Month: October 2015

The kids will love it…including the ones who haven’t really grown up yet: A train ride and a little history.

When 27 historic sites and museums across the county open their doors to the public on October 17 and 18 for Union County’s Four Centuries In A Weekend, a number of sites can be easily visited by train.

A number of historic sites in Union County are within easy walking distance of NJ Transit rail stations and on the Raritan Valley line, shuttles will provide free connecting rides from two stations.

The Town of Westfield, in cooperation with the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation, will provide a shuttle bus from the Westfield station to the Deserted Village in the Watchung Reservation, with stops at the Miller-Cory Museum, the Reeve House, and the Deacon Hetfield House.

From Union Station, Kean University will provide free trolly rides to Liberty Hall, which like all sites, has waived any admission fees for the weekend celebration.

“Four Centuries is such a great event,” said Union County Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski. “Giving families a chance to visit these sites and adding in the fun of a train ride, it’s just a win-win.”

Kowalski said the other advantage is that for visitors from out of the area, or for those who rely on mass transit, it will be possible for the first time to visit so many sites over the Four Centuries weekend.

“The train ride adds to the fun of learning about our area’s incredibly rich history. There was a lot going on here long before America even declared independence,” she said.

For families, there will also be some savings because NJ Transit allows children to ride free on weekends. Monthly commuter passes are also valid. Fare details are available at njtransit.com.

Some of the sites to visit include:

–The Deserted Village of Feltville. Located in the Watchung Reservation, there is plenty of parking. But there are also options this weekend to take mass transit or hike to the historic village nestled in the 2,200-acre reservation. There will be hayrides, tours, acheological dig for kids, children’s games, and the return of the ghose of David Felt. There will also be several history presentations. More details at ucnj.org/dv

–Fanwood. The Victorian Gothic train station on the westbound side of the tracks is on the National and State Registers of Historic Places. (fanwoodnj.org/history/historic-train-station/)

–Westfield. From the train station, either grab the shuttle or it is a walk north through downtown and then up Mountain Avenue, past the iconic Presbyterian Church to the Reeve House, home of the Westfield Historical Society, located at 314 Mountain Avenue. Just up the road is the Miller-Cory House Museum, 614 Mountain Ave. (millercoryhouse.org/ and westfieldhistoricalsociety.artisteer.net/)

–Cranford. Just north of downtown is the Crane-Phillips House Museum at 124 North Union Ave. This American Civil War veteran’s cottage stands next to the Rahway River near the 18th century river crossing, “Crane’s Ford.” (cranfordhistoricalsociety.org/)

–Roselle Park. Walk south on Chestnut Street to the borough’s downtown and you will find the Roselle Park Museum at 9 West Grant Ave. A little further, on Westfield Avenue, was the Charles E. Stone store, the first store in the world illuminated by Thomas Edison’s incandescent lamp.

–Union: The train stops at Kean University and across the street is Liberty Hall, 1003 Morris Ave., built on the eve of the American Revolution and home to William Livingston, one of the signers of the Constitution. (kean.edu/libertyhall/)

On the Northeast Corridor Line, there are a number of other possibilities.  Utilize Penn Station Newark to transfer from the Raritan Valley Line to the NE Corridor line.

–Elizabeth: From the Station and head north on Broad Street. Several major historic sites are an easy walk, including the First Presbyterian Church of Elizabeth & Snyder Academy at 42 Broad Street and the Boxwood Hall State Historic Site, 1073 East Jersey Street. Exit First Presbyterian to the left head to E. Jersey. Make a right onto E. Jersey and follow to 1073 E. Jersey.

–· Rahway: (15) Union County Performing Arts Center – 1601 Irving Street. Turn right onto Broad Street head to Irving Street and follow to 1601 Irving Street

On the Morristown Line and the Gladstone Branch, two sites are within a half-mile of the Summit station:

— Summit: Summit Playhouse, at10 New England Avenue, is just  west of the station. The Summit Library Association kept its books in various locations until residents donated $3,720 to build the Richardsonian Romanesque structure designed by Arthur Jennings. Twin Maples, located at 214 Springfield Avenue, is just east of the station.  Twin Maples, with its “White House” presence, is a suburban estate typical of those built in the Summit area between 1880 and 1920.

For more information about Four Centuries in a Weekend visit ucnj.org/4c.

If archaeology is your thing, then find your way to the Deserted Village of Feltville.

As part of Union County’s Four Centuries in a Weekend Celebration, the Archeological Society of New Jersey will hold a special meeting at Masker’s Barn on Saturday, Oct. 17.   The barn, which is part of the Deserted Village, is in the Watchung Reservation.

