31st Annual Holiday Weekend

31st Annual Holiday Weekend

Saturday, December 5, 2015, 11:00 am to 4:00 pm

Sunday, December 6, 2015, 11:00 am to 4:00 pm

Eden Woolley House, 703 Deal Road, Ocean, NJ 07712

Holiday Weekend features tales of Christmas past

Christmas season has always been a highlight of the Museum calendar. For 25 years, we filled the auditorium of the old Oakhurst School the first weekend in December with exhibits, trains, crafts, and handmade goodies. We continued the tradition in our new home, transforming the Woolley House into a holiday showcase for two days each December.

On Saturday and Sunday, December 5 and 6, the Museum holds its 31st Holiday Weekend. Model trains and Christmas collections fill the Our Town Gallery. On the porch, the Ocean Township Garden Club sells freshly made wreaths. The Hearth and Home Gallery is emptied to make way for an expanded Museum Shop and Bakery stocked full of homemade treats and one-of-a-kind gifts hand-crafted by the Museum quilters. Children search the house for hidden nutcrackers in a “Holiday Hunt.” Sunday afternoon, the winning quilt raffle ticket is drawn. All this is followed by the lighting of the Township Christmas Tree on the Museum grounds Sunday at 4:30.

Something special

This year, there’s something special. Our Holiday Weekend pays special tribute to the season we celebrate. Christmas has become a American cultural and economic juggernaut. Our talented “living history” actors explore the historical roots of its traditions. We’ve conjured up the spirits of Woolley family members from the 18th and 19th centuries to entertain visitors with stories of the holiday customs of their times.

A peek at Colonial Christmas

Phoebe Woolley, third wife of Thomas (who built the oldest part of the Woolley House) will describe Colonial Christmas.

European settlers brought to the New World the holiday customs (and attitudes) of the Old. The Puritans would have nothing to do with it. In fact, in 1659, they outlawed the celebration of Christmas altogether.

The Anglicans in the southern colonies were more receptive. They celebrated with festive feasts, music, and gift-giving that foreshadowed today’s customs.

German colonists decorated with Christmas trees, as in their home country. But the custom was not widely adopted by their neighbors, who rejected its pagan roots. The Dutch brought with them “Sinte Klass,” but our plump, redsuited American Santa did not take shape until the 19th century.

The Victorians set the stage

Mary and Sarah Woolley, Eden’s daughters, will be on hand to explain the customs, popularized in the 19th century, that largely define how we celebrate today.

Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, published in 1843, was an instant best seller. It elevated public interest in the season and helped redefine it as a time of giving.

About the same time, that Christmas tree the German settlers couldn’t get their neighbors to adopt caught on, helped by widely circulated photos of Queen Victoria and her German husband with theirs. In 1856, President Franklin Pierce brought the first tree into the White House.

On June 26, 1870, Christmas was declared a federal holiday. That same decade, Americans began sending Christmas cards. Santa emerged as a cultural icon. Gifts and gift-wrapping took center stage.

Join us to learn more, shop local, and start the season in style. Recommended donations: adults, $3; children, free. Those paying their 2016 membership dues at the door are admitted free.

The Township of Ocean Historical Museum, founded in 1984, is a member-supported, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, incorporated under the laws of the State of New Jersey. Its headquarters, the Eden Woolley House, is one of the few 18th century structures still in existence in the Township. The Township of Ocean Historical Museum offers exhibits on the history of coastal Monmouth County and a full calendar of events. The Museum also houses a library and archive of local history. It is open, free of charge, 1 to 4, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursday, 7 to 9 Thursday Evenings and 1 to 4 the first and second Sundays of each month. Visit ocenmuseum.org for more information.

Fall Speaker Event - Macabre Discovery: The Secaucus Potter’s Field

The archaeologists working at the excavation site at Secaucus Potter’s Field identified 900 of the nearly 5,000 anonymous remains and catalogued more than 113,000 associated artifacts. All but two of the identified remains were returned to their families for private burial. Granite monuments now stand at the cemetery site and along the Secaucus interchange memorializing the former Potter’s Field.

