This interesting little ‘gem’ is located up on the hill next to Blauvelt Mansion and is easy to miss. You will see the signs as you drive past it.
Open: Wednesday, Thursday and Friday: 10:00am-4:00pm/Saturday and Sunday: 2:00pm-5:00pm
Fee: Free donations accepted
The Blauvelt Art Museum is funded by the Blauvelt-Demarest Foundation and is a member of the New Jersey Association of Museums, the Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums and the American Association of Museums.
The Blauvelt Art Museum was established in 1957 by the Blauvelt-Demarest Foundation, a legacy of the late Hiram Blauvelt, philanthropist, conservationist and collector. Through the contribution of his private wildlife art and big game collections, he hoped to promote the cultural value of wildlife art and the need for conservation of its subject and their habitats.
The fountain outside the museum
The entrance to the museum.
During the early part of the 20th Century, wildlife was believe to be abundant. Many dedicated conservationists, notable Theodore Roosevelt, gathered animals from their natural habitats for museums. The beauty of the animals could then be viewed by many.
The entrance to the museum.
Like Roosevelt, Hiram Blauvelt realized the value of his collection and wanted to share it with the public. It was his interest and desire to share his far ranging adventures, his stories of explorations and his collection of these animals. Hiram hoped to educate the coming generations to the diversity and beauty of the wildlife kingdom. He especially wanted to enlighten the public to the challenges we face to preserve the marvels of wildlife and their natural environments.
The interesting artwork by the carriage house of pelicans.
The Pelican art outside the museum.
Founded in 1957 as a natural history museum, it introduced students, scouts and youth groups to the need to support wildlife and habitats conservation. Visiting artists created drawings and paintings from close observations of the specimens.
Embracing Penguins outside the museum dedicated to Wildlife Art.
Twenty-five years later, the Board of Directors of the Blauvelt-Demarest Foundation decided that the original objectives would be best achieved by redesigning the museum to feature the works of contemporary wildlife artists, built on the artistic foundation of the Blauvelt’s early collection of works by Charles Livingston Bull (notably a resident of Oradell at one time), Carl Rungius and a complete Audubon Folio of birds of America.
The interesting wildlife artwork just outside the museum.
The Blauvelt Museum, located in an 1893 cedar shingle and turret carriage house, underwent extensive renovations to accommodate its new and expanded mission. The original carriage house was re-designed to include a large reception area, 4 mini galleries and museum offices, all with original materials from the historic building and preserving its aura.
The Blauvelt Art Museum lion statue “Fides et Virtus” by artist Aaron Yount outside the museum.
Four new galleries were added, providing wall space for mounting museum quality flatwork and generous room for pedestals to hold creative sculpture. Substantial artificial lighting is augmented by natural light from the north.
High on a hill overlooking the Hackensack River, the Oradell Reservoir and parklands to the east, the entrance to the museum is through a curving stone and slate terrace, framed by large oak trees and other indigenous foliage, which serves as a natural sculpture garden.
The open air museum just outside the museum itself dedicated to wildlife art.
Many of its visitors today, accompanied by their children, are revisiting the museum which they first visited with their parents in past decades. The Blauvelt treasures their comments remarking on the greater beauties of its collections, while preserving the ambiance of their memories.
The inside galleries of the museum (from their Facebook page).
Artist in Residence:
The Blauvelt Art Museum established an Artist-in-Residence program in 1985. Artists were selected on the basis of their artistic ability and promise and on their commitment to the museum’s mission for the need for conservation to protect wildlife and their habitats. The museum provides a furnished home for the artist on the museum property, including a studio, painting supplies, etc. Artist-in-Residence have given lectures, led round table discussions, visited schools and demonstrated painting and drawing techniques.
The Carriage House from the outside.
The Current Exhibition (2018):
Artist Brian Jarvi’s African Menagerie is showing right now and the collection has some very interesting and detailed pieces on Mr. Jarvi’s visits to Africa. Don’t miss this exhibition!
The Blauvelt Museum is on the Blauvelt-Demarest Estate.
Disclaimer: This information was take directly from the pamphlet provided by the Blauvelt Art Museum. Please call the museum for any changes to their time schedule and don’t miss the current exhibition.
Historic Cold Spring Village in the summer of 2023. The 1800’s came to life when you visit.
The welcoming sign
Historically clothed interpreters demonstrate blacksmithing, pottery, printing, basket weaving and more! Visit an Early American schoolhouse, take part in hands-on activities and crafts and sample historic games and horse-drawn wagon rides on weekdays.
The Visitor’s Center at Historic Cold Spring Village
The village is also home to an organic farm complete with a horse, chickens, sheep and more! Visitors will also find a Welcome Center, Country Store, Bakery, Ice Cream Parlor, Cold Spring Grange Restaurant and Cold Spring Brewery.
The Map of the Village
Historic Cold Spring Village is a non-profit, open air living history museum dedicated to preserving the rich heritage of southern New Jersey. During the summer months, interpreters and artisans in period clothing preserve the trades, crafts and heritage of “the age of homespun.” From October-May, the emphasis is on teaching history through school trips to the Village, classroom visits by the education department and interactive teleconferences with schools throughout the U.S.
