17^th Historic Preservation and History Awards Program
Wednesday May 2, 2012 at 7:00PM at the Brook Arts Center located at 10 Hamilton St., Bound Brook. 
  We welcome the public, along with  friends and families of this year’s awardees ( Mark Else, Joyce Smith and several others), to join us for what continues to be a very popular and well-attended program, offering an opportunity to network and socialize following the event at a short reception offering light  refreshments.  The Brook Arts Center is barrier free and fully accessible. 

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    TEEN ARTS FESTIVAL…

Wednesday, May 16,  8:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. 

 Raritan Valley Community College.  Route 28 and Campus Drive, North Branch.

 The public is cordially invited to attend performances of Dance, Instrumental Music, Theatre and Vocal Music by Somerset County students from Middle and High Schools.  Also, 400+/- pieces of student artwork will be on display in the RVCC Gallery for the day.  Volunteers are very welcome, but must register in advance. 

 If interested, please contact Sallie de Barcza, Programs Coordinator, Somerset County Cultural & Heritage Commission. (908-231-7021, ext. 7246).

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 May in Montgomery - Back to Blawenburg!
Saturday, May 19,  11.00 a.m. - 3.00 p.m.
  Blawenburg Reform Church, 424 County Rt. 518, Blawenburg. 
$15/person. Dutch-sryle luncheon 12.30 - 1-30 ($5.00 suggested donation)

Follow the history of this charming village through talks and priceless old images; church life’s influence on everyday life; coaches, carriages and farming traditions;; architectural walking tour of village.
   Sponsored by Van Harlingen Historical Society.  Call (908) 359-8304 or go to http://www.vanharlingen.org

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            Delaware & Raritan Canal - Narrated Bus Tour

                               Saturday, May 5, 10:00 am and 2:00 pm
                                             
                         Limited Seating - Reservations Required

Canal House

Join Linda and Bob Barth, authors and D&R Canal enthusiasts, on a tour of one of Somerset County's historic treasures. You'll visit locks, bridges, and other structures along the canal and learn how the canal was built by local workers and immigrants.

The tour will visit some of the picturesque villages that grew up alongside the canal, and you will learn about the many industries that developed along its route. This is a perfect outing and a unique educational experience for the entire family.

The bus tours will leave from the Rhythms parking lot, 729 South Main Street (Route 533), Manville (corner of the Weston Causeway, Route 623).

The cost is $20 for adults and $10 for children 14 or under. Reservations are required. Call (732) 356-8856 for reservations or sign up online:  register. Please indicate your choice of tours: 10:00 am or 2:00 pm.

The Heritage Trail Association is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that creatively celebrates and educates the public about Somerset County  history.

Saturday , April 28

10AM TO 3PM at 149 Kearny Avenue, Perth Amboy,NJ 08861.  

 Middlesex County

The PROPRIETARY HOUSE MUSEUM will be hosting an ANTIQUES APPRAISAL FAIR on Saturday, April 28, 2012 from 10AM TO 3PM at 149 Kearny Avenue, Perth Amboy,NJ 08861. Appraisers who will be participating at this event include Robert Smith, John Solowinski, and Andrea Sandler.

 

Bring your collectibles, flea market finds or family heirlooms. Our Appraisers will offer a verbal appraisal for $10 per intem or 3 items for $25. In order to accomodate everyone the maximum number of items per person is three.

    From 12PM to 12:30PM, Steven Probert, local contractor and business

owner, will talk about his experience restoring the Proprietary House over the last year. He will also be answering your questions regarding your old house projects.

    Admission is FREE. No reservation needed.  Come hungry! Hot dogs, beverages and light snacks will be available for purchase.

   Please support the Proprietary House Museum, the former home of Royal Governor William Franklin, the son of Benjamin Franklin. If you have any questions call the Museum at 732 826-5527, email address:

info@proprietaryhouse.org or visit our website at www.proprietaryhouse.org 

    The Proprietary House Museum is owned by the State of NJ, administered by DEP, Parks & Forestry and operated by the Proprietary House Association.

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Sunday, April 29 - Middlesex County

The Iron Horse in the Garden State:

Railroads in New Jersey, 1812-1930

At the Metlar-Bodine House Museum, Piscataway Township's Historical Museum, guest speaker

Dr. David Fowler will present "The Iron Horse in the Garden State: Railroads in New Jersey, 1812-1930" at 2pm.

The museum is located at 1281 River Road.

Even more so than today, railroads had a pervasive presence and an immense social, economic, cultural, and technological

influence in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Then as now, most people in New Jersey were within earshot,

at least, of the sound of a train. Using a variety of media such as maps, printed works, and graphic images, Dr. Fowler willdiscuss the early phases of railroads in New Jersey, as well as their influence on politics, agriculture, labor, technology, suburbanization, resorts, and immigration.