 

Fall Speaker Event - Macabre Discovery: The Secaucus Potter’s Field
Tuesday, October 6, 2015, 7:15 pm.
Township of Ocean Board of Education Offices (Old Oakhurst School), Auditorium,
163 Monmouth Road, Oakhurst, NJ 07755

 

Early in the new millennium, a road crew working on a highway interchange on the New Jersey Turnpike in Secaucus, made a grisly discovery: caskets. Scores of them—pine boxes, unmarked and unexpected. Work on the highway stopped and investigation of the site began.

 

Enter Gerry Scharfenberger, Archaeology Professor at Monmouth University. As lead investigator, he and his team sifted through remains and artifacts. Ultimately, they identified 900 of the 4,751 bodies unearthed in what turned out to be the Secaucus Potters Field. From 1870-1962, the burial site served as the last resting place of the inmates of a poor house, prison, smallpox hospital, alms house, and insane asylum.

 

A grisly discovery makes a fascinating tale Archaeologist to speak on his detective work at the Secaucus Potter’s Field 1962, the burial site served as the last resting place of the inmates of a poor house, prison, smallpox hospital, alms house, and insane asylum.

 

At 7:15, Tuesday, October. 6, in the auditorium of the Board of Ed. Offices, 163 Monmouth Rd., Oakhurst, Professor Scharfenberger tells the mesmerizing story of the investigation.

 

As he explains, “Little or nothing was known about the remains.  But when you see a gunshot wound to the head, or a body hit by a train with bones in 500 pieces, you get to know a little bit about the lives these people led.“

 

Join us October 6 to help give these long forgotten souls their hearing. Admission is free. (Donations are welcome).


New Exhibit - Ocean Township High Schools at 50

New Exhibit - Ocean Township High Schools at 50
Opening - Sunday, September 6, 2015, 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Eden Woolley House, Our Town Gallery, 703 Deal Road, Ocean, NJ 07712

Early September, 1965, the doors of Ocean Township High School (OTHS) opened for the first time. It was a momentous day—the culmination of an impassioned campaign and a turning point for both Ocean Township and Asbury Park, the district that up to then had educated most of the township’s teens.

Fifty years later, almost to the day, a mini-exhibit opens at the Eden Woolley House commemorating the milestone. “OTHS at 50,” premiering 1 to 4, Sunday, September 6, uses photographs, press clippings, and artifacts to demonstrate how the school’s history mirrors five decades of social and political change.

The campaign for a high school

Ocean Township’s commitment to education is long standing. Between 1784 and 1960, it built at least nine schools.  None was a high school.

Graduating eighth graders had a choice: Asbury Park or Long Branch.  Most chose Asbury. By 1962 Ocean students at Asbury High outnumbered city students 713 to 558. Ocean was booming and more than 1,000 high school-age students were projected by 1966. Asbury High, on split session since 1959, was already overcrowded. Something had to be done.

Asbury asked Ocean to sign a 20-year contract with the city as a condition for its undertaking a building expansion. Ocean refused. There was talk of regionalization, at first rejected and later revisited by the city. But it was too late.

A full-blown campaign for an Ocean Township high school, spearheaded by the PTAs, was underway. On June 12, 1962, by a nearly 3-to-1 margin, the voters of Ocean approved a $2,969,000 bond to built their own school.

OTHS changes with the times

Ocean High opened in 1965 without a senior class. Ocean seniors had returned to Asbury to graduate with their class. The next year, OTHS held its first graduation and published its first yearbook--then as now, The Sandpiper.

A look through almost a half century of yearbooks reveals more than changing hair styles and hemlines. Here’s a sample:

• In the 1960s, Industrial Arts were just for boys, Home Economics, just for girls (who also have a “Homemaking Club”).

• Title IX (prohibiting discrimination in federally funded programs) shaped the 1970s: for the first time girls had golf, tennis, and soccer teams; girls fixed cars, boys baked cakes.

• The technology revolution is evident. Keypunch machines of the 1970s give way to desktops in the late 1980s and electronics redefine the classroom in the new millennium.

Proof of the pudding

In recent years, OTHS has made its share of “best high school” lists. Its own list of notable alums is impressive: Academy Award, Emmy, and Pulitzer Prize winners; distinguished educators, journalists, authors, and scientists; a fashion designer, a network news anchor, innovative entrepreneurs, and more.

