Category: A Local Journey out of Manhattan

The Greater Cape May Historical Society 6531/2 Washington Street Cape May, NJ 08204

The Greater Cape May Historical Society

6531/2 Washington Street

Cape May, NJ 08204

(609) 884-9100

http://www.capemayhistory.org/

http://www.capemayhistory.org/about-us.html

Open: Colonial House Museum hours:

Wednesday-Saturday, 1:00pm-4:00pm June 15th-September 15th

Open during Victorian Weekend in October. Special exhibits at Halloween and Christmas.

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g46341-d286395-Reviews-The_Colonial_House-Cape_May_Cape_May_County_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

The Historical Society at Christmas time.

The Cape May Historical Society in the summer of 2023.

What an interesting visit I had to the Cape May Historical Society’s Memucan Hughes Colonial House. This tiny museum is only open between June 15th-September 15th and after that only for special events.

It is an fascinating little home that was built somewhere between 1730 to 1760. The original house no one is too sure if it had been built for the original owner or had been there and added on to as the records for the age of the house are unclear.

The welcoming sign at Christmas

The sign in the summer of 2023.

The home consists of two small downstairs room filled with period furniture and decorations and there is an upstairs with three small rooms that have just opened up to the public. The front room Mr. Hughes used as a tavern that he kept open until almost the 1800’s. He had catered to a growing whaling industry that needed some form of entertainment in this quiet town that was isolated from the rest of the state.

The Pub in the front room of the house for meals and conversation.

The Front Room of the house served as a pub for visiting travelers.

The room was set up for dining and amusements. The Lincoln Crib is in the background.

The Lincoln crib was built by Abraham Lincoln’s father.

The Arrowhead and Pipe collection in the Pub Room.

The front of the house is decorated as tavern to greet guests. There were tables filled with games and items that would have catered to the trade but still you knew you were in someone’s home. There are vintage card tables, board games and some household items.

The Living room at the Cape May Historical Society

The back room is a closed off kitchen with a fireplace and spinning wheels and wash tubs, all the things to run a household. There were also children’s toys, kitchen and garden gadgets and family items to personalize the house.

The narrow stairs lead to the upper bedrooms and the attic loft.

The upstairs bedrooms and the attic room were open in the summer of 2023, and I got to see the whole house. The upstairs is supposedly haunted, but I did not see anything. What I did see was how large the house really was and why the family of eight were able to live in this small house.

The upstairs bedroom

The upstairs bedroom

The attic loft room was supposed to be haunted but I saw nothing.

During the Victorian Age, the family came into a more prosperous life and built the big house in the front of the home.

The Hughes mansion in the Victorian times sits right in front of the old house and is now a B & B

The Hughes family lived in the house until the Victorian age and then they built the house on the front of the property and moved the smaller house to the back of the grounds. The house had been moved three times since its original location on the main road a few blocks away.

The tour itself is only about a half hour long and the guides do a nice job explaining the history of the house. On the gloomy day I visited, the museum was very busy with people visiting the house and with its connection to colonial history and the popularity of the musical, “Hamilton”, it is making it a popular destination when visiting Cape May.

History of the Museum:

The sign outside the house

The mission of the Greater Cape May Historical Society is to collect, preserve, document, interpret and share the history of Greater Cape May and to enhance the appreciation of that history through the Society’s historic site, The Colonial House Museum, collections, research, exhibitions, educational programs and publications.

The Hughes family home during the Christmas Holiday season 2022

All are invited to visit the Colonial House Museum, a 1700’s era house. The house was moved to its present site next to City Hall when the Hughes Family built the grand Victorian that is now a Bed & Breakfast.

The Hughes family home of the 1700’s at Christmas time.

The house decorated for the holidays in 2025

Th Ed front of the house decorated for the holidays

Come visit us and see the House as it was with a Tavern Room and a Common Room when it was owned by Memucan Hughes. On display are period furnishings and other period household items.

The Hughes family home of the late 1800’s

The Society presents an annual exhibit dedicated to an unique chapter of Greater Cape May History along with special events for Halloween and Christmas.

Disclaimer: This information was taken directly from the Greater Cape May Historical Society’s pamphlet, and I give them full credit for it. Please call the above number for more information and selected openings.

The Cape May Historical Society in the summer of 2023.