David J. Fowler received his MA and PhD in American history from Rutgers University. In addition to being a consultant and researcher, he works as a Project Historian with Special Collections and University Archives at Rutgers University Libraries, where he edited the late Donald A. Sinclair's Railroads and New Jersey: A Bibliography of Contemporary Publications,

1812-1901 (2011). Most recently he served as guest curator for the exhibit All Aboard! Railroads and New Jersey, 1812-1930, which was mounted in the Special Collections Gallery.Refreshments served after the program. Seating is limited. Advance reservations and payment are necessary and must be receivedno later than April 27. Tickets: $15 per person. For reservations and directions, call the museum at 732-463-8363.

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Saturday-Sunday, April 21-22 - Mercer County

The Princeton Battlefield Society

Military Field Days at Princeton Battlefield- April 21-22, 2012

Units are invited to knock the dust off their muskets and uniforms and practice drill, field maneuvers, and fieldcraft in preparation for the big events of the 2012 season on Saturday, April 21st and Sunday, April 22nd. We are working to include both American and British units to allow for opposed forces demonstrations/tacticals. The Princeton Battlefield Society; Contact- J. Carney; 973-271-8333

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Saturday, April 21 - 2-4 PM
Van Liew-Suydam House, 280 S. Middlebush Road, Somerset 08873. 2-4 p.m. Tix are $10. 732-748-7657.
Somerset County

"The Richard Stockton and New Jersey's Darkest Hour," presented by NJ historian Don Peck, concerns those events in 1776 leading up to the capture of signer of the Declaration of Independence and his renunciation of his oath of allegiance to the new United States. Mr. Peck will explore this tragedy and recount the psychic experiences he had with the renowned psychic, Jane Doherty, and others at Historic Morven in Princeton. The Meadows Foundation. Van Liew-Suydam House, 280 S. Middlebush Road, Somerset 08873. 2-4 p.m. Tix are $10. 732-748-7657.

Annual Friends of Princeton Nursery Lands Arbor Day Celebration at Mapleton Preserve
Saturday, April 21, 2012, 2 to 4 PM

This year, our celebration includes both the official dedication of interpretive signs for the site (the former home of Princeton Nurseries), and a guided tour of the Preserve.
These elegant new signs (this is the first of six) were developed by Friends of Princeton Nursery Lands, with the assistance of a project grant funded by the New Jersey Historical Commission.
The interpretive panels will help visitors understand the historic and cultural significance of the site through text, photos and maps.Following the walk we'll be planting a tree using best practices. Light refreshments and FREE "baby trees" will be available, compliments of Friends of Princeton Nursery Lands.

Mapleton Preserve/D&R Canal State Park Headquarters, 145 Mapleton Road, Kingston.

For more information, visit us online at http://fpnl.org/?p=64 or call 609-683-0483.

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SOMERSET COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY... Facility opens first Tuesday in April to through the first week of December. Located in the Van Veghten House, Finderne. Call (908) 218-1281 or (908) 356-6920 for more information.

SOMERSET COUNTY PHOTOGRAPHY CLUB... Dedicated to promoting the appreciation and enjoyment of photography, holds meetings on the second and fourth Tuesdays from September through June from 7:00 - 9:00 pm at the Bound Brook Memorial Library, 402 E. High St, Bound Brook NJ. Please call David McRitchie at 732-469-8481 for more information. http://somersetcountyphotoclub.bravehost.com/index.htm

SOMERSET VALLEY ORCHESTRA... A community symphony orchestra holds rehearsals each Thursday evening from 7:30pm - 9:30pm in the band room at Bound Brook High School, Union Ave., Bound Brook, and welcomes musicians. No audition required. For more information, please call (908) 725-4983.

WALLACE HOUSE & OLD DUTCH PARSONAGE… Washington Place, Somerville (historic sites) opens to the public Wednesday – Saturday from 10am – Noon & Sunday, 1:00pm –5:00pm.

Call (908) 725-1015 for further information.

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Saturday, April 14, 2012 10:00AM – 5:00PM
Sunday April 15, 2012 10:00AM – 3:00PM
Civil War Encampment & Living History at the Central Jersey Masonic Center, 345 River Road (County Rt. 605), Montgomery Township.
Presented By: The 6^th New Hampshire Volunteers.
Come Join Us for Living History Events and Encampment Tours! Snacks and refreshments will be available throughout the day!
On Saturday enjoy the Pig Roast and Live Music!
Admission is FREE;
Pig Roast only $15 – Adults / $5 - Students
Sponsored By Palestine Lodge No. 111; F & A M, www.palestine111.org,
Don Skaar - (732) 208-6615

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Thursday April 19 , 7.00 PM

Temple Beth El 1489 Hamilton St. Somerset.

What Papa Told Me by Felice Cohen…Community wide Yom Hashoah program –It is through the perspective of a granddaughter whose grandparents were in the Holocaust. It follows Murray Schwartzbaum survival through 8 labor and concentration camps, to his later years in American as he builds a life for himself.

Fee: Free to community, Information call: 732-873-2325. You may also call the JCC at 908-725-6994 x201 for questions

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