Historic Happenings Blog

Sunday, November 17 – Bergen County A History of Home Construction in the Pascack Valley William J. Martin, AIA at 2 p.m. On the suburban streets of the Pascack Valley you will find Dutch colonials, Victorians, ranches and McMansions, all reflecting the social mores, economic factors, and technological advances of different eras. Architect William J. Martin, AIA, of Westwood, will teach us about how and why home styles have evolved throughout the history of the region, showing examples of different types of structures. Educated at Carnegie-Mellon University and Pratt Institute, Martin, owns his own architectural firm in Westwood and is a licensed architect in five states. He is chair of Westwood’s Zoning Board and a member of Bergen County’s Historical Preservation Advisory Board. He is chairman of the Pascack Historical Society's Historical Preservation Board. A question and answer period will follow the talk. Visitors are encouraged to bring photos of their homes to share with th...

Sunday, May 19 – Bergen County “A W.A.S.P. Takes Wing: The Women Airforce Service Pilots of WWII” 2:00 p.m., Pascack Valley Historical Society, 19 Ridge Avenue, Park Ridge, NJ      During World War II, more than one thousand women volunteers completed the WASP military pilot training program. They endured terrible Texas weather, snakes, spiders and scorpions, as well as the hostility of some male instructors. Graduating WASPs piloted every kind of military aircraft, tested new and overhauled airplanes (some with defective parts or dangerous reputations), delivered more than 12,000 planes, and flew over 60,000,000 miles (sometimes towing targets that soldiers shot at with live ammunition!)  Thirty-eight of them died serving their country. Then they were told that men needed their jobs and they were dismissed and forgotten. Carol Simon Levin tells the story of the amazing WASPs through the eyes of Ann Baumgartner Carl, the Jersey girl who train...