250th anniversary, and in 2026 we plan to showcase the patriots who are interred in the historic Rahway Cemetery.  But there’s no need to wait seven years. This year, on Sunday, Oct. 6, we’ll get a head start on the celebration when the Merchants and Drovers Tavern Museum Association presents the 2019 Ghosts of the Past, a Cemetery Tour of Rahway in the Revolution. During the tour, guests will be escorted to ten graves of citizens who have interesting stories to tell.  Costumed actors will represent both soldiers and civilians as they...

Dedication of new Veterans Memorial Sunday, June 2, 2019 at 1 PM – 2 PM Deckertown-Union & Papakating Cemetery 112 Cemetery Road, Wantage, New Jersey 07461 Deckertown Union Cemetery Board of Directors invite the public to the Dedication of the new Veterans Memorial located within the cemetery. The dedication ceremony will be held Sunday, June 02, 2019 at 1:00pm at the cemetery which is located at 112 Cemetery Road Wantage NJ.  This memorial will serve to honor not only our fallen and those who have passed, but all the men and women who serve our country, at home or abroad. The memorial overlooks the graves and honors the memory of more than 150 veterans buried at the Deckertown Union (Papakating) Cemetery. The Deckertown Union Cemetery is an active cemetery with over 1,400 available plots. www.deckertowncemetery.com

Vineland Historical and Antiquarian Society Organizes Cemetery Restoration Project Vineland Historical and Antiquarian Society Organizes  Cemetery Restoration Project For generations, the Vineland Training School served as home for young people who did not quite fit into the outside world, according to the standards of the day. The school served as their world, where they lived and ultimately died, their remains buried in a small cemetery located on the grounds that was later abandoned to the elements. On May 14, the Vineland Historical and Antiquarian Society, working in cooperation with Elwyn, Inc., the current owners of the property, will begin supervising a restoration project of the abandoned cemetery. Approximately 92 former residents of the Training School, who lived there between the late 19th and early 20th centuries, are buried at the site. We can’t thank Richard Berry, the site’s executive director, and his staff enough for giving us this opportunity,” said Pat...

Saturday, March 23 – Somerset County Spiritual Heritage Preserved in Stone: Cemetery Art and Poetry       How did our local forebears understand the meaning of death? How did they wish to be remembered after their own deaths? Gravestones that have survived more than 200 years in our midst may reveal contemporary mindsets through language and commonly understood visual motifs. Learn about gravestone carving traditions and the characteristics that distinguished these intriguing, finely crafted and one-of-a-kind works of art.  Hannah Kerwin will discuss symbolic imagery and evocative epitaphs on gravestones, using some examples from the Old Presbyterian Graveyard, a Revolutionary Era cemetery located in Bound Brook.     Somerset County Library System of New Jersey's  Warren Branch , 42 Mountain Blvd., Warren, NJ at 11:00 a.m.