The Visitor’s Center exhibition is open in off season.
Our Education Program relates the history of the region to the broader scope of New Jersey, American and World History. Historic Cold Spring Village offers programs for students of all ages and programs can be adapted to any grade level. Please contact the Village for a more detailed description of each program.
Historic Cold Spring Village’s educational offerings are designed to comply with the 2009 New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards for Social Studies as established by the New Jersey Department of Education.
The Visitor’s Center exhibitions at Historic Cold Spring Village.
Stroll the shaded lanes of Historic Cold Spring Village’s 30 acres as you step back in time to an early American South Jersey farm community. Craft persons, tradesmen, housewives and farmers are eager to share their experience as you visit the Village’s 27 historic buildings. The Village is located on Route 9, four miles south of Rio Grande and three miles north of Cape May City. Visitors from the north, take the Garden State Parkway to Exit 4A and follow the signs to the Village.
For additional information on Historic Cold Spring Village programs, projects or events, please call, fax, email or visit our website.
Give the Past a Future: Invest in the future of HCSV by making a tax-deductible charitable contribution, volunteering or becoming a member. For additional information, call (609) 898-2300, ext. 10.
The Village’s educational programs meet the following standards:
6.1 US History, America in the World
6.2 World History/Global Studies
6.3 Active Citizenship in the 21st Century
The Marshallville One-Room Schoolhouse Experience
In the circa 1850 Marshallville Schoolhouse, students experience a typical Early American school day. Students ‘make their manners’, discover the subject studied by Early American students, write with quill pens and learn the consequences of not following classroom rules.
The Schoolhouse
The Marshallville Schoolhouse is available free of charge for teachers who wish to personally recreate a ‘school day of the past’ for their class. Village staff is available to run the program for a fee.
‘Visits to the Past’
Field trips to Historic Cold Spring Village offer students and teachers the opportunity to experience the past first hand. Select Village buildings, like the print shop, schoolhouse, blacksmith shop and inn are open exclusively for school groups. Costumed interpreters interact with students while demonstrating the trades and crafts of Early America. Field trips are held mid-May through early June. Call or email for fees and dates.
The gift shop offers all sorts of old fashioned goodies
We see America Learning: Teaching Early American History through ‘I Visits’
Distance learning programs are offered to schools nationwide. The programs are delivered via a state of the art broadband IP (Internet Protocol) systems and are adaptable to any grade level. If your school does not have a teleconference camera, our distance learning programs are also available through Skype using just your classroom computer and a webcam.
An Early American School Day: A typical day in an Early American rural school.
The Story of Old Glory: The origins and early history of the flag of the United States, using a collection of reproduction historic flags from the 17th Century through the Civil War.
Past Versus Present: A comparison of contemporary everyday objects with their Early American equivalents for example, a flashlight vs a lantern; digital camera vs daguerreotype.
Four Great Inventions (and one that almost was): Explores the creation of the steam boat, the steam locomotive, the daguerreotype camera, the telephone and difference engine, an 1832 attempt to build a mechanical computer.
Hearth and Home: An exploration of the role of the domestic arts practiced by 1800’s housewife with an emphasis on food preparation including hearth cooking.
Gone for a soldier: A day in the life of a Civil War Infantryman: Includes discussions of uniforms, equipment, camp life, food and weapons.
Welcome Centers: Taverns, Inns and Wayside Stops: A presentation utilizing our circa 1836 Dennisville Inn, A former stagecoach stop in Dennisville, NJ to explain the important part buildings such as these played in a community.
The Inn at the Historic Cold Spring Village
Revisiting the Country Store: An Important Community Resource: A look at the vital role of a general store in the life of rural America as a purveyor of goods, social center, post office, etc.
The War of 1812: More than the Star-Spangled Banner: An overview of the “Second War of Independence”,
Fiber Arts: A domestic program primarily including weaving and spinning interpretations.
The First Frontier: Whaler Yeomen in Colonial New Jersey: The story of the first permanent European settlers in New Jersey as well as a discussion of how the Eastern Seaboard was the original American Frontier.
Early American Trades: Explores the important role a printer, woodwright, blacksmith, bookbinder or tinsmith, had in an Early American community. Includes in-workshop demonstrations.
Disclaimer: This information is taken directly from the Cold Springs Village pamphlet. Please call them at the above number or email address for more information.
The Salem Historical Society at 83 Market Street in Downtown Salem, NJ.
History and information on the Salem County Historical Society:
(from the museum pamphlet)
The Salem County Historical Society was founded in 1884 and has grown over the last century from generous donation from the community. It has over 10,000 objects in the collection that include fine arts, textiles, Native American artifacts and a variety of material culture artifacts.
