SEPTEMBER 25 "Washington's Spies" Come in from the Cold at the Van Wickle House!

The Meadows Foundation is thrilled to kick off 2010-11's Fireside Chat series with a fascinating presentation by historian George Dawson about American spies in the Revolution, especially Franklin resident, John Honeyman!

DATE: Saturday, September 25, 2010
TIME: 2:00PM
PLACE: The Van Wickle House
1289 Easton Avenue, Somerset
TKTS: $10.00 per Person
$1.00 Discount with Membership Card
RSVP/INFO: (732) 560-1977
chrisflp@aol.com

In 1775-76, Washington instructed John Honeyman to continue trading as much as possible behind the American lines in Griggstown and to flee to Trenton, if necessary, on the pretext that his double dealing has posed a danger to his family. The deception was so convincing, an angry mob of American patriots raided Honeyman's house in Griggstown.

APRIL 10 & 11: Battle of Bound Brook & Middlebrook Encampment

THE REDCOATS ARE COMING!!! Please join the Friends of the Abraham Staats House (FASH) in waging the Battle of Bound Brook and rallying Washington's army at the Middlebrook Encampment!

TIME: Saturday & Sunday, April 10 & 11, 2010
DATE: 10:00AM to 5:00PM
PLACE: Abraham Staats House
17 von Stuben Lane, South Bound Brook
INFO: info@staatshouse.org

This two-day program explores the exciting events of the American Revolutionary War surrounding the Battle of Bound Brook and Middlebrook Encampments, from 1777 to 1779, and extremely important time in New Jersey and American history!

Weekend Activities and Events Include:

• 18th Century Soldiers' Encampment on the grounds of the Abraham Staats House, illustrating the daily life events of American and British troops during the American Revolution.
• Tours of the Historic Abraham Staats House (c. 1740), home of the Staats family for over 200 years, which served as the headquarters for George Washington's "Drillmaster", Baron von Steuben.
• Presentations and Demonstrations, staged throughout the weekend, include: a lecture by noted historian Robert A. Mayers, author of The War Man: The True Story of a Citizen-Soldier Who Fought from Quebec to Yorktown; an exhibition of Native American trade beads and wampum by collector Earl Becker; and, eminent historian H. Kels Swan and accomplished musician Tom Harabin (President of FASH) will play music of the Colonial Era throughout the weekend.

Why not become a Friend of the Abraham Staats House and get in on all the fun? Click here and discover what a wonderful, life-long friend a house can be!

Other Sponsors of the Battle of Bound Brook: Borough of South Bound Brook & the Borough of Bound Brook, Bound Brook CommUnity Development Association, The Sheriff's Department of Somerset County, Ukrainian Orthodox Church of USA

MARCH 27: Walk to Rockingham!

Enjoy a fresh, spring morning with a D & R Canal State Park historian and naturalist guided walk along the towpath from the Mapleton Preserve to the Rockingham Historic Site for a house tour, and then back again!

DATE: Saturday, March 27, 2010
Weather Permitting
TIME: 10:00AM
MEET: D&R State Park Office
145 Mapleton Road, Kingston
WEAR: Weather-appropriate clothing, comfortable hiking shoes
RSVP: Pre-registration Requested
REGISTER HERE

ADMISSION IS FREE!!!

From the park headquarters, this 3.5 walk will first pass through a portion of the former Princeton Nursery grounds and by the historic Kingston Canal House on the way to the D & R Canal towpath. The group will then proceed along historic towpath to the beautifully restored Rockingham house, George Washington's 1783 headquarter during the American War of Independence!

Why not join one of these organizations and get in on all the fun?
Friends of the Princeton Nursery Lands
Kingston Greenways Association
D & R Canal Watch

CALLING ALL HISTORICAL RE-ENACTING UNITS & SUTLERS!

Hear-ye, hear-ye! Registration is now OPEN for re-enacting units & sutlers interested in participating in the 2010 Battle of Bound Brook!

"Washington's Army at Middlebrook"
At the Historic Abraham Staats House
17 von Steuben Lane, South Bound Brook, NJ

Saturday & Sunday, April 10th & 11th, 2010
(Units & Sulters are encouraged to set-up camp Friday night, April 9.)