Join us September 6 to learn more about these talented graduates and the history of the school that shaped them.

New Exhibit - 50th Anniversary of Ocean Township High School

New Exhibit - 50th Anniversary of Ocean Township High SchoolOpening - Sunday, September 26, 2015, 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm.
Eden Woolley House, 703 Deal Road, Ocean, NJ 07712

This year Ocean Township High School celebrates its 50th year. Before 1965, 8th graders graduating from Township elementary schools chose between Asbury Park and Long Branch High. The opening of the new school was a turning point for Ocean--and for Asbury, the district that had up to then educated most of the township’s teens.

The Museum is noting this significant anniversary with a mini-exhibit, “Ocean Township High at 50,” opening in the Our Town Gallery in September.

We need to hear from you. We are looking for photos, memorabilia, and memories. (Our Research Library has a complete collection of yearbooks, so we are all set on that front.) Call (732-531-2136) if you have material to share. Email us (oceanmuseum@verizon.net) to include your OTHS memory in the summer newsletter.

Woolley Family Reunion

Woolley Family Reunion
Sunday, August 16, 2015, 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm.
Eden Woolley House, 703 Deal Road, Ocean, NJ 07712

The idea occurred when a visitor to the Museum came bearing gifts. She is a Woolley descendent who had brought with her pages of genealogical research on the family. Her documentation may be exceptional, but her connection and her interest are not.

Since the Woolley House opened in 2009 --and even before--Woolley family members have lent their support to our mission. They range from Frank West, a Woolley descendent and gifted artisan who crafted the model of the house that helped us to raise awareness (and money) before the move, to Phil Parratt, master carpenter who devoted hours of skilled labor to the restoration.

Museum records for the Woolley Family go back to the 10th Century to a Ralph De Walegh in Chesire, England. Thirteen generations of Walegh, Woley, Wolley, Woolley’s appear in English records before Emanuel Wooley, born 1625, left England for Newport, Rhode Island. Our own Eden Woolley, is a descendant in Emanuel’s line--as are countless others, some living in this area.

The idea is to host a reunion--invite Woolley descendents (and anyone interested in the family’s history) to get together to meet each other, share family stories, and see what the Museum has learned and collected on their ancestors. We’re holding Sunday, August 16, as a target date, but we need to spread the word and hear from you. Please call the Museum (732-531-2136) or email (oceanmuseum@verizon.net) if this sounds like a party you’d like to attend!

7th Annual American Girl and Teddy Bear Tea Party

7th Annual American Girl and Teddy Bear Tea Party
Sunday July 12, 2015 at 1:00pm
Rain Date - Sunday July 19, 2014 at 1:00pm
Eden Woolley House, 703 Deal Road, Ocean, NJ 07712

The seventh annual American Doll Tea Party takes place Sunday July 12 from 1 to 3:30 (rain date July 19).

Children and their favorite adults gather under tents on the lawn of the Eden Woolley House, Deal Road, Ocean Township.

The dolls and their young owners are the main attraction. Children show off the outfits of their favorite dolls (or teddy bears) in a charming fashion show. They make a craft, hear an original story of the Woolley Sisters, and enjoy a tasty tea party.

On this day, the Museum Shop features handmade doll clothes and accessories. Inside the Museum, doll and teddy bear collections are on display.

Tickets are $30 and admit one child (5 years and older) and one adult. Tickets for additional children are $10 each and additional adults are $25. Seating is limited.

Reservations are a must. Tickets go on sale starting June 1st. Call 732-531-6040 or the Museum at 732-531-2136.

There is limited seating. Reservations are a must.

New Exhibit - Fashion - The History of What We Wear

New Exhibit - Fashion - The History of What We WearOpening - Sunday, June 28, 2015, 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm.
Eden Woolley House, 703 Deal Road, Ocean, NJ 07712

An exploration of the historical, cultural, and technical influences on what we wear.

Spring Speaker Event - New Jersey's Covered Bridges

Spring Speaker Event - New Jersey's Covered Bridges
Tuesday, June 9, 2015, 7:15 pm.
Township of Ocean Board of Education Offices (Old Oakhurst School), Auditorium, 163 Monmouth Road, Oakhurst, NJ 07755

Author Richard J. Garlipp, Jr. discussed his book New Jersey's Covered Bridges.