Firefighting Museum of Dutchess County P.O. Box 2435 Poughkeepsie, NY 12601

Firefighting Museum of Dutchess County

(Antique Firehouse & Firefighting Museum)

P.O. Box 2435

Poughkeepsie, NY 12601

https://dchsny.org/firemuseum/

https://www.facebook.com/DutchessCountyFirefightingMuseum/

My review on TripAdvisor:

The new home of the Dutchess Firefighting Museum at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds

I recently visited the Dutchess County Fair in August of 2024 and discovered that they finally built the new Firefighting Museum of Dutchess County in the Century Village complex of the fairgrounds. This will only be open when the fairgrounds are open. It replaced the tent display that had been part of the fair since 2022.

The old tent museum that was a temporary display

The Firefighting Museum of Dutchess County (Dutchess County Firefighting Museum) is finally open and houses all the memorabilia and artifacts for fire companies all over Dutchess County. I met fire fighters from companies all over Dutchess County who are dedicated in showing the history of their departments and of fire fighting over the years. The museum had just opened in August 2024 so all the displays have not been mounted yet. They should be ready for future events at the fairgrounds.

The firefighting equipment of the museum visited by many firefighters from the area and their families

The Dutchess County Fairgrounds Management had proposed to build them a new building on the Fair Grounds with the stipulation that it remain open when the fair grounds are being used and closed when they are not being used. It will be part of the Century Museum Village & Collectors Association to include a reproduction of a late 19th Century firehouse and museum of firefighting memorabilia.

Firefighting artifacts at the front of the museum

The Parade Celebration cart with uniform for parades.

Firefighting artifacts at the new museum

The antique firehouse will join the Pleasant Valley Railroad Station, the Mount Ross Schoolhouse, the Washington Hollow Fair Judging Gazebo and the Century Museum.

Dutchess County Firefighters Museum logo

The new museum has an interesting combination of equipment, medals, horns and firefighting objects from the 1800 and 1900’s. It really is an interesting way to see how firefighting from the past relates to today and how much really has not changed. There were three different pieces of equipment on display: an old Ladder Truck from the 1890’s, a pumper from 1902 and an old hose bed that must have been around 1896.

The Pine Plains FD Ladder Truck

The old pumper on display

The handheld hose bed

There were old fire horns used long before traditional fire whistles and modern pagers, firefighting ribbons and awards, old buckets and hoses for moving water and lots of pictures of old fires. The members were explaining to me that they take the objects out at all sorts of town and county functions to promote the museum.

Old Fire Medallions from the old fire insurance days when these were placed on the houses

The roll call of fire fighting in Poughkeepsie, NY

The Gamewell Fire Alarm System

History of the Dutchess County Firefighting Museum:

(from the museum pamphlet)

The Dutchess County Agricultural Society Inc. (DCAS) and the Century Museum Village & Collectors Association will be growing The Antique Village, located on the Dutchess County Fairgrounds which will include a reproduction of a late 19th Century Firehouse and museum of Firefighting memorabilia.

Firehouse artifacts in the museum

The Antique Firehouse will join the Pleasant Valley Railroad Station, the Mt. Ross Schoolhouse, Washington Hollow Fair Judging Gazebo and the Century Museum.

This grouping of special buildings on the Fairgrounds has been dedicated to preserving life in the late 1800’s in Dutchess County and sharing it with the over 500,000 visitors to the Dutchess County Fairgrounds over the course of the year.

The awards of the fire service from the old museum that will be displayed at the new museum soon

The Firehouse Project Research and artifact collection is underway, and the Fairgrounds is committed to adding to Dutchess County’s Fire Service history.

The project cost is $300,000 and was raised from funds all over Dutchess County, NY. This year’s fair the association was proud to open this museum as part of the Century Village on the fairgrounds.

The history of the Dutchess County Fire Service on video.

Special Firefighting “Coins” have been minted commemorating different fire stations, historic Dutchess County firefighting events and the dream of the Antique Fire Station and Museum. You can be a part of this exciting project by purchasing coins or making a tax-deductible donation.

The fire truck in front of the museum at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds

Disclaimer: This information is taken directly from the Antique Firehouse & Firefighting Museum of the Dutchess County Fair Grounds, and I give them full credit for it. The above picture is of the original proposed design for the museum and will be changed once the new building is built.

The new museum will house many more exhibitions in the future

Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center 8 Yogi Berra Drive Little Falls, NJ 07424

lol Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center

8 Yogi Berra Drive

Little Falls, NJ 07424

(973) 655-2378

https://yogiberramuseum.org/

Open: Sunday 12:00pm-5:00pm/Monday & Tuesday Closed/Wednesday-Saturday 12:00pm-5:00pm

Fee: Adults $10.00/Children under 18 $5.00/Veterans and Montclair State College students free

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g46574-d3267390-Reviews-Yogi_Berra_Museum_Learning_Center-Little_Falls_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

The front of the museum

I went to the Yogi Berra Museum for the first time and I really enjoyed myself not just as a Yankee fan but learning the life behind the man. I did not know very much about Yogi Berra and his life but it is an interesting look at someone’s life and how his sport molded him to be the player and the family man he was in life.

