Category: Educational Museums

Pompton Plains Railroad Station 33 Evans Place Pompton Plains, NJ 07444

Pompton Plains Railroad Station 33 Evans Place Pompton Plains, NJ 07444

Pompton Plains Railroad Station

33 Evans Place

Pompton Plains, NJ 07444

Pompton Plains Railroad Station

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pompton_Plains_station

Open: See website for special dates

Admission: Free but donations are suggested

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g46748-d27729131-r949878173-Pompton_Plains_History_Station-Pompton_Plains_Morris_County_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

The Pompton Plains Railroad Station Museum at 33 Evans Place.

I was visiting Morris County for the “Pathways to History” tour, I visited the Pompton Lakes Railroad Museum. This tiny museum served once as the depot for the local railroad but now houses its history. Piled all over the building is the history of the rail service in this area. Small displays are located all around a pot belly stove that serves as the center point of the museum. The memorabilia includes a series of pictures, maps and schedules.

(From the Pathways to History tour pamphlet 2024):

Pompton Plains Station, home to the Pequannock Township Museum, was erected in 1877 by the Montclair and Greenwood Lake Railway as a replacement for an earlier structure built when passenger service began in 1872. After closing in 1966, the station remained in private hands until 2006 when it was purchased by Pequannock Township with Morris County and Township Open Space funds, as well as, funds from the Morris County Historic Preservation Trust. It was listed on the NJ and National Registers of Historic Places in 2008 and was restored to its “Turn of the 20th Century” appearance in 2010 (PPHS website).

The Historic Marker at the station.

The building’s simple wood construction is characterized by its late 19th Century American “Stick style” architecture, with its notable exterior embellishments being the distinctive “Dutch cap” trim over each window and door and its decoratively patterned slate roof. The museum supports an extensive collection of photographs and artifacts illustrating the Township’s 300 years of recorded history. Featured is a collection of over two dozen models of historic buildings, as well as, exhibits about Civil War veteran, Medal of Honor recipient, station agent and prior owner of the nearby Martin Berry House, James R. Evans (PPHS website).

The Pompton Plains Railroad Station Museum gallery.

Other exhibits cover the history of the station, and the pioneering 1940’s rocket engine factory Reaction Motors. Plans for 2023 construction, which will include restoration of the decorative 19th century slate roof and chimney, will be on display.

The Conductor’s Office is part of the display at the museum.

A video promoting the Pompton Plains Railroad Station.
Lincoln Park Historical Museum 141 Main Street Lincoln Park, NJ 07035

Lincoln Park Historical Museum 141 Main Street Lincoln Park, NJ 07035

Lincoln Park Historical Museum

141 Main Street

Lincoln Park, NJ 07035

https://www.lincolnpark.org/373/Historical-Society

https://www.facebook.com/groups/lincolnparkhistory

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g46872-d27729149-r949879836-Lincoln_Park_History_Museum-Towaco_Montville_Morris_County_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

Lincoln Park History Museum at 141 Main Street

The entrance of the Museum off the Main Street.

As part of the Morris County “Pathways to History” tour I visited the small Lincoln Park History Museum just off the downtown. This colorful and well lit little museum is packed with information on the development of the town. The transformation took place with the form of transportation that changed the area starting with the Morris Canal running through then the railroad system and then the advent of the automobile. This area is still quite sleepy even though its located just an hour outside of New York City.

Lincoln Park History Museum, located at the original 1922 Library building. Lincoln Park, or as once known, Beavertown, is small in geographic nature but has a rich and diverse history. The museum’s goal is to rediscover the town’s past and celebrate / preserve the history, which sadly, at times, is lost and forgotten.

The history of the town’s police and fire departments

Join us and discover our past which includes: dinosaurs, native American artifacts, revolutionary roads /houses, civil war hometown hero, part of the Morris Canal path, part of the Boonton Line Railroad branch, airport, major flood events, some Hollywood film locations and of course our townsfolks who sacrificed in war, volunteers (fire department, police, first aid, pal, scouting etc.), all who made Lincoln Park a wonderful town to grow up in and formed pride and sense of community (Pathways Tour website).

The history of the Morris Canal that ran through the town before the railroads.

The Morris Canal was an important part of the town’s development.

Learn how the town transformed from a small crossroad in the American revolution to a canal stopping point with incline plane, lock and hotel. Learn how it progressed from farming to resort area to commuting town and transform to what it is today. The town keeps growing.