The talk, part of the Museum Speakers' Series, is open to the public, free of charge. Donations are always appreciated. Refreshments are served. Please bring a non-perishable item for the FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties.

2015 Spirit of the Jerseys State History Fair

2015 Spirit of the Jerseys State History Fair
Saturday, May 9, 2015, 11:00 am to 5:00 pm
Monmouth Battlefield State Park, 16 Business Route 33, Manalapan, NJ 07726

SAVE the DATE! 2015 SPIRIT of the JERSEYS State History Fair

The 2015 NJ State History Fair will be held Saturday, May 9th at Monmouth Battlefield State Park, Manalapan, NJ from 11 a.m.-5 p.m., rain or shine.

Participation for non-profit historical organizations is FREE - so mark your calendars and plan on catching the SPIRIT in 2015!

Additional information will be posted on the Fair's web site,
http://www.njhistoryfair.org in the coming months. 

Inquiries can be made to historyfair@dep.nj.gov or by calling the NJ Office of Historic Sites at 609-777-0238.

Weekend In Old Monmouth

Weekend In Old Monmouth
May 2, 2015 - 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
May 3, 2015 - 12:00 noon to 5:00 pm
Eden Woolley House, 703 Deal Road, Ocean, NJ 07712

FREEHOLD, NJ – The annual “Weekend in Old Monmouth” event returns with 45 historic sites throughout Monmouth County opening their doors to visitors interested in local history. Hours for most sites are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 2 and from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, May 3.

“Weekend in Old Monmouth is a wonderful event for anyone interested in history and architecture,” said Freeholder Director Lillian G. Burry, liaison to the County’s Historical Commission, coordinator of the weekend event. “The sites on the tour are generally operated independently of one another, but this special tour project coordinates the hours of operation at several locations so history buffs can travel by foot, bicycle or car to enjoy and take in many of the county’s rich historic places all in one weekend.”

“The tour includes 45 sites and each illustrates a piece of local history,” said John Fabiano, executive director of the Historical Commission. “The outlined tours help put the pieces together by theme or geography. Tour visitors can see the places in any order of their own selection. The proposed starting points are just suggestions for those who may be seeking guidance.”

You can start planning your route by previewing the tour sites on the County’s website at www.visitmonmouth.com. After April 15, a detailed tour book and tour map will be available on the Monmouth County website at www.visitmonmouth.com. On the tour dates, each tour stop will also have maps and booklets available.

The tours also represent several historic themes:

Shore: While the tour includes sites on the north, (Sandy Hook), central (Ocean Grove) and southern shores, (National Guard Militia Museum) the drive along the shore is one of the best ways to feel and appreciate Monmouth County’s relationship to the Ocean.

Faith: Architectural gems of each of the last three centuries, 18th century Christ Church in Shrewsbury, 19th century All Saints Memorial in Middletown and 20th century St. Catharine’s in Spring Lake. In addition, Old Tennent Church in Manalapan is closely tied to the Battle of Monmouth and the Friends Meeting House in Shrewsbury represents one of the oldest worship traditions in Monmouth County.

The Revolutionary War: The Revolution is visited here, not only the major sites in the Monmouth Battlefield area, but in lesser known places such as the Burrowes Mansion in Matawan, Marlpit Hall and the Murray Farm, both in Middletown.

Military: There is Fort Hancock at Sandy Hook, the most heavily fortified installation on the East Coast for much of the 20th century, the National Historic Landmark Monmouth Battlefield in Manalapan and one of the more fascinating, but lesser known museums, the New Jersey National Guard Militia Museum in Sea Girt with museum exhibits and fighter aircraft and tanks.

Preservation: Marlpit Hall in Middletown was the first restored house museum in the region, dating from its 1930s opening.