The entrance to the museum for a life well lived

I never realized he was born in St. Louis and how his life in baseball came about. The museum takes Yogi Berra’s life from the time he was born and his family life growing up to how he became a ball player to his life in the minors and then to his life as a Yankee.

The career of Yogi Berra

The movie theater

He really was the ultimate leader and Yankee at the golden years of the team when they won five consecutive championships.

The case lines at the Museum

The museum also covered his post player life and his time coaching the Mets and winning other championships. It was also interesting to see how his family life shape him. He had been married over 60 years to his wife and had three boys and eleven grandchildren and how close he was with his family. I also liked his interaction with the new players and mentoring young players.

Taking a picture with ‘The Captain’ Derek Jeter

The best pictures that stood out was his photo with Derek Jeter and the second was the group photo of the three perfect game pitchers and catchers with Yogi Berra and Don Larsen in the middle of the photo.

The pitchers and catchers with the ‘perfect game’

That captured the true spirit of the Yankees. They knew how to win.

Memorabilia at the Museum

What was fun to see is all the World Series Rings that he won on display. It was a tribute to such a storied career and life. The Yogism’s that he was quoted as saying as “It ain’t over till it’s over” told of his character and his spirit in life.

The growing accomplishments in his life

The one thing that stood out in the museum was that it was the story of a man who had a life well lived and had the balance of family, career and friends along the way that showed how even from humble beginnings you can achieve great things. He even got the Medal of Freedom after his death in 2015 which showed the effect he had on people.

All the World Series rings he won

For any true Yankee fan, I highly recommend a visit to the museum, not just for the pictures and stores and baseball memorabilia but to see a person who was his own man in life.

The statue of Yogi Berra outside the museum

Hats off to Yogi Berra that the town of Montclair would honor one of its citizens in such a way. It is really was a great museum.

The Yogi Berra Museum on the Montclair University Campus

The handprints of the family

History of the Museum: (Wiki)

The Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center is a museum on the main campus of Montclair State University in Little Falls, NJ. It serves to honor the career of Yogi Berra, who played for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball and was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The museum which contains artifacts from Berra’s career, opened on December 4th, 1998. It is adjacent to Yogi Berra Stadium.

“The Friends of Yogi Inc”, a nonprofit organization, raised two million through donations to build the museum to honor Yogi Berra, who played his entire Major League Baseball career for the New York Yankees. John McMullen, the owner of the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League was among the museum’s benefactors. The museum was built adjacent to Yogi Berra Stadium, which hosts the New Jersey Jackals, a Minor League Baseball team in the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball and the Montclair State Red Hawks baseball team.

The museum was dedicated in October 1998, with fellow Baseball Hall of Famers Ted Williams and Larry Doby in attendance. It opened to the public on December 4th. In 2010, IKON 5 Architects redesigned the museum and Brian Hanlon sculpted a statue of Berra to go in front of the museum.

The entrance to the museum

Berra had feuded with Yankees owner, George Steinbrenner since Steinbrenner fired him 16 games into the 1985 season. Berra refused to be involved in Yankees events, including Yankee games. In January 1999, Berra and Steinbrenner resolved their feud with a public event at the Yogi Berra Museum.

Berra frequented visited the museum for signings, discussions and other events. It was his intention to teach children important values such as sportsmanship and dedication, both on and off the baseball diamond.

On October 8th, 2014, a burglary occurred at the museum, in which a team of “professional” thieves stole specific pieces of Berra’s memorabilia.

Exhibits: (Wiki)

The museum contains items from Berra’s career, including baseball cards, a jacket worn by Berra while throwing out the first pitch of Game 1 of the 2009 World Series, two of his MLB MVP awards and all ten World Series rings he received as a player. Following the resolution of Berra’s feud with Steinbrenner, the Yankee loaned the Commissioner’s Trophy from the 1998 World Series to the museum.

The statue signed by visiting ball players

In 2013, the museum teamed up with Athlete Ally to develop an exhibit called “Championing Respect”. which aims to support the inclusion of LGBT athletes in sports. An exhibit in 2014 celebrated the 75th Anniversary of Lou Gehrig’s farewell speech.

The museum offers a wide range of school and public programs on all aspects of sports and society. It conducts guided school tours and education programs, provides off-site assemblies on anti-bullying and sportsmanship and also collaborates with Montclair State University on programs examining topical issues in media and sports.

Yogi Berra with Babe Ruth

In promoting the values of respect and sportsmanship, the Museum in partnership with Investors Bank and the Super Essex Conference, developed a Best Teammate Award program in 2013, recognizing outstanding leadership by student-athletes. The museum also offers an array of summer camps, including youth baseball and softball camps.

(This information comes from Wiki)

After a visit to the museum, I stopped in the stadium behind the museum and watched Montclair University’s Baseball team play Stockton University.

The Yogi Berra Stadium at Montclair State University

I relaxed with a $1.00 hot dog and Coke and watched the game at Yogi Berra Stadium. It was a great way to spend the afternoon. It was fun to just relax in the afternoon and watch people having a good time.

I think watching the game with a good hot dog and Coke is the best.

Hamilton-Van Wagoner House Museum 971 Valley Road Clifton, NJ 07013

Hamilton-Van Wagoner House Museum

971 Valley Road

Clifton, NJ 07013

(973) 744-5707

https://www.cliftonnj.org/256/Hamilton-House-Museum

Open: Sunday 9:00am-5:00pm/Monday & Tuesday Closed/Wednesday-Saturday 9:00am-5:00pm

Fee: Suggested Donation $5.00

My review on TripAdvisor:

The front of the Hamilton House in the early Spring

I visited the Hamilton House Museum this afternoon which is right down the road from Montclair State College and sits at the border of the Clifton-Montclair border. The interesting part of the house location is that it still sits the farm land of the Van Wagoner Family but the house was moved from its location to the current one because of the building of Route 46 in 1973.

The front of the house in the Spring

When talking with curator, the house is going through a transition from the City of Clifton ownership to the County of Passaic Historical Society’s site. They are currently cataloging every piece in the house and putting it online. They want to view the collection to see what they can work with within the home.

Each room represents a different time in the history of the house. There is a living room from the Victorian age, the kitchen is from the late 1700’s to the early 1800’s and the dining room is from the mid-1800’s. These rooms are furnished to represent a certain time in the house.

There will be many revisions in the future for the house so there are some changes on the way. The upstairs is currently being used for storage and there will be revision there as well. I got a quick tour of the rooms with the curator and he said there will be more changes in the future as they catalog each piece. The grounds are currently being replanted.

The Hamilton House Museum sits at the Clifton and Montclair border

The house is one of the last examples of early 19th century stone houses in Passaic County. The house was built in 1817 by John and Ann Vreeland and then passed to the Van Wagoner family. It changed hands a few times until 1856 when the Hamilton Family bought the house (no relationship to Alexander Hamilton). The house remained in the Hamilton Family until 1972 when the last living relative died and no one in the family wanted possession of the house (Tour Guide & Wiki).

The oldest section of the house

That’s when the City of Clifton bought the house from the family of its historic value. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 13th, 1982 (Wiki).

The outside grounds of The Hamilton House Museum

The Grape Arbor on the grounds of the Hamilton House

History of the Hamilton House:

(taken from the City of Clifton website)

This 18th Century Dutch gambrel-roofed homestead was once the home of the Van Wagoner and Hamilton families. This basic of the house does not greatly differ from its Dutch antecedents.

The sturdy one and one half story cut sandstone structure, flanked by a grainery, spring-house and gardens reflects almost two hundred years of American history. It brings back memories of an uncluttered horizon with farms, orchards, fresh brooks, forest full of game and filled with scent of wildflowers.

Hamilton House & the Clifton Community:

Although the City of Clifton was incorporated in 1917, a community had existed since 1679. Prior to 1917, the area was known as Acquackanonk Township and included parts of : Little Falls, Passaic, Paterson and West Paterson.

The Indian Chief Captahem deeded 11,000 acres to the early Dutch settlers on the shores of the Passaic River. Predominately rural, this sparsely populated village thrived and grew.

The farmhouse was presented to the City of Clifton by the developers of the late Henry Hamilton. The Hamilton family had bought the 96 acre property in 1856 and for over 100 years until the death of Mr. Hamilton in 1970, it had been the family home.

The old outhouse in the back of the property

Current Location and Future Plans:

The house was moved to its present location in Surgent Park in 1973. Infinite plans have been taken with examination and documentation of the building’s structural elements. Extensive research has been conducted including the records and treasured memories of Miss Caroline Hamilton as well as: Artifacts, Deeds, Manuscripts, Maps, Photographs and Wills.

The old Ice House on the property

Scheduling Tours:

The museum is opened for tours on Sunday from 2:00pm-4:00pm (except on holidays). The house is going through a transition right now with the change over.

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