On Sunday, Oct. 18, visitors are welcome to meet and talk to one of New Jersey’s preeminent archaeologists, Dr. Richard Veit of Monmouth University. He will be at the site of David Felt’s house, which was excavated by Montclair State University. Veit is also known for his books chronicling his search for Revolutionary War period cemeteries.

The Saturday presentations at the barn, which are open to the public, will include:

“Revisiting the Turkey Swamp Site.” Sean McHugh and Evan Mydlowski, from Monmouth University, will discuss their findings from 1:15 – 1:45 p.m.

“An Enigmatic Prehistoric Archaic Manifestation on the NJ Coastal Plain,” by Jack Cresson, follows at 1:45pm and runs until 2:15 p.m.

“The Snyder Paleoindian Complex, Carpentersville, New Jersey,” is the third and final presentation and will be delivered by Jennifer C. Rankin, from Temple University and R. Michael Stewart, also from the University and with the NJ Historic Preservation Office. That presentation will run from 2:45p.m. to 3:15p.m.

There will also be a “dig” for children to learn the basics of archaeology, which runs Saturday and Sunday. 

“Archaeology is just part of the fun,” said Union County Freeholder Sergio Granados. “With all the activities planned at the Deserted Village, not to mention the opportunity to spend some time in one of the state’s most beautiful reservations, it is a must visit.”

Other activities at the Deserted Village will include Hayrides, Tours, Quill and ink pen writing for children, apple cider pressing, old-fashioned children’s games, pumpkin painting and a guided tour by ghost of David Felt.

To find the Deserted Village, set the GPS to Cataract Hollow Road, Berkeley Heights, NJ. For more information, go to ucnj.org/4C or ucnj.org/dv.

Moving New Jersey Forward Foundation along with various Hispanic organizations put together their first Hispanic Heritage Celebration in Elizabeth. Over 350 people came out to celebrate their cultural diversity along with various elected officials including Moving New Jersey Forward Foundation founder Freeholder Sergio Granados along with Freeholder Vice Chairman Bruce Bergen, County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi, Assemblyman Jamel Holley, Undersheriff Almicar Colon, Mayor Chris Bollwage, Roselle Park Councilman Richard Templeton, Elizabeth Councilwoman Patricia Perkins-Auguste, Elizabeth Board of Education members Stan Neron, Charlene Bathelus and Board of Education Vice Chairman Jose Rodriguez.

 

How about a hike through history this fall?

What would it be like to retrace the steps of the American Revolutionary War Soldiers who engaged the British in Metuchen on June 26, 1777, and then fought a running battle across what is now Edison and Scotch Plains before retreating to the safety of the Watchung Mountains—through a pass by Seeley’s Pond that would become known as Bloody Gap?

On Saturday, October 17, find out.

The NJ Freewalkers, in cooperation with Union County Parks, is sponsoring the Battle of the Short Hills Historic Trail hike. The hike, part of the County’s Four Centuries In A Weekend celebration, ends at the Deserted Village in the Watchung Reservation, where there will be a host of activities and historic tours that Saturday, and Sunday.

To sign up for the hike and learn more details, go to: http://freewalkers.org/events/battle-of-short-hills-walk-2015

“We are hoping for good weather,” said Union County Freeholder Sergio Granados. “There is something inspiring about retracing the steps of the soldiers who fought for our independence and the Battle of the Short Hills was part of all that.”

“For those who do not feel they are up to do the full 13 miles, they are welcome to join the hikers at any point along the route,” said Paul Kiczek, who is coordinating the NJ Freewalkers hike, one of many held throughout the year in New York and the region

For those who hike up to the Deserted Village, they will have the option of riding a shuttle van to the Westfield train station to make their way home. And for those who want to hit their 20-mile mark, a 7-mile route will take hikers through the Reservation and along the cross-county and East Coast Greenways to the Cranford train station.

In addition to several historic sites in Metuchen and Edison, hikers will pass the Frazee House, and then a special exhibit at the edge of the Ash Brook Reservation, perhaps the only location in the entire battle that has not been developed since that time. Local historians will be on hand to explain how the Battle progressed, and how the colonial forces sought to slow the British by having their cannons bogged down in the Ash Swamp.

The British hoped that if they feigned a departure from New Jersey, they would lure the Continental Forces down from the Watchung Mountains, crush them, and finally end the Revolutionary War. The plan didn’t go so well, even though Washington’s troops of less than 6,000 were vastly outnumbered by a combined British and Hessian force numbering about 12,000.

There is also a nature trail leading into the swamp for those who would like to see first-hand the conditions troops faced.

Hikers will also pass the historic Fanwood Train Station, where the historical society will have free refreshments for hikers. The route continues past the Osborn Cannonball House in Scotch Plains and ends at the Deserted Village.

For more information about Four Centuries in a Weekend, visit ucnj.org.