The Society maintains extensive museum and library collections related to the region’s heritage. Our exceptional collection includes furniture, paintings, textiles, glass, china, silver, documents, tools and other family heirlooms. This collection enables us to graphically convey to visitors an understanding of the work, play, society and lifestyles of local inhabitants from generations past.
(The Society’s campus houses three other buildings: the Stone Barn, the John Jones Law Office ( a hexagonal structure housing New Jersey’s first law office) and the Log Cabin Educational Center).
I came across this little ‘gem’ when walking around downtown Salem, New Jersey on my Christmas break back in 2019. This historical society put some of the musty ones I have visited to shame. It is so beautifully set up and maintained. It also has some great exhibitions and was so nicely decorated for the Christmas holidays. It is a ‘must-see’ when visiting Southern New Jersey.
Museum logo
The Salem County Historical Society is housed in three interconnected historic houses, the centerpiece of which is the Alexander Grant Mansion (1721).
In June 2022, I finally got to return to the museum after COVID had closed it for months. The museum had been refreshed with new displays and more interesting artifacts mounted all over the museum.
I was lucky that it was quiet that afternoon and I was able to one of the members take me on a personal tour of the museum. He explained to me that during the pandemic since they were closed they were able to work on the displays and update and refresh the exhibitions. This is the one thing I like about the Salem County Historical Museum is that it is not a musty mish-mosh of displays. Displays are well thought out and explained to the public.
We started in the front room with a display of Revolutionary War memorabilia. Here you will see a ring with a lock of George Washington’s hair, the shoe buckles of General William Hancock, who was a prominent resident of the town who fought in the Revolutionary war.
Various objects from the family and the war years are displayed here.
Off to the main part of the museum and the one section of the museum that stuck out to me when visiting the first time was The Keeping Room, the original part of the house that was built in the early 1700’s. The large hearth was just recently opened from what I learned from the tour and was once the center of the original home due to a place of cooking and heat.
During the Christmas holiday season, this room was decorated with garland and a Christmas tree, which would not have fit the time period but still made a festive environment for the room. Here kitchen and home wares are displayed where the family would have concentrated their domestic chores. Cooking and serving items were displayed along with a spinning wheel to make clothes.
The Keeping Room at the Salem County Historical Society
The Keeping Room at Christmas time
The Keeping Room at Christmas time
The main room displayed many more pre and post-Revolutionary War items including home furnishings of desks, wardrobes and grand father clocks. The most interesting item that I saw the Inauguration dress of local prominent resident, Sarah Hancock Sinnickson, who was married to Thomas Sinnickson, whose family helped found Salem, NJ. The dress is prominently displayed and it was interesting to see an actual item that was on display the evening of that ball. If it could talk.
The historic dress of Sarah Hancock Sinnickson that she wore to George Washington’s Inaugural Ball
The Grandfather clocks and Sarah Hancock Sinnickson dress information
The next two rooms have displays of local materials. One room was dedicated to the local Native American population. There was a large display of arrowheads, hunting spears, cooking materials and grinding equipment to break down corn and wheat for baking. Each piece was displayed related to its use and it was fascinating to see how a society showed its sophistication by creating meals from the use of specialty styled sticks and rocks.
In another room was a display of early ice cream manufacturing including the delivery buckets and carts.
Several families were known for the ice cream making including the local Bassett family whose relatives still make ice cream for their store in the Philadelphia Reading Market and packaged for all over the world.
Evolution of Ice Cream
History of the Salem Ice Cream industry
Their first flavor: Tomato. The tour guide explained how companies would color their buckets differently so you knew where the ice cream came from.
Other standouts in the room was an original Edison Phonograph with the original cylinders which were the precursor to records. It was interesting to see how the modern day record player developed. The item had been housed in someone’s barn before it was donated and still had most of the original cylinders.
The early Edison Phonograph
Another object in the other room was the Lafayette Quilt made by local resident Annabelle Chatter. This quilt was so beautifully designed with pieces of cloth from all over the world including the coat that President Lincoln wore that faithful night. I learned from the tour guide that people were taking small pieces of the coat after the President died. This was strange because I saw the same coat at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Exhibition and the coat was on display there and it looked pretty intact.
There was also an extensive display of items from the 1893 Columbian Exposition that showcased all the modern developments coming into society. This included pictures and objects that visitors could buy. Another display was on the Salem Oak Tree that once dominated the cemetery around the corner from the Society that fell in June of 2019. The room was made up of pictures of the tree and items that were made from limbs that had fallen in the past.
The upstairs had rooms full of Samplers, a way for young girls in the 1800’s to practice their sewing skills for use in homemakingfor things like clothes and domestic items like blankets. There was a Blown Glass display on items made in the area. Companies had use of local sand in manufacturing making blown glass items a big industry in the area.
The last display is dedicated to clocks, both grandfather clocks and the development of the pocket watch. The one thing that I learned was on the creation of the face of the grandfather clock was the use of the Roman Numeral IV as IIII. The tour guide explained that makers of the clock did not find it symmetrical with the other numbers in the placement and that’s why they used the incorrect symbol number.
