EVENT ROUND-UP: September 2009 (Updated 9/23!)

By all these lovely tokens
September days are here,
With summer's best of weather
And Autumn's best of cheer.
-September by Poet Helen Hunt Jackson (1830-1885)

Here are some fantastic ways to enjoy these halcyon days with your family and friends!

Just added!
Sept 26 MAPLETON PRESERVE T.L.C. & PHOTO CONTEST--FREE

Sept 12 PAPER MANIA, BLACKWELLS MILLS CANAL HOUSE--FREE
Sept 12 "FALL IN THE FIELDS", GUIDED NATURE WALK--FREE
Sept 13 "CANAL DAYS IN ROCKY HILL" WALKING TOURS--FREE
Sept 12&13 CIVIL WAR ENCAMPMENT, VAN LIEW HOUSE
Sept 12&13 CANAL DAYS AT THE STAATS HOUSE
Sept 17 BROOK ARTS CENTER RIBBON CUTTING--FREE
Sept 19 TRIANGLE SHIRTWAIST FIRE TALK, HAGEMAN FARM
Sept 20 HARVEST FESTIVAL AT THE HAGEMAN FARM--FREE
Sept 26 HERITAGE TRAIL'S "DUTCH TREAT" BUS TOUR
Sept 26 MILLSTONE W3R CELEBRATION PICNIC, PARADE--FREE
All 2009 NY400 CELEBRATES 400 YEARS OF DUTCH HERITAGE

Share your personal photos of these events with the RMVE Blog!

• Please email any photos you are willing to have considered for posting on the RMVE blog in .jpg format (no more than 200K each, please) to the blog's Director, Jan ten Broeke, at tensart@gmail.com.
• Please include any identifying information with your submissions including site location, activities, and names of individuals prominent in the photo(s).
• While no compensation for your photos is available, you will be providing everyone who views them with lasting memories and joy, as well as helping your community document these significant activities for the benefit of many generations to come. In that spirit, we hope you will be generous--and judicious--in your photo submissions!

September 26 NATIONAL PUBLIC LANDS DAY AND PHOTO CONTEST IN KINGSTON!!!

Friends of Princeton Nursery Lands, Kingston Greenways Association, and the D&R Canal State Park invite you to celebrate National Public Lands Day with a lovely afternoon of fresh air, exercise, and treating the beautiful Mapleton Preserve to a well-deserved Day o' Beauty!

DATE: Saturday, September 26, 2009
TIME: 1:00PM to 4:00PM
MEET: 145 Mapleton Road, Kingston
BRING: Work gloves, long pants, long-sleeved shirt, & hats advised!
Some tools available, but please bring your favorites if you have them!
CONTACT: Tari, tari@kingstongreenways.org
or the D&R Canal State Park, (609) 924-5705

There's a task for every activity level and mood!

• Litter Removal!
• Vine Clearing!
• Whack Back Bamboo & Brush!
• Tree Planting!
• Photo & Video Documentation (Contest Info)!

[from the Kingston Greenways Association website]
National Public Lands Day is the nation’s largest hands-on volunteer effort to improve and enhance the public lands Americans enjoy. National Public Lands Day began in 1994 with three federal agencies and 700 volunteers. In 2008, 120,000 volunteers built trails and bridges, removed trash and invasive plants and planted over 1.6 million trees.

It keeps the promise of the Civilian Conservation Corps, the "tree army" that worked from 1933 to 1942 to preserve and protect America's natural heritage.

This annual event:

• Educates Americans about critical environmental and natural resources issues and the need for shared stewardship of these irreplaceable lands;
• Builds partnerships between the public sector and the local community based upon mutual interests in the enhancement and restoration of America's public lands;
• Improves public lands for outdoor recreation, with volunteers assisting land managers in hands-on work.

September 26: MILLSTONE CELEBRATES WASHINGTON/ROCHAMBEAU REVOLUTIONARY ROUTE (W3R) MARCH WITH PICNIC AND PARADE!!

Please come to the quaint Borough of Millstone's 4th Annual W3R March to Victory Celebration featuring a community picnic, a festive parade, the Fifes and Drums of the Old Barracks Museum, and a day full of exciting events!

DATE: Saturday, September 26, 2009
TIME: TBA
PLACE: Begins at the Hillsborough Reformed Church
Corner of Main St. & Amwell Rd, Millstone
Festival continues at Borough Hall & other locations
INFO: Christine Fung, (908) 904-0436
www.millstoneboro.org

PARTICIPATION IS FREE!!!

The day of family friendly events will also include:

• A Children's Parade!
• Revolutionary War Re-enactors!
• Picnic at Borough Hall!
• Guided Walking Tour of the Borough's National & State Listed Historic District!
• And Much, Much More!