Other elements on the tour also include lighthouses, Victorian homes, agriculture, industry, education and science. All of the sites contributed to the importance of preservation and history throughout Monmouth County. The county supports the preservation movement annually by awarding preservation grants to historic sites. Many of the tour locations have received grants in the past.
A site list and map are available on the County’s website at www.visitmonmouth.com.​

Tour Sites

All Saints Memorial Church
202 Navesink Avenue, Navesink, NJ 07752
Phone: 732-291-0214
Website: www.allsaintsnavesink.org
Contact: Rev. Pastor Piggins, Interim Rector or
Mary Baechle, Parish Administrator
E-mail: office@allsaintsnavesink.org
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The Historic Village at Allaire/Allaire State Park
4265 Atlantic Avenue, Farmingdale, NJ 07727
Phone: 732-919-3500
Website: www.allairevillage.org
Organization: Allaire Village, Inc.
Note: Although both are located in Allaire State Park,the historic village operates separately from the Pine Creek Railroad.
Free admission to the Historic Village only.
Contact: Shannon Gance
E-mail: info@allairevillage.org
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Allen House
400 Sycamore Avenue, Shrewsbury, NJ 07702
Phone: 732-462-1466 (MCHA)
Website: www.monmouthhistory.org
Organization: Monmouth County Historical Association
E-mail: info@monmouthhistory.org
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Ardena School Museum
Old Tavern Road, Howell, NJ 07731
Phone: 732-938-2212 (leave message)
Organization: Howell Historical Society
E-mail: SarahAnnB@aol.com
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Battle of Monmouth Monument
71 Court Street, Freehold, NJ 07728
Phone: 732-431-7460 x7413
Contact: Randall Gabriellan
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Burrowes Mansion Museum
94 Main Street, Matawan, NJ 07747
Phone 732-566-5605
Website: www.BurrowesMansion.org
Contact: Robert Montfort, President of Society,
E-mail: rwmontfort@aol.com
Phone: 732-583-3846
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Centennial Cottage
McClintock & Central Aves. Ocean Grove, NJ 07756
Phone: 732-774-1869
Website: www.oceangrovehistory.org
Organization: Historical Society of Ocean Grove
Contact: Anna Critelli
E-mail: info@oceangrovehistory.org
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Christ Church
380 Sycamore Avenue, Shrewsbury, NJ 07702
Phone: 732-741-2220
Website: www.christchurchshrewsbury.org
Contact: Robert Kelly 
E-mail: christchurchshrewsbury@verizon.net
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Covenhoven House
150 West Main Street, Freehold, NJ 07728
Phone: 732-462-1466 (MCHA)
Website: www.monmouthhistory.org
E-mail: info@monmouthhistory.org
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Dr. Robert W. Cooke’s Medical Office
67 McCampbell Road, Holmdel, NJ 07733
Phone: 732-946-2743
Website: www.holmdelhistory.org/DrCookes.html
Organization: Holmdel Historical Society
Contact: George Joynson, President,
E-mail: gj@gjoynson.com
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Eatontown Historical Museum
Read House, 75 Broad Street, Eatontown, NJ 07724
Phone: 732-542-4026, (please leave a message)
Website: www.EatontownHistoricalMuseum.org
Contact: Kathy English, 732-389-2959
E-Mail: EatontownHistorian@gmail.com
Phone: 732-542-4026 (please leave a message)
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Eden Woolley House
Township of Ocean Historical Museum, 703 Deal Road, Ocean, NJ 07712
Phone: 732-531-2136
Website: www.oceanmuseum.org
Contact: Paul Edelson
E-mail: OceanMuseum@verizon.net
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First Presbyterian Church
Four E. River Road, Rumson, NJ 07760
Phone: 732-842-0429
Website: www.rumsonpresbyterian.org
Contact: Rev. John Monroe, Pastor,
john@rumsonpresbyterian.org
Betty Anne Berube, Ad. Asst.
E-mail: bettyann@rumsonpresbyterian.org
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Friends Meeting House
Shrewsbury Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
375 Sycamore Avenue, Shrewsbury, NJ 07702
Website: www.shrewsburyquakers.org
Email: Gordon4052@gmail.com
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Great Auditorium
21 Pilgrim Pathway, Ocean Grove, NJ 07756
Phone: 732-775-0035
Website: www.oceangrove.org