The latest exhibition that I saw in 2022, is the “Step into our Canvas: 200 years of Salem County Art”, a extensive exhibition of local deceased artists from Salem, NJ. This includes artists who are recognized locally, regionally and nationally for their skills. These range from 18 Century artists to present day with the entire exhibition from the Salem Historical Society Collection. It was an interesting mix of portraits, still life’s and landscapes. This exhibition of the Society’s visual art collection aims to perpetuate Salem County’s heritage and enhance awareness of its artistic roots (Museum pamphlets).
The “Step into our Canvas: 200 years of Salem County Art” exhibition
The exhibition timeline
Also in 2022, I visited the courtyard and gardens in the back of the museum which contains several buildings including a barn, a small schoolhouse that was moved here along with the oldest lawyers office in the country, a small octagon structure.
There was a small bathhouse designed in the “Oriental” style of the time.
The barn in the courtyard
The buildings line the courtyard in the back of the historical society and on a nice day is a very pleasant place to stroll around and see the buildings.
The log cabin that was built on this property
Programs sponsored by the museum:
The Annual “Salem Walking Ghost Tour” event:
In 2022, I attended the ‘Annual Salem Walking Ghost Tour’ which tours the historic homes of the Salem Historic District and the church cemeteries of the downtown. At each stop, we got to hear tales of the haunted houses of the district and the owners in the afterlife still are involved in their current owners lives.
We started the night with a concert at St. John’s Episcopal Church with organist Erik Meyer, who played music that we relate to Halloween.
St. John’s Episcopal Church on Market Street the day of the concert.
The “Tunes from the Crypt” concert was right before the walking tour.
The concert featured five musical numbers that are classic to all horror films. The music being played is what you might hear in a popular horror film or something to do with Halloween. It seemed a little strange to be in a church but the organist told us that a lot of churches are using this for a fundraiser.
Erik Meyer who was the organist at the concert before the walk
He dressed like a vampire which I thought was strange for a church. These concerts have brought people back to these churches and even the priest said that he had not seen crowds like this on Sundays. The church was packed that evening.
The inside of the St. John’s Episcopal Church for the concert
The beautiful stained glass windows the night of the concert
After the concert, we walked down the antique store where the tour started. We stopped at various parts of the historic district to tales of woes, travels and ghosts still haunting the homes they loved so much.
One of the decorated porches on the Haunted Walking Tour
The Historic District of Market Street
A resident of the house talking about his haunted home the night of the walking tour
No walking tour is complete with a trip to the cemetery
The walking tour really was interesting and residents talked about their experiences in their homes that they say are haunted. The tour was about an hour but is really worth the trip. It was interesting to see how Salem, NJ developed over the years. The tour takes place before Halloween every year and tickets do sell out fast.
sited got a kick out of how things have not changed that much but today kids are more into cell phones and video games.
The entrance to the museum during the holiday season is nicely decorated.
For a small museum, the Salem County Historical Society Museum offers a view into our past and how New Jersey played a huge role in the development of the United States as a nation. Really take the time to see each room and admire their objects on display. You’ll learn a thing or two on what modern items are based on.
During the Christmas holiday season, the museum is decorated with trees, garland and the “Keeping Room”, the original part of the house, is decorating for the holidays.
The “Keeping Room”, the oldest part of the museum.
The Hearth decorated for the holidays.
The Victorian Christmas tree in the main room.
The banister to the second floor decorated for the holidays.
The museum was simply but nicely decorated for the Christmas holidays and the exhibits were family friendly for the season.
The Exhibitions:
The Society utilizes its rich museum to present engaging and informative exhibits. Our museum features several ongoing exhibits including The Keeping Room, A Legacy fro Salem County and The Stone Barn. These displays showcase some of the Society’s treasures including fine and decorative arts, Wistar glass and signature quilts.
In addition to our semi-permanent exhibits, the Society features large special exhibits that change every two years. These exhibits take a closer look at specific events or aspects of Salem County history. Check the Society website to get information about current exhibits. The Society has also opened more rooms for small exhibits that rotate and change periodically.
In 2023, the museum exhibited “Through a Child’s Eye: Toys from the Past” toys from the permanent collection. The museum had a collection of dolls, trucks, games and housekeeping play things. Toys from the Victorian era to the 1960’s were based on domestic roles and getting children ready for marriage. Items like dolls were for child rearing, tea sets for etiquette training for entertaining, trucks , cars and trains for transportation jobs and later on tinker toys and erector sets for thinking and construction. Items like board games were for socialization and thinking skills.
The write up for the exhibition.
The selection of Boys and Girls toys.
Contemporary Board games, musical instruments and dolls.
Dollhouses, trucks and cars for future jobs in industry and in the home.
Domestic toys such as kitchen sets and dolls for women to prepare them for motherhood.
Toys were best for creativity and imagination.
Dollhouses were very popular in every generation.
A baby blanket
Dolls, trucks and tea sets were created a future of domestic and work based lifestyle.
The museum had an interesting collection all sorts of toys, games and vehicles from all ages. From what the museum docent told me was that the kids who vi
Research Library and Special Collections
Thousands of researchers make their own connections to Salem County with the help of the Society’s research library. Historians and family researcher trace their ancestors through time with the help of our library’s comprehensive collection of resources, thus helping to bring people closer to Southern New Jersey’s distinctive heritage.
The library’s holdings of family records, manuscripts, deeds and church histories serve scores of genealogical and historical researchers with primary documents.
The Museum at Christmas 2024
Programs and Special Events
The Society has an active calendar with many diverse programs. From our Quarterly Meetings to the popular John S. Rock Memorial Lecture series to genealogical workshops, there is something for everyone.
The Society also sponsors events such as the highly regarded Open House Tour which opens Salem County’s historic homes and churches to the public every spring. In the fall, the Society sponsors the Walking Ghost Tour, an evening of spirits and stories in historic Salem.
The Walking Ghost Tour in 2019 at the Society
Tunes from the Crypt in 2022
The Salem Ghost Tour in 2022 behind the Salem Historical Society
Touring the cemetery during the day is less creepy and very interesting.
Actors telling their tales the night of the Salem Ghost Walk
The Annual Christmas Yuletide Tour of Salem Homes and Museums:
With Sinterklaas being cancelled this year, it gave me a chance to visit Salem and Woodstown, NJ for their Annual House Decorated Tours. I took full advantage of the time and started early on the tour of Downtown Salem, NJ.
I started the tour right after the Salem Christmas Parade by visiting the Salem Fire Museum, which is never open.
I started my tour of Salem the second the parade was over. I did not want my chance to see the museum’s collection.
The inside of the first floor tells the story of early fire servic
The museum first floor was quiet before the parade to tour
The museum’s second floor with offices and a view of the downtown
The wild Christmas tree on the second floor
The antique pumper on the first floor was the main attraction
The more formal Christmas tree on the first floor near the rescue equipment
I found the Salem Fire Museum to be a fascinating look at firefighting at many different eras. It is nicely displayed and organized and the members of the Salem Fire Department were around to answer any questions.
I watched the Salem Christmas Parade in the morning after the tour of the museum, wanting to see that first before the crowds came. The parade was fun but sparsely attended and I swear the police blocked off every road so it was hard to cross or find parking.
The Salem Magic of Christmas Parade
The Salem Magic of Christmas Parade
The Salem Magic of Christmas Parade
The characters in the Parade
The Parade Queen and her Court rode throughout the parade
After the parade was over and I had a quick snack, it was time to start the Holiday tour of the homes and businesses of Salem.
Salem has limited restaurants but Bravo Pizza & Pasta at 179 West Broadway in Downtown Salem, NJ
My favorite place for lunch, Bravo Pizza on East Broadway
While I was downtown, I stopped at the old bank to see their display before I started the walking tour of the homes. This is now an artist school and gallery. Their take on the holidays was quite clever.
The walk in safe decorated for the holidays
The history of the bank and the downtown
I started the tour of Downtown Salem, NJ homes at the antique store to pick up my map and look around. They have some great things to buy here.
The beautiful Federalist homes the lined northern Market Street had all sorts of elegant decorations on them.
He beautiful and historic Downtown Salem, NJ
He first stop on the tour was Salem City park to watch the military display of arms
The gazebo was nicely decorated for the holidays
The whimsical decorations in the park that day
My next stop was the historical cabin in the downtown. It had been a recreation of an original cabin used during the Revolutionary War.
The cabin had been set up for the military display
The inside of the cabin set up to reflex the war years
I then moved on to start the tour of homes and churches along this stretch of North Market Street.
Even the homes not on the tour were decked out for the holidays
The first house on the tour on North Market Street
The Dining Room of the home was set up for an elegant Christmas lunch
The Living Room was decorated to receive guests
The sideboards were maddened with holiday decorations and Christmas cookies
Most of the homes on the tour provided refreshments complimentary. The first home’s kitchen was laden with trays of homemade Christmas cookies and candies
I loved the use of garland and greens on these homes at the holidays
The second home I visited both floors were designed with elegant holiday displays.
The first floor and second floor had several Christmas trees on display
The second tree on the first floor with the theme of Gingerbread homes and people
The elegant tree on the second floor of the home
I then moved on to St. John’s Church to hear the organ music and wondering singers and look at how nicely decorated the church was for holiday services.
The home at North Market Street from the outside
I had been in the church several years before for the ghost tours and knew of its history.
The sign for the historic St. John’s Church
St. John’s Church on the tour
The church was decorated for Christmas Mass
As a fundraiser in their Chapel, the church was selling soup and sandwiches at very reasonable prices. It was a cool morning and I got the New England Clam Chowder and Sourdough bread. It hit the spot!
The homemade New England Clam Chowder was excellent
The strolling carolers entertained us throughout the tour at each site. Even they stopped to enjoy lunch here.
Another house downtown decorated for the holidays
On the way to the next church and some of the historical buildings, I stopped at the new Willows Wisp at 82 Market Street. This cute little shop had just had a soft opening and was just letting hg the community know they were here.
I stayed for the first couple of songs to warm up before I moved to the Salem County Historical Society across the street to take a quick tour of the exhibitions.
The Salem County Historical Society at 83 Market Street
The museum was open for the duration of the tour of homes and had their interesting Portrait and Toy exhibitions (as noted above) still open to tour and view with docents.
Since I had toured them earlier to see what exhibitions were still there and found I had seen the all, I looked over the Dutch Keeping Room to see an early display of a Dutch Christmas activities. This is the oldest part of the original home that houses the Salem County Historical Society. It used to be where the original Christmas tree was placed which is now replaced by the Victorian Christmas tree further in the museum.
The Keeping Room at Christmas time
The Keeping Room set up for a Dutch Christmas
The Keeping Room decorated for Christmas
After visiting the museum. I went over at Old Salem Courthouse and toured the historical building. The building sits on the site of the original building that was built in 1692. This building’s cornerstone was built in 1735 and enlarged in 1817. The building was moved and renovated in 1908. It is now the oldest Courthouse in the United States under continuous use since its inception (Salem Historical Society Guidebook),
The Old Salem Courthouse at 113 Market Street
The beautiful decorations on the side of the building
The inside of the oldest Courthouse being used in the United States
The side of the room decorated for Christmas
The old fashioned bell that was once used outside
When I was finished with my tour of the Old Salem County Courthouse, I was down the block to my next stop, the Salem Friends Meeting Room building, one I had walked past many times.
The historic signs for the Friends Meeting
The Friends Meeting House in downtown Salem
The historic Friends Meeting House
The view from the top of the Friends Meeting House
The Friends Meeting House was indeed old and I was amazed that this building was still being used for worship. I looked like a relic from another era. There was not much decorations either so it did not seem to festive. I walked around the downtown to the next destination.
Historic Downtown Salem, NJ during the tour, the Courthouse to the left and the firehouse to the right
As it got later in the day, I stopped by the old JC Penney building at 225 Broadway, that was now being used as a training ground for carpenters. They were showing us around the old department store.
Then it was a quick tour of the Brown & Smith Building, which was at 193 Broadway. The historic building was now a gift shop and art gallery. I toured the items of the store before I moved onto my last two sites before I got to my B & B. The next place I visited was the Sarah Hall House at 90 West Broadway, which is now an Insurance company. The front of the offices had been decorated for the holidays with vintage decorations.
The former Sarah Hall House at 90 West Broadway in Downtown Salem
Some of the decorations when we entered the house for the tour
The Christmas tree inside the older home portion of the building
This delightful little doll was owned by one of the members of the Insurance company’s grandmother. The home had also once been the Masonic Lodge. So I could see the addition in the back of the building.
The last private home I saw on the tour was the Matlack House at 24 Oak Street, which had been built in 1868. The couple that owned it now were on property to tell us how they renovated and cared for this home.
The beautiful Matlack House at 24 Oak Street
The owners had done all the wallpapering herself and it was very impressive
Their Christmas tree just off the kitchen
One of the decorated trees by the old Library
What I liked about visiting this house was the sheer creativity of the decorations and the beauty of the design of the home. The last place on the tour was the Barrett Plantation House, where I would be spending the night. The B & B was on the tour that evening so I could not check until the tour was over.
It was really nice to be part of the tour as I got to see all the rooms in the B & B and hear more of its history. The fireplaces were going when we toured and they had a Revolutionary violinist playing and telling us stories of the holidays back then.
I never realized that this house was built in 1735 as a plantation which once encompassed five hundred acres. It was so beautifully decorated for the holidays and what was nice about it was that the fireplaces were going and it was nice and warm in the main room.
The inside of the main room during the tour with the fire going
The beautiful decorations were all throughout the home
One of the bedrooms decked out for the holidays
The violinist who entertained us with music and stories of Christmas’s past
This was the end of the former tour and I just relaxed at the Barrett House to warm up and listen to the music. Since my hosts needed some downtime to get the B &. B back in shape, I went back downtown for the Christmas tree lighting outside of the Old Courthouse.
The Salem Tree Lighting was not part of the House Tour but a nice an accompaniment to it and the earlier parade. I have to admit it was a small tree. I thought in a town as old as Salem they would have this large tree in town but it looked like they had just planted it.
The outside of the Salem Courthouse for the Tree Lighting
The Courthouse decked out and lit for the evening
The Choir singing before the lighting
Videos of Santa arriving on the Salem Fire Truck and The Tree Lighting:
The tree lighting with the parade queen and the choir joining in the fun
The tree at the end of the Tree Lighting ceremony that evening
The Tree Lighting ended my tour of the day. It really was a wonderful house tour and there were so many beautiful homes and public building to tour and visit and so many gracious hosts. I highly recommend this tour for people who want to see the beauty of Revolutionary homes decked out for the holidays.