[From the SCCHC website]
During the American Revolution, French soldiers commanded by the French General, the Comte de Rochambeau, fought alongside American soldiers in the battle for freedom from Britain. In August 1781, the French army camped in Millstone during the long march to Yorktown, Virginia. At Yorktown, the joint American and French forces defeated the British army under Lord Cornwallis, effectively winning the American War for Independence. Millstone is proud of its history and the part that New Jersey played in the American Revolution, and on September 26, 2009, the Borough plans to celebrate the courage and dedication of those who fought for our freedom. Millstone invites your participation in a day of family-oriented events highlighting out heritage and honoring an important time in the history of this country.

This event is supported in part by a grant from the Somerset County Cultural and Heritage Commission (SCCHC) and the Friends of the SCCHC!

September 26: "DUTCH TREAT" BUS TOUR!

Celebrate the 400th Anniversary of Henry Hudson's discovery of the Hudson River in 1609 with the Heritage Trail Association's fascinating bus tour of Somerset County's finest examples of Dutch houses and barns!

DATE: Saturday, September 26, 2009
TIME: 9:30AM to 1:30PM
MEET: Bus departs from the corner of Amwell Road & Millstone River Road, Borough of Millstone
Free parking is available at this location.
TKTS: $10.00/Person
Reservations Highly Recommended
Click HERE to register on-line!
INFO: info@heritagetrail.org, (732) 356-8856

The "Dutch Treat" Bus Tour is an exciting opportunity for you and your entire family to spend some quality time together while learning about the Dutch settlers, their contribution to local culture, and the unique architectural characteristics of Dutch houses and Barns!

September 13: "CANAL DAYS IN ROCKY HILL" WALKING TOURS!

In celebration of the Delaware & Raritan Canal's 175th Anniversary year, local historian and author, Jeanette Muser, will lead two informative walking tours of Victorian Rocky Hill, focusing on the years 1834 - 1896!

DATE: Sunday, September 13, 2009
TIMES: Tours begin at 1:00PM & at 3:00PM
MEET: Mary Jacobs Library Parking Lot
64 Washington St., Rocky Hill
RSVP: Reservations Required
(609) 924-1802
RHHeritage1701@aol.com

September 20: THE HAGEMAN FARM HARVEST FESTIVAL WITH PIE CONTEST!!!

The Meadows Foundation is delighted to invite you and your entire family to celebrate the harvest season at the Hageman Farm with scrumptious seasonal treats, fun games for all ages, prizes for the most delicious apple pie, and much, much more!

DATE: Sunday, September 20, 2009
TIME: 1:00PM to 4:00PM
PLACE: The Hageman Farm
209 South Middlebush Road, Somerset
CONTACT: Steve Russell, sruss2761@yahoo.com

ADMISSION IS FREE!!!
(SUGGESTED DONATION FOR PARKING, $5.00)

Your afternoon of apple-themed fun will include:

• Free Refreshments!
• Bobbing for Doughnuts!
• Children's Crafts & Games!
• Tug O'War & Sack Races (All Ages)!
• Heirloom Apple Informational & Tasting!
• Apple Pie Contest With Prizes (see attached entry form)!

The large farm house was built by Benjamin Hageman in 1861 in an Italianate and early Victorian style. The Horse and Dairy Barns were designed and built by Garretson Hageman, Benjamin's eldest son and graduate of Rutgers School of Engineering, in 1976. The Horse Barn, which combines Dutch and English design elements is believed to be the only one of this style and size ever built. Both barns are being meticulously restored for community use and the Horse Barn will be open to the public for the entire festival!

Click on the Pie Contest Rules & Festival flier to enlarge!
Feel free to print out and distribute to family, friends, and community!

Doughnut Nibbling Sept.20, 2009



Curious Cows


Hageman Farm Fest Sept. 20, 2009




Curious Cows at Hageman Farm Fest Sept.20, 2009

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September 19: FIRESIDE CHAT: "THE TRIANGLE SHIRTWAIST FIRE"

The Meadows Foundation proudly invites you to the historic Hageman Farm to hear noted New Jersey historian, Tom Ainsworth, speak about the tragic Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire of 1911, which was--until September 11, 2001--the worst single-day loss of life in an American workplace.