The day the Railroad came to town and it changed everything! On December 14, 1870 the first passenger train stopped at Beavertown. School was closed that day so the students could witness this momentous occasion. The following year Beavertown’s name was changed to Lincoln Park. This event, started a large and long transformation of the town. Prior to this, the town was all farmland and the few businesses in town centered on support of the Morris Canal. Once the railroad came, the transformation started (Pathways Tour website).

Small industries were created which used the train system for shipping freight and the population started to grow. In the earlier 1900s advertisements were placed in New York /Brooklyn newspapers advocating the benefits of country living. City folks would come by train for the summer and enjoy river activities and many of these folks became permanent residents. During this time the Morris canal was slowly fading away, not able to compete against the railroad. Soon, it was feasible to commute daily from Lincoln Park to New York by train and the population continued to grow along with more business to support the population (Pathways of History Tour of Morris County website).

Lincoln Park’s Farming past and Business District.

Lincoln Park’s town history of schools, fire and police departments.

The museum only takes about an hour to visit but take the time to see all the displays and talk to the docents. The town really has an interesting history.

Butler Museum 221 Main Street Butler, NJ 07405

Butler Museum 221 Main Street Butler, NJ 07405

Butler Museum

221 Main Street

Butler, NJ 07405

(973) 838-7222

https://www.butlerborough.com/cn/webpage.cfm?tpid=17694

https://www.facebook.com/TheButlerMuseum

My review on TripAdvisor:

The Butler Museum 221 Main Street

The Butler Museum is housed in the former New York Susquehanna and Western Railroad station. Constructed in 1888, it was remodeled in the 1890’s and in 1907, when a freight room was added to the northwestern end of the building. A major restoration took place from 2011 to 2015. Purchased by the Borough of Butler for a museum just in time for the Bicentennial Celebration in 1976, the museum houses a large collection of artifacts of local and regional significance.

The Butler Fire and Police Department artifacts.

Exhibits highlight the social, educational, fraternal, political, and business life of the community. Unique to the Butler Museum are artifacts pertaining to the Statue of Liberty, statue designer Frederic Bartholdi, and his friend Richard Butler, for whom the town is named. Mr. Butler was an important member of the committee that raised the funds to construct the statue’s pedestal (Pathways to History of Morris County website).

The Statue of Liberty exhibition.

Displays also include products manufactured by the American Hard Rubber Company, the area’s largest employer from the 1880’s to the late 1950’s. Development of items such as Ace Bowling Balls and Ace Combs can be traced from blueprints and salesman samples to the finished products.

The Ace Company exhibit

The resource center presents the opportunity to view past copies of local newspapers, almost a century of Butler High School yearbooks, and a pictorial history of Main Street, Butler.

The Butler Museum main gallery with the Ace Rubber exhibition as well as the Butler Fire and Police departments. The displays represent years of tradition in the town.

The Butler Museum main gallery. The Ace Company exhibition.

The Butler Museum’s local town history display.

The Printing industry of the town of Butler, NJ.

The display of vintage clothing.

The museum has a wonderful display of artifacts that tell the story of the town and show the progression of the town’s growth. The docents do a nice job of telling that story of the town they love so much. It is a very fascinating museum when you tour all the interesting things that the museum has in its collections.

Bergecco-Parc Consulting Inc. presents: “The Bergen 250: Visiting the Garretson Forge & Farm in Fairlawn, NJ-A Historical Walking Tour”

Bergecco-Parc Consulting Inc. presents: “The Bergen 250: Visiting the Garretson Forge & Farm in Fairlawn, NJ-A Historical Walking Tour”

Day Three Hundred and Five Bergecco-Parc Consulting Inc. presents: ‘Bergen 250-Visiting The Garretson Forge & Farm in Fair Lawn, NJ’ April 24th, 2024

The Bergecco-Parc Consulting Inc. Paramus Team: “Bergen 250: Visiting the Garretson Forge & Farm” 2024.

The Garretson Forge & Farm at 4-02 River Road in Fair Lawn, NJ.

https://www.facebook.com/GarretsonFarm

Every semester I challenge my Business 101-Introduction to Business students to a project. This year we promoted the Garretson Forge & Farm for the “Bergen 250”, the 250th Anniversary of the Revolutionary War in Bergen County, NJ. Our concentration was on the historical Garretson Forge & Farm in Fair Lawn, NJ. The students had to create a series of events to promote the site and they did an excellent job with the project!