My stay in Salem, NJ the night of the Yuletide Tour and Tree Lighting:
After the tour was over, I went back to Barrett’s Plantation B & B for the evening. My host Gaynel and Craig greeted me warmly after a long and cold day of touring homes and the downtown. I was greeted by my hosts in the Living Room with a warm fire going and a glass of wine. We had small snacks of Shrimp Cocktail and a Roast beef sandwich with a side of Red Skin Potato salad.
After a nice conversation and getting to know the other guests a swapping ghosts stories, it was time for bed. I highly recommend the Dickerson Room, one of the two suites. I slept soundly that night.
The Dickerson Suite
The Dickerson suite when I woke up to start my day touring
The Sitting Room in the Dickerson Suite
The breakfasts at the Barrett’s Plantation are always wonderful. In the warm and inviting breakfast room, warm fire was going and the table was set for us with juice, fresh fruit and tea. For breakfast with the fresh fruit was Amish Honey Bread and Sunday Casserole with a side of potatoes. What a wonderful way to start the day.
The table set for breakfast
The table setting with fresh fruit
The fresh fruit to start the meal
The Amish Honey Bread
The Sunday Casserole with a side of potatoes for the main dish
The decorations around the house
After the wonderful breakfast, I was ready to start my day. I just loved the decoration inside and outside the house. The couple really did a wonderful job making the B & B festive for the holidays.
Decorations around the house
The side of Barrett’s at the holidays
The beautiful decorations outside
The grounds at Christmas time were nice to walk around in
The grounds at Christmas time
I left that morning to tour other museums and to explore the area more for my blog. It was an excellent tour of the homes and the sites and I highly recommend the Yuletide Tour to really get to know Salem, NJ.
Information on the Society:
(Taken from the Museum pamphlet)
Why become a member of the Salem County Historical Society?
The mission of the Salem County Historical Society is to seek, document, preserve, interpret and perpetuate Salem County’s heritage and to enhance the awareness and appreciation of that heritage through research, collections, functions, exhibits, educational programs and publications, for the benefit of future generations and for the betterment of the community.
The Society offers a wide variety of programming and services that are unduplicated regionally. These programs are presented at locations around the county and are designed to reach and serve a wide range of audiences. This includes guided tours, school lessons on site, outreach programs and our Open House in Fenwick’s Colony tour and Quarterly Meetings. Most programs are free and all are open to the public.
Salem County’s history and the evidence of it that is all around us in the origins and architecture of its buildings, is one of its greatest assets and should be a source of pride for all of us. The growing number of visitors using the Society’s research library, museum displays and public programs is testimony to the increasing interest of the general public in enjoying Salem County’s history.
Membership Benefits
*Receive our award winning quarterly newsletter
*Free admission to our library and museum
*Discounted copies and services in the library
*Discounts on Society events and programs
The funds needed to operate the facility and to maintain and improve the level of services provided by the Society, come in part from annual membership dues. If you are not already a member, please consider a membership. You may join online at http://www.salemcountyhistoricalsociety.com or stop by and visit the Society.
Volunteer
Volunteers play a crucial role in the Society’s operation and overall success. The Society welcomes individuals with varying backgrounds and interests to contribute to our overall mission of preserving and caring for the history of Salem County. Please contact us to learn more about volunteer opportunities.
Resources & Records:
*Bible Records
*Census, Church and Cemetery
*Military Service
*Published family histories and family files
*Rare manuscripts and subject files
*Birth, marriages and death resources
*Newspapers on microfilm
*Online access to Ancestry.com
Special collections:
*Maps
*Photographs
*Rare books
*Recorded and unrecorded deeds
*Diaries and journals
*Historical publications about county, state, military, ethnic and industrial history, as well as topics of local interest such as glass, brick houses and agriculture
*Unique house and church files
Publications
The Society publications an award-winning Quarterly Newsletter featuring Society news, events and scholarly articles. Our bookstore features books and periodicals on Salem County topics from many local authors. Publications are available to purchase on our website and at the Historical Society.
Education
The Society brings history to life for hundreds of children every year, providing hands-on lessons about life in 18th and 19th century Salem County. Utilizing current exhibits and permanent collections, children are introduced to the region’s rich heritage through presentations and hands-on activities.
These programs complement school lessons for traditional and homeschooled groups. All of our education programs meet state curriculum standards for Social Studies, Language Arts, Visual and Performing Arts and Mathematics, grades 4-12.
The Society offers educational programs based on the American Revolution, the Civil War, life in the colonial past, which has students identify objects from the past and modern equivalents. The Society also offers educational programming based on the current exhibits. These programs are available at the Historical Society and the programs on the Revolution, Civil War and “History’s Mysteries” can be presented offsite upon request.
Please check the education section of our website to learn more about these programs. Field trips and group tours can be scheduled by contacting the Society at (856) 935-5004.
Accessibility
The Salem County Historical Society strives to make all of our programs accessible to the public. Our library and museum exhibits are wheelchair accessible. Persons requiring special services should contact the Society in advance of your visit. Group visits are welcome and available by reservation.
The Society’s programs are made possible in part by funds from the Salem County Cultural and Heritage Commission, the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution and our generous Corporate Sponsors. If you are interested in corporate sponsorship please call the Society.
Museum & Library Admission: $5.00 per person
Directions:
From the Delaware Memorial Bridge:
Take the Route 40 exit and immediately bear right onto County Route 540. Follow 540 to Route 45 south, which becomes Market Street in Salem City.
From NJ Turnpike and I-295: Take Route 40 exit, proceed across overpass and go straight onto County Route 540. Follow 540 to Route 45 south, which becomes Market Street in Salem County.
Disclaimer: This information was taken directly from the Salem County Historical Society pamphlet and membership forms. It really is a nice place to visit and take about an hour to visit the galleries. Please call the above numbers for more information.
Monday: 10:00am-1:00pm/Tuesday through Friday: 8:30am-4:30pm/Saturday and Sunday: 10:00am-4:30p
Fee: Adults $18.00/Seniors $16.00 (over 65)/Children 17-5 $13.00/Military and Children under 5 and Members Free/Penn Museum Members/Penn Card Holders/HUP/CHOP Employees: Free
The entrance to the Penn Museum at 2360 South Street
Looking for a tranquil place to study or relax? Try the Museum’s garden’s and galleries or the Museum Library. For a bite to eat, stop by the Pepper Mill Café. Come by during Reading Days and Exams for free coffee and tea and extra study space on campus (from the Penn website).
The University of Pennsylvania Museum and Gardens
Museum Shop: A wide selection of books, games, fine jewelry and crafts from around the world can be purchased at the Museum Shop. Open during Museum hours.
The museum gift shop
I visited the Penn Museum on days I have come to Philly for the Penn versus Cornell games and for the Christmas holidays (the museum is across the street from the football stadium.
When I visited Philadelphia recently, I was able to visit the museum at more length rather before and after a football game. I really got a chance to see all the displays and look at all the artwork. It is a fascinating museum with many artifacts found on digs conducted by the university. It takes a lot of time to explore each culture.
The museum has three floors of exhibition space which is broken into different centuries. The museum has a lot of artifacts from their digs over the last two hundred years. Many of the artifacts are on display have the background of where the artifacts were found and how they researched. Each room has a different area of the world they are coming from.
On the Upper floors is the Asian, Egyptian and Roman exhibitions on artifacts, the Mid-level is the Middle Eastern, African, Egyptian, Mexican and North American/Native American Galleries.
The History of the University of Pennsylvania Museum:
(from the College website)
The Penn Museum is one of the premier international museums of archaeology and anthropology right here on the University of Pennsylvania campus. An active research and teaching center, the Penn Museum has teams engaged in more than 50 expeditions and research projects worldwide. Three floors of public galleries feature art, artifacts and remarkable stories from every inhabited continent on earth.Here is a selection of the interesting artifacts and art that I saw at the museum:
The Eastern Mediterranean Gallery:
The Eastern Mediterranean Galleries of Roman and Greek art
Transforming understanding of the human experience. Home to over a million extraordinary artifacts and archaeological finds from Africa, Asia, the Americas and the Mediterranean, the Penn Museum has been uncovering our shared humanity across continents and millennia since 1887.
The Greek Galleries
The Roman/Italian Galleries:
The entrance to The Roman Galleries
The Roman Galleries
The Roman Galleries
The Roman Galleries tell the story of the influence of Ancient Roman on the Mediterranean Sea. trade routes to the the Middle East and Asia and the influence of the Roman Empire on the world at the time.
The Pre-Columbian Gallery:
The Pre-Columbian exhibition is based on artifacts from the Mayan, Aztec and Incan civilizations. The artifacts show very advanced societies in both education, science and art.
The entrance to the Pre-Columbian galleries
The Pre-Columbia room
The Pre-Columbian galleries
The ‘Margarita’ panel
The ‘Margarita’ panel
I also got a quick tour of the Sphinx Gallery on my way out. On my most recent trip to the museum, I only had about an hour so I concentrated on the Egyptian Galleries and the special exhibition “The Stories We Wear”.
The Egyptian Galleries:
For a small museum, the Egyptian Galleries were pretty extensive. Much of the artifacts had come from Penn digs in Egypt back in the last century when museums used to sponsor and then fill their museums with artifacts.
There is a selection of small statuary, jewelry and decorative objects. Some of the collection highlights are the Sphinx of Ramesses the Great from Memphis, Egypt 1293-1185 BC located in the Egypt (Sphinx) Gallery.
The Sphinx Gallery is very interesting
The Sphinx guards the Gallery
Egyptian Gallery artifacts
The main Egyptian Gallery
On my first trip to the museum as well as my most recent, I was able to quickly tour the Mexican Galleries with the statues of the Sun and Water gods and the stone calendars. The Standing Figure located in the Mexico and Central America Gallery from Veracruz, Mexico from 500-700 CE. The Gallery has one of the largest collections of