DATE: Saturday, September 19, 2009
TIME: 2:00PM
PLACE: The Hageman Farm
209 South Middlebush Road, Somerset
TKTS: $10.00 per person
RSVP: (732) 560-1977
Reservations Highly Recommended

In a terrible fire that consumed part of the Asch building (now known as the Brown Building of Science at NYU), nearly 150 garment workers, mostly women, either died from the flames or jumped to their deaths. The fire led to legislation requiring improved factory safety standards and helped spur the growth of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union, which fought for better and safer working conditions for sweatshop workers in that industry. To this day no one knows for sure whether the fire was accidental or intentional.

This talk is the first of the Meadows Foundation's ever-popular lecture series of "Fireside Chats". Please stay tuned to the RMVE Blog for information about future talks in this series.

September 17: BROOK ARTS CENTER RIBBON CUTTING AND HURRICANE FLOYD EVENT!!!

The Somerset County Cultural Arts Center Board of Directors and the Borough of Bound Brook are proud to host the triumphant opening of the historic Brook Arts Center--a historic theater that suffered terrible damage during the floods of the Nor'Easter of April 2007--with a ribbon cutting ceremony and a free program remembering Hurricane Floyd and Somerset County's remarkable recovery!

TIME: Thursday, September 17, 2009
DATE: 6:00PM
PLACE: The Brook Art Center
22 Hamilton Street, Bound Brook
INFO: jbib@aol.com, 732-469-7700

ADMISSION IS FREE!!!

[From the SCCHC Website]
A classic vaudeville theater, the Brook was opened in 1927. That was the same year that the first talking picture, The Jazz Singer, starring Al Jolson hit the silver screen, signaling the beginning of the end for vaudeville. Even though it was opened at the tail end of the era, the Brook was home to a wide variety of acts. Headliners like Tony Bennett and Jackie Gleason entertained packed houses in this 850-seat theater.

After years of neglect, the Brook has been acquired by a non-profit organization, The Somerset County Cultural Arts Center, which dedicated to preserving and enhancing the Brook Theatre as an architectural and cultural landmark. In addition, the organization committed to promoting and cultivating the arts in Somerset County, as well as providing educational opportunities in the Arts for all ages and celebrating the diversity of our community through programs that reflect the rich cultural heritage of Somerset County.

September 12&13: CANAL DAYS AT THE ABRAHAM STAATS HOUSE!

The Friends of the Abraham Staats House invite you to stroll the cool canal-side grounds and tour the historic 1740 house while learning about the Delaware & Raritan Canal in its heyday!

DATES: Saturday & Sunday, September 12 & 13, 2009
TIMES: 10:00AM to 4:00PM
PLACE: The Abraham Staats House
17 von Steuben Lane, South Bound Brook
TKTS: House Tour & Artifact Exhibit $5.00/person
Free for children under 12!
Parking & walking the grounds are free for everyone!
INFO: info@staatshouse.org

"Canal Days at the Abraham Staats House" Will Feature:

• A Fascinating Slide Presentation About the Canal!
• Living History Civil War Re-enactors!
• Live Music & Folk Songs!
• An Exhibition of Authentic Civil War Era Artifacts!

September 12&13: LIVING HISTORY WEEKEND: CIVIL WAR ENCAMPMENT!

The Meadows Foundation it thrilled to invite you and your entire family to weekend of living history, when the re-enactors of the 6th New Hampshire Volunteers, Co. C occupy the grounds of the Van Liew-Suydam House!

DATES & TIMES:
Saturday, September 12, 10:00AM to 4:00PM
Sunday, September 13, 10:00AM to 2:00PM
RAIN OR SHINE!
PLACE: The Van Liew-Suydam House
280 South Middlebush Road, Somerset
TKTS: $5.00 per Carload
INFO: (732) 690-6621

The brave soldiers from this regiment fought in many major engagements of the Civil War, including the Battle of Antietam, Cold Harbor, and Fredericksburg. The brave re-enactors at the Van Liew-Suydam House will demonstrate cooking techniques and other other aspects of Civil War soldiers' daily lives, play music, display authentic reproductions of soldiers' clothing and gear, and have drills for both children and adults!

Complementary Refreshments Will Be Served!

NY400: NEW YORK CELEBRATES THE 400TH ANNIVERSARY HENRY HUDSON'S LANDING ON "NEW AMSTERDAM"!

These New York City based events for are bit outside of the RMVE Blog's range, but any one interested in the history of Dutch Culture in the New World should explore these many opportunities to discover and celebrate the past and present influences of America's Dutch Heritage, at NY400!

TIMES & DATES: Year 'Round!
Browse the calender of events for specific information and frequent additions to the program!
NY400 WEEK: September 8 to 13, 2009
New Island Festival: September 10 to 20, 2009
PLACE: Various Sites Through Out NYC & the Hudson River Valley
CONTACT: NY400 Website

NY400: Holland on the Hudson events showcase many important aspects and contributions of Dutch culture, including:

• History!
• Arts!
• Lifestyle!
• Technology!