About the Battle of Bound Brook
[From the Staats House Website]

On Sunday, April 13, 1777, a four-column force of 4,000 British Crown troops led by Lord Charles Cornwallis attacked a small American garrison of about 500 commanded by General Benjamin Lincoln and located in the town of Bound Brook. The objective: surround the town, capture the garrison and provisions located at this patriot stronghold and gain a foothold in the war against the American Revolutionary army. In the surprise attack, an advance column led by Hessian Jaeger scouts fighting for the British were pinned down by Colonial soldiers who put up a spirited resistance at the Old Stone Arch Bridge located near the Queens’ Bridge.

The skirmish bought precious time for the bulk of the American force in Bound Brook as British forces poured into the area. When a second column of 1,000 British soldiers charged over the Queen’s Bridge to attack, the Colonials retreated, escaping the trap. The American army regrouped in the area later in 1777, in a larger encampment called First Middlebrook. General George Washington’s army was also settled in the winter and spring of 1778-79 in a Second Middlebrook encampment, in the area of Bound Brook. Nearly 10,000 troops gathered at Middlebrook, with attendant artillery camps, hospitals, commissaries, post office, artificers, quartermasters stores, corrals and other military operations situated in nearby locations. General Washington and many of his officers stayed in homes in the area, near to the main encampment. General Baron Frederich von Steuben made his headquarters at the home of Abraham Staats in South Bound Brook, today known as the Abraham Staats House.

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!

May 17: Luncheon/Lecture, CELEBRATING GEO. WASHINGTON & THE LONGEST DAY OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION!

You are cordially invited to join the Raritan Millstone Heritage Alliance for a delightful luncheon and lecture by James T. Raleigh, President of the Friends of Monmouth Battlefield Association!

DATE: Sunday, May 17
TIME: 1:30 to 3:00PM
PLACE: The "Bride's Room"
The Historic Cranbury Inn
21 South Main St., Cranbury
TKTS: $30/Person, Includes Lunch & Lecture
Make Checks Payable to the Raritan Millstone Heritage Alliance, Inc.
Proceeds Will Benefit the GUIDE TO HISTORIC SITES IN CENTRAL NEW JERSEY
RSVP: Required by May 12, Seating is Limited
Please Specify Entree Choice at Time of Reservation:
Chicken Marsala
Salmon
Cavatelli/Broccoli/Carrots (Vegetarian)
(Salad & ice cream or rice pudding included)
PHONE: Mrs. Elyce Jennings @ 732.463.0767
MAIL: RMHA c/o Mrs. Elyce Jennings
851 River Road
Piscataway, NJ 08864

George Washington and his troops arrived in Cranbury on June 26, 1778, from Hopewell, but due to excessive heat and rain were unable to advance any further. On June 27, Washington and his Continentals crossed 10 more miles of farmland, woods, and marshland into present day Monroe Township enroute to the Battle of Monmouth on June 28, 1778!

May 9: COME SHARE YOUR IDEAS ABOUT MEETING THE CULTURAL & HISOTRICAL NEEDS OF SOMERSET COUNTY!!!

The Somerset County Cultural & Heritage Commission and the Heritage Trail Association invite you to participate in an open forum to exchange ideas, make recommendations, and recommendations, and reexamine how the cultural and heritage needs of Somerset County are currently being met, as well as to explore collaborative efforts to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of our common objectives!

DATE: Saturday, May 9
TIME: 9:00AM to Noon
PLACE: Van Horne House
941 East Main, Bridgewater
RSVP: Pre-Registration is Appreciated, Not Required
Register On-Line Here
INFO: (732) 356-8856
info@heritagetrail.org
PARKING: Behind the Target, 200 Promenade Blvd
Patriot Stadium lot, east side of Main St.

REFRESHMENTS WILL BE SERVED!

Among the topics that will be included on the agenda are:

• The needs survey conducted by the SCC&HC in 2006
• The Crossroads of the American Revolution Association and what that organization can offer the historic community and what we can offer them
• The Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail
• Signage for historical sites and historic routes
• Event marketing and communication with the public
• Educational programs

Should you have specific topics, projects, or ideas that pertain to the general history community, please let us know in advance so that they can be included on the agenda. To insure that every active historical group in Somerset County is represented, please consult with other members of your organization and encourage at least one member to join us. If you have materials to share with other participants, a display area will be provided for flyers, newsletters, event calendars, etc.