Organization: The Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association
PO Box 248, Ocean Grove, NJ 07756
E-mail: information@oceangrove.org
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Historic Longstreet Farm
44 Longstreet Road, Holmdel, NJ 07733
Phone: 732-946-3758
Website: www.monmouthcountyparks.com
Contact: Sandy Byard
E-mail: sandy.byard@co.monmouth.nj.us
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Historic Walnford
62 Walnford Road, Upper Freehold Twp, NJ 08514
Phone: 609-259-6275
Website: www.monmouthcountyparks.com
Contact: Sarah Bent
E-mail: sarah.bent@co.monmouth,nj.us
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Holmes-Hendrickson House
62 Longstreet Road, Holmdel, NJ 07733
Phone: 732-462-1466 (MCHA)
Website: www.monmouthhistory.org
Organization: Monmouth County Historical Association
E-mail: info@monmouthhistory.org
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InfoAge Science Center (Camp Evans)
2201 Marconi Road, Wall, NJ 07719
Phone: 732-280-3000
Website: www.infoage.org
Contact: Fred Carl, Director
E-mail: fred-carl@infoage.org
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Jewish Heritage Museum of Monmouth County
310 Mounts Corner Drive, Freehold, NJ 07728
Phone: 732 252-6990
This site is open only Sunday, May 4
Website: www.jhmomc.org
Organization: Jewish Heritage Museum of Monmouth County
Contact: Michael Berman
E-mail: michael.berman@cbmoves.com
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Keyport Fire Museum and Edcaton Center
86 Broad Street , Keyport, NJ 07735
Phone: 732 739-5362
Website: www.keyportfd.org
Organization: Keyport Historical Society
Contact: Tom Gallo, Pres. 732 264-1581
E-mail: tdg1cnj@yahoo.com
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MacKenzie House
427 Lakewood-Farmingdale Road, Howell, NJ 07731
Phone: 732-938-2212 (leave message)
Organization: Howell Historical Society
E-mail: SarahAnnB@aol.com
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Marlpit Hall
137 Kings Highway, Middletown, NJ 07748
Phone: 732-462-1466 (MCHA)
Website: www.monmouthhistory.org
Organization: Monmouth County Historical Association
E-mail: info@monmouthhistory.org 
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Monmouth Battlefield State Park
16 State Business Route 33, Manalapan, NJ 07726
347 Freehold-Englishtown Road, Manalapan, NJ 07726
Phone: 732-462-9616
Website: www.monmouthbattlefield.nj.gov
Contact: Mark Pitchell, Superintendant
E-mail: Mark.pitchell@dep.state.nj.us
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Monmouth County Historical Association
Museum & Library
70 Court Street, Freehold, NJ 07728
Phone: 732-462-1466 (MCHA)
Website: www.monmouthhistory.org
E-mail: info@monmouthhistory.org
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Murray Farmhouse
345 Oak Hill Road, Red Bank, NJ 07701
Phone: 732-842-5966
Website: www.poricypark.org
Contact: Joyce Ferejohn, Director
E-mail: poricypark@poricypark.org
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National Guard Militia Museum
Sea Girt Avenue & Camp Drive, P.O Box 277, Sea Girt, NJ 08750
Phone: 732-974-5966
The NGMMNJ is located in the National Guard Training Center (NGTC)
Adults need to show driver license or other identification to the NGTC gate guard.
Website: www.nj.gov/military/museum/index.html
Contact: Curator, 1st Lt Vincent Solomeno, or
Assistant Curators, Joe Bilby and Carol Fowler
E-mail: vincent.solomeno.mil@mail.mil
E-mail: jgbilby44@aol.com
E-mail: carol.r.fowler@us.army.mail
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Oakley Farm House
189B Oakley Drive, Freehold, NJ 07728
Phone: 732-577-9766
Website: www.ftheritage.org
Organization: Freehold Township Historic Preservation Commission
Contact: Cheryl Cook, Manager
E-mail: ftheritage1686@yahoo.com
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Ocean Grove Historical Museum
50 Pitman Avenue, Ocean Grove, NJ 07756
Phone: 732-774-1869
Website: www.oceangrovehistory.org
Contact: Anna Critelli
E-mail: info@oceangrovehistory.org
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Old First Church (Middletown Baptist)
69 Kings Highway, Middletown, NJ 07748
Phone: 732 671-1905
Website: www.oldfirstchurchnj.org
Contact: Rev. Joyce Antila Phipps, (cell, 908-337-1716)
E-mail: ofc@oldfirstchurch.org
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Old Tennent Church