September 12: "FALL IN THE FIELDS" GUIDED NATURE WALK (EASY) AT SIX MILE RUN!

Please join Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park naturalist, Stephanie Fox, and resident bird expert, Arlene Oley, for a guided "easy-level" exploration of the late wild flowers, autumn birds, and gorgeous vistas of one of Somerset County's most beautiful nature preserves, the Six Mile Run Resevoir Site!

DATE: Saturday, September 12, 2009
Weather Permitting
TIME: 10:00AM to 11:30AM (approx.)
MEET: NJ Community Forestry Parking Area
625 Canal Road, Somerset
RSVP: (609) 924-5705
Pre-Registration Required

PARTICIPATION IS FREE!

This is an "easy" hike suitable for all ages, but please be sure to wear comfortable shoes and weather-appropriate clothing so you can focus all of you attention to the beautiful scenery, interesting wildlife, and beautiful flora!

September 12: PAPER MANIA EXHIBIT AND SALE AT THE BLACKWELLS MILLS CANAL HOUSE!!!

Catch a case of Paper Mania at the beautiful, historic Blackwells Mills Canal House! View and/or purchase local historical photographs, interesting memorabilia, rare old books, collectible prints, posters, sheet music and much, much more!


DATE: Saturday, September 12, 2009
TIME: 10:00AM to 4:00PM
PLACE: The Blackwells Mills Canal House
598 Canal Rd. @ Blackwells Mills Rd., Somerset

ADMISSION IS FREE!!!

Holidays are right around the corner! This is a fantastic opportunity to find those unique treasures for all those special people on your gift list!

**FRANKLIN INN BOOKSTORE CLOSED TO THE PULIC UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE**

Dear Friends & Fans of the Franklin Inn Bookstore-

Franklin Township recently received a grant to perform a Historical Structure Report (HSR) for the Franklin Inn, also know as the Cornelius van Liew Homestead. This report is welcomed as an essential component to the proper and responsible preservation and repair of this important historical structure from 1752.

The structural engineer who performed the inspection and prepared the report, David Hoy of Gilsanz, Murray, Steficek, LLP, found some significant--but fixable--structural problems and recommended that the Inn is temporarily closed to the public until further review determines the extent of the necessary repairs. Based on these recommendations, the Franklin Township Construction Official, Vincent Lupo has ordered the closing of the Franklin Inn until the major structural improvements are completed.

Please be assured that the plan is to make the necessary repairs and to reopen the bookstore as soon as possible, but it is too early to know when that will be.

The RMVE blog will post news and updates of the progress on this project as soon as the information becomes available. To go directly to the updates about the progress on the Franklin Inn, click on the **FRANKLIN INN UPDATES** label to the right of these posts. Along with the updates, we will post any requests for public help or ideas for how you may get involved to help expedite the reopening of the New & Improved Franklin Inn Bookstore!

Click HERE to read the MyCentralJersey.com article about the Franklin Inn.

Below is a copy of David Hoys' letter to Meredith Bzdak of Farewell Mills Gatsh (FMG) Architects, the firm overseeing the HSR study, which contains more detailed information about his specific findings and recommendations.

[Click on Letter Pages to Enlarge]

THE LONG, LAZY SUMMER SEASON IS COMING TO AN END...

...And THAT means the busy season of celebrating the cultural, historical, and environmental heritage of beautiful Central New Jersey IS JUST BEGINNING!

Here is a sneak peek of some of the fun and exciting events that lie ahead:

• September 12 & 13: The Civil War returns to the Meadows as the re-enactors of the 6th New Hampshire Volunteers, Co. C set up camp at the historic Van Liew-Suydam house in Somerset!

• September 19: An informative "Fireside Chat" at the historic Hageman Farm in Somerset about the tragic Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire of 1911, which was--until September 11, 2001--the worst single-day loss of life in an American workplace.

STAY TUNED TO THE RMVE BLOG FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THESE AND MANY, MANY OTHER EVENTS!!!

June 28: BUCCLEUCH MANSION OPEN FOR TOURS!

The Jersey Blue Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution are pleased to invite you and your family to tour the beautifully restored and preserved Buccleuch Mansion this Sunday, and the last Sundays in July, August, and September!

DATES: Sundays; June 28, July 26, August 30, September 27
TIME: 1:00PM to 4:00PM
PLACE: The Buccleuch Mansion
Entrance on Easton Avenue
Across from St. Peter's Hospital, New Brunswick
CONTACT: (732) 745-5074

BRING THE FAMILY, ADMISSION IS FREE!!!