THIS IS A FREE EVENT!

April 19: TALK "A MAP OF THE FIRST MDDLE BROOK ENCAMPMENT, 1777"

The Friends of the Abraham Staats House are proud to invite you to historian and colonial-era artifact expert H. Kels Swan's fascinating presentation on what information can be gleaned from a map of General George Washington's first encampment in Middle Brook in 1777!

DATE: Sunday, April 19
TIME: 12:30 to 1PM
PLACE: The Abraham Staats House
17 Von Steuben Lane, South Bound Brook
TKTS: $10/Adult, $5/Under 18
Admission includes house tour & lecture
RSVP: Reservations Strongly Recommended
Include: name, address, contact, number of seats
Email: info@staatshouse.org
Phone: (732) 469-3198

This exciting lecture is the fourth installment of the six-lecture "Lectures Through Time" series presented at the historic Abraham Staats House (c.1740) and coincides with the Staats House Living History Weekend!

[From the Abraham Staats House Website]
H. Kels Swan is a prominent New Jersey historian. His colonial-era artifact collection had been on display at Washington's Crossing Museum in Titusville for many years. He is founder and past president of the Swan Historical Foundation. A graduate of Rutgers, Mr. Swan has served on the Somerset County Cultural and Heritage Commission and the South Bound Brook Historic Commission and has supported history in New Jersey, through his lectures and displays of the artifacts from his collection.

April 18 & 19: LIVING HISTORY WEEKEND--THE BATTLE OF BOUND BROOK!

The Friends of the Abraham Staats House are thrilled to invite you and your entire family to one of the most exciting events of the year, living history with the Battle of Bound Brook: Washington's Army at Middlebrook! This Crossroads Celebration will feature compelling speakers, powerful historical interpretors and reenactors, historic house tours, demonstrations, delicious food, and much, much more!

DATE: Saturday & Sunday, April 18 & 19
TIME: (See Schedule of Events Below)
PLACE: The Abraham Staats House
17 Von Steuben Lane, South Bound Brook

The two-day program explores the American Revolutionary War during the time-frame of the Battle of Bound Brook and Middlebrook encampments, 1777 – 1779. Learn about and experience this important period in New Jersey’s and America’s history. Weekend activities include:

• 18th century Soldiers’ Encampment on the grounds of the Abraham Staats House! Come walk through camp and see what life was like for American and British troops during the time of the American Revolution.
• Historic house tours: The Abraham Staats House, with the original structure c.1740, was home to the Staats family for nearly 200 years and served as the headquarters for George Washington’s “Drillmaster” Baron von Steuben.

Lectures and presentations at the Abraham Staats House, throughout the weekend, include:

• Collector Earl Becker offers a talk and display of his collection of trade beads and wampum (Saturday, 1PM & Sunday, 11AM)
• Wayne Daniels, Senior Historical Interpreter at the Old Barracks, Trenton, presents “The Approaching Storm,” ~ chronicles New Jersey as it is drawn inexorably into the turbulence of the American Revolution. (Saturday, 2PM)
• Eminent historian H. Kels Swan presents information and a map of the first Middlebrook Encampment of 1777. (Sunday, 12:30PM)
• Noted historian and author Arthur S. Lefkowitz, a color slide presentation of 18th century artistry during the American Revolution (Sunday, 1PM)
• Gary DePaolo, New Jersey Militia, Heard’s Brigade, portrays a surgeon of the Colonial era. Learn about medical practices of the 18th century and view surgical instruments used during that time. (Sunday)
• Tom Harabin, President, Friends of Abraham Staats House, plays music of the Colonial Era (throughout the weekend.)

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

• Please email any photos you are willing to have posted on the RMVE blog in .jpg format (no more than 200K each, please) to the blog's primary writer/editor/monitor, 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!

March 28: TALK "MIDDLEBROOK: A COMPREHENSIVE LOOK"

Please join the Friends of the Staats House (c. 1740) as historian Jim Kurzenberger presents a fresh look at a key local event of the American War of Independence, General George Washington's quartering of his main army in Middlebrook--near present-day Bound Brook--in the winter of 1778-79!

DATE: Saturday, March 28
TIME: Lecture begins promptly at 4:30PM
House open for tours from 3:30PM
PLACE: The Abraham Staats House
17 Von Steuben Lane, South Bound Brook
TKTS: $10/Adult, $5/Under 18
Admission includes house tour and lecture
RSVP: Reservations Strongly Recommended
Include: name, address, contact, number of seats
Email: info@staatshouse.org
Phone: (732) 469-3198

A native of Bedminster, N.J., Jim Kurzenberger has worked for 26 years in the field of museums, historic sites and architectural history. Mr. Kurzenberger received his B.A. in History after attending The George Washington University and Kean University. He has worked at Gunston Hall Plantation in Lorton, Va., the U.S. National Park Service and at the New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry.

He currently manages The Wallace House and Old Dutch Parsonage Historic sites in Somerville, N.J., for the N.J. Dept. of Environmental Protection. The Wallace House served as headquarters for General George Washington during the Middlebrook Cantonment of 1778-79. In addition, he has served the Somerset County Historical Society as Trustee, Vice President and President. He was also a preservation consultant for Bedminster Township and served as a member of the township’s Historic Commission. He is a member of the American Society of Architectural Historians.

Mr. Kurzenberger’s areas of interest and expertise include 18^th century architecture and material culture and the American Revolution in New Jersey.

This lecture is the second installment of the six-lecture "Lectures Through Time" series presented at the historic Abraham Staats House!

February 22: WASHINGTON'S BIRTHDAY AT HISTORIC ROCKINGHAM

The Rockingham Association is delighted to invite you to celebrate George Washington's 277th birthday at one of his residences as Commander in Chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolution!

DATE: Sunday, February 22
TIME: Tour Times, 12PM, 1PM, 2PM, 3PM
Refreshments to follow each tour!
IMP'T: Tour size limited to 12
Registration for specific tour time recommended
PLACE: Rockingham Historic Site
Rte. 603 (Laurel Ave./Kingston-Rocky Hill Rd.)
1 Mile North of Rte. 27 in Kingston
1 Mile South of Rte. 518 in Rocky Hill
(map/directions)
RSVP: (609) 683-7132
INFO: www.rockingham.net

From August to November 1783, the Rockingham House, once the residence on the farm of the late Judge John Berrien, served a George Washington's final wartime headquarters. It was at Rockingham that Washington penned and formally signed the Treaty of Paris, thereby initiating the beginning of the end of the American Revolution and the birth of the United States of America!

February 15: Luncheon, Lecture, and Birthday Party for George Washington!

The Raritan Millstone Heritage Alliance cordially invites you to their Winter Sunday Series Luncheon, Lecture, and Party to celebrate George Washington's 277th Birthday!


David Fowler, Ph.D., a distinguished speaker, historian, and former Director of the David Library of the American Revolution in Washington's Crossing, PA, and will be speaking on "The Confederation Period 1783-1787"!

DATE: Sunday, February 15
TIME: 1:00PM to 3:00PM
PLACE: Charlie Brown's Steakhouse
4591 Route 27, Kingston
TKTS: $30.00/Guest, Includes Meal and Lecture
Make checks payable to the Raritan Millstone Heritage Alliance, Inc.
Please mail checks before February 8
RSVP: Reservations Required
Please Include Choice of Entrée:
Prime Rib of Beef
Grilled Atlantic Salmon
Parmesan crusted Chicken
PHONE: Elyce M. Jennings @ 732-463-0767
MAIL: Checks Must be Mailed By February 8
Mrs. Elyce M. Jennings
851 River Road
Piscataway, NJ 08864

PHOTOS! "The Marriage of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln" Lecture, 11/15

Evelyn Maron with the winner of the Meadows' drawing for 2 free admissions to this event!

Featured speaker, notable historian and Lincoln expert, Glenn W. LeBoeuf.

Historian Glenn W. LeBoeuf

Post-lecture refreshments offered on period furnishings at the Hageman House.



Thank you, Steve Russel (Meadows Foundation Board of Directors) for sharing these beautiful photos!

And thank you, Meadows Foundation, for sponsoring this exciting lecture, "A House Divided: The Marriage of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln" at the Hageman House and Farm!

RMVE Blog readers are encouraged to identify anyone appearing in these beautiful photos in the comments section below this entry or by emailing the RMVE's main blogger, Jan ten Broeke, tensart@gmail.com.

November 15: LECTURE "A House Divided: The Marriage of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln"

The Meadows Foundation is proud to present, "A House Divided: The Marriage of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln."


DATE: Saturday, November 15, 2008
TIME: 2:00PM
PLACE: Hageman House & Farm, 209 S. Middlebush Rd., Somerset (map/directions)
TKTS: $10.00, Reservations Recommended
PHONE: (732) 560-1977

From a strange courtship of two people of different classes, temperaments, and backgrounds, Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd, endured a life together of near-poverty, deaths of children, divided families, frequent absences, and confining fame, set against the backdrop of the bloodiest war in American history. Despite their many differences, they held hands in the presidential box at Ford's Theater, looking forward to a peaceful, well-deserved retirement.

“We are proud to have Glenn W. LeBoeuf as our speaker that day. Well known to central New Jersey as well as national audiences, Mr. LeBoeuf is a passionate student of American and military history. He holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Monmouth University, and is a member of several Lincoln associations.”
-Christine Retz, Meadows Foundation Secretary, Fireside Chats Chair

November 8 & 9: 225th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION OF WASHINGTON'S STAY AT ROCKINGHAM INCLUDING REENACTMENT!

Please join the Rockingham Historic Site, the Rockingham Association, and the MHS Live Historians in their much-anticipated final event in their celebration of General George Washington’s 1783 stay at the perfectly-preserved 300-year-old house called Rockingham!

DATE: Saturday & Sunday, November 8 & 9
PLACE: Rockingham Historic Site, Route 603 (Laurel Avenue), Kingston (map/directions)
ENTRY: $5.00 suggested donation per group
INFO: http://www.rockingham.net/
PHONE: (609) 683-7132
EMAIL: Rockingham1783@yahoo.com

The site will be open to the public both Saturday and Sunday, November 8 and 9. Visitors can explore an encampment of General Washington's Dragoon Guard, von Heer's Marechausee, including tents and horses! The first floor of the mansion will be open for shortened tours, and "General Washington" will receive guests in his study and answer questions!

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 9

• 11AM to 3PM: Various activities will take place throughout the day, including demonstrations by reenactors of life in the 18th Century.
• 2PM: Princeton University Professor of History, John Murrin, will discuss the significance of Washington's stay at Rockingham, before introducing "Gen. Washington" who will make closing remarks.
• Gen. Washington will review the major events that occurred during his stay in Rockingham, including his writing of the Farewell Orders to the Armies--and reading from that document--and receiving official confirmation that the Treaty of Paris had been signed and the American Revolution had ended.

The Museum Store with a new array of gifts and toys will be open both days.

November 5: DEMONSTRATION OF GEORGE WASHINGTON AND THOMAS PAINE'S "SWAMP GAS" DISCOVERY!

Please join us for a demonstration of George Washington and Thomas Paine's 18th Century experimentation with "Swamp Gas"!

DATE: Wednesday, November 5

DEMONSTRATION
TIME: 4:30PM
PLACE: North side of the Route 518 Bridge, at Millstone River crossing

RECEPTION--ALL ARE WELCOME!
TIME: 5:30 to 6:30PM
PLACE: Delaware & Raritan Canal Park Headquarters, 142 Mapleton Road, Kingston

Rutgers Professor of Applied Microbiology and Rocky Hill resident, Douglas Eveleigh, will demonstrate the fun and exciting experiment conducted by George Washington and Thomas Paine that proved that "swamp gas"--a.k.a. methane or biogas--is flammable!

October 22: Multimedia Teddy Roosevelt Event!

The Meadows Foundation is proud to host:

THEODORE ROOSEVELT: His Life and Times as Seen Through Political Cartoons, Postcards, and Pictures of the Period


Date: Wednesday, October 22
Time: 7:00PM
Place: Tulipwood House, 1165 Hamilton Street, Somerset
Tickets: $10
Reserve: (732) 560-1977

Popular independent historian, Charles F. McSorley, will give a music and slide show accompanied talk covering the turbulent and exciting life and times of America's 26th president, Theodore Roosevelt, and share stories about other fascinating public figures of the day.

"This is the second in our three-part fall Fireside Chats lecture series. Our theme this fall is the election, and we want to help capture the spirit of this exciting time through our presentations."
-Christine Retz, Meadows Foundation Secretary

Please join us for this fun and exciting event!