450 Tennent Road, Tennent, NJ 07763
Phone: 732-446-6299
Web site: www.oldtennentchurch.org
Contact: Pastor, Rev. Mrs. Barbara McDonald.
E-mail address: ot.church@verizon.net 
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Old Wall Historical Society
Allgor/Barkalow Homestead and the Blansingburg Schoolhouse Museum
1701 New Bedford Road, Wall, NJ 07719
Contact: De Hearn, Museum Director,
732-681-3806 or 732-449-7888
Fran Bruno, President, 732-528-9443
E-mail: dehj@optonline.net
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Old Yellow Meeting House
70 Yellow Meeting House Road, Upper Freehold Twp., NJ 08514
Phone: 609-426-4450
Website: www.oymh.org
Contact: John Fabiano
E-mail: alltwnufhistsoc@aol.com
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Red Bank Women's Club
164 Broad Street, Red Bank, NJ 07701
Phone: 732-747-7425
Website: www.womensclubofredbank.org
Email: info@WomensClubOfRedBank.org
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Roosevelt Borough Historic District (Jersey Homesteads)
2A School Lane, Roosevelt, NJ 08555
Phone: 609-947-0491
Website: www.web2sons.org (unofficial)
Contact: Michael L. Ticktin, Borough Historian
E-mail: mticktin@aol.com
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St. Catherine Church
214 Essex Avenue, Spring Lake, NJ 07762
Phone: 732-449-5765, ext. 169
Please respect any Church events that may be in progress during a weekend visit.
Website: www.stcatharine-stmargaret.com
Contact: Barbara Harrigan, 732-974-1423
E-mail: stcatharine@Bytheshore.com
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Sandy Hook Lighthouse & Fort Hancock
84 Mercer Road, Middletown, NJ 07732
Phone: (732) 919-3500
Website: www.nps.gov/gate
www.sandyhookfoundation.org
Address: Gateway National Recreation Area,
Highlands, NJ 07732
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Seabright Lawn Tennis & Cricket Club
5 Tennis Court Lane, Rumson, NJ 07760
Phone: 732-245-4555
Website: www.sltcc.org
Contact: Betsy Ford
E-mail: betsyford@comcast.net
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Seabrook-Wilson House, Bayshore Waterfront Park
719 Port Monmouth Road, Port Monmouth, NJ 07758
Phone: 732-787-3033
Website: www.monmouthcountyparks.com
Organization: Monmouth County Park System
Contact: Gail Hunton
E-mail: ghunton@monmouthcountyparks.com
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Shrewsbury Historical Museum, Municipal Complex
419 Sycamore Avenue, Shrewsbury, NJ 07702
Phone: 732-530-7974
Organization: Shewsbury Historical Society
Contact: Don Burden, President, 732-747-3635
E-Mail: donaldburden@verizon.net
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Strauss Mansion Museum
27 Prospect Circle, Atlantic Highlands, NJ 07716
Phone: 732-291-1861 (leave message)
Website: www.atlantichighlandshistory.com
Organization: Atlantic Highlands Historical Society
Contact: Ken Frantz, President
E-mail: ahhsinfo@yahoo.com
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Taylor-Butler House
127 Kings Highway, Middletown, NJ 07748
Phone: 732-462-1466
Website: www.monmouthhistory.org
Organization: Monmouth County Historical Association
E-mail: info@monmouthhistory.org
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Twin Lights Lighthouse
198 Lighthouse Road, Highlands, NJ 07732
Phone: 732-872-1814
Website: : www.twinlightslighthouse.com
Organization: NJDEP Division of Parks & Forestry and
Friends of Twin Lights
Contact: Margaret Carlsen, Historian
E-mail: Curator13@gmail.com
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Village Inn
Two Water Street, Englishtown, NJ 07726
Phone: 908-907-3523
Website: www.thevillageinn.org
Organization: Battleground Historical Society
Contact: Hans Kernast
E-mail: hkernast@yahoo.com
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West Freehold School Museum
209 Wemrock Road, Freehold, NJ 07728
Phone: 732-577-9766 (including fax)
Website: www.ftheritage.org
Organization: Freehold Township Historic Preservation Commission
Contact: Cheryl Cook, Manager
E-mail: ftheritage1686@yahoo.com
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Woodrow Wilson Hall
Monmouth University, 400 Cedar Avenue, West Long Branch, NJ 07764
Phone: 732-571-3546
Website: www.monmouth.edu
Contact: Patricia Swannack
E-mail: mbottone@monmouth.edu
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11th Annual Spring Tea

11th Annual Spring Tea
Saturday April 25, 2015 - 2:00 pm to 4:00pm
West Park Recreation Center, 615 West Park Avenue, Oakhurst, NJ 07755

The Township of Ocean Historical Museum will hold it's 11th Annual Spring Tea, which will take place on Saturday, April 25th from 2:00 pm until 4:00 pm. Seating will begin at 1:30 pm. The Tea will be held at the West Park Recreation Center in Oakhurst, NJ 07755. Tickets ($25) are available starting March 1. Call 732-531-2136 to reserve your space. Single tickets are available, but the most fun is coming with friends and reserving tables for four or eight!

All food is prepared by Museum volunteers and includes: tea sandwiches, breads, desserts and scones with whipped cream, butter and jam along with a variety of teas. There will be a gift auction, a boutique of hand quilted crafts and doll clothes, and entertainment. Prizes will be awarded for a fancy hat contest, so plan on wearing a hat.

ALL TICKETS MUST BE PURCHASED IN ADVANCE. EVERY YEAR IS A SELL OUT SO DON'T WAIT TO GET YOUR TICKETS. Please buy your tickets early. They must be purchased in advance--none are sold at the door.

Winter Speaker Event - A History of Inventing in New Jersey: From Thomas Edison to the Ice Cream Cone

Winter Speaker Event - A History of Inventing in New Jersey: From Thomas Edison to the Ice Cream Cone
Tuesday, March 10, 2015, 7:15 pm.
Township of Ocean Board of Education Offices (Old Oakhurst School), Auditorium,
163 Monmouth Road, Oakhurst, NJ 07755

Band-Aids. Movies. Color television. Bubble Wrap. Bar codes. The modern submarine. What do all of these things have in common? Give up? They were all invented in the great state of New Jersey! New Jersey is truly the land of inventions. M&M’s, solar panels, transistors, flexible film and Graham crackers are but a few of the useful and unique creations from the minds of Garden State residents. Not to mention the 1,093 patents issued to Thomas Alva Edison.

Since Edison opened the first research and development laboratory in Menlo Park, the Garden State has been known as the Innovation State. As Alex Magoun, former director of the David Sarnoff Library, put it, “The state’s twentieth-century history is filled with the technologies we take for granted, from electronic television and antibiotics to the transistor and liquid crystal displays.”

New Jersey inventors and innovators have changed the lives of people around the world. From the phonograph to the electric guitar, from the telegraph to Telstar and from baseball to college football, hundreds of products and ideas got their start in New Jersey. What makes New Jersey the state where ideas grow? Is it because we’ve been home to so many communications and pharmaceutical companies, including Bell Labs, Sarnoff, Johnson & Johnson and Edison’s invention factory? Is it our proximity to Philadelphia and New York? Or does the fact that we’re the most densely populated state mean that bright people are also densely packed in the Garden State?

Whatever the reason, New Jersey has produced hundreds of thousands of new ideas, including innovations in the fields of transportation (the steam locomotive and the steerable balloon), communications (satellites and cell phones), household improvements (air conditioning and the electric knife), entertainment (movies and the phonograph), food (condensed soup and the ice cream cone) and medicine (streptomycin and the artificial knee).

In 1987, Dr. Saul Fenster and Philip Sperber established the nation’s first and, to date, only statewide hall of fame for inventors. In 1977, the U. S. Patent and Trademark Office began comparing by state the number of patents issued. New Jersey companies and residents have received 115,000 patents since that date. Only California, Texas and New York have more, and those states have much larger populations. 

Linda J. Barth, author of "A History of Inventing in New Jersey" highlights the life-changing breakthroughs--from the transistor to the bar code--invented in New Jersey and documented in her latest book.

The talk, part of the Museum Speakers' Series, is open to the public, free of charge. Donations are always appreciated. Refreshments are served. Please bring a non-perishable item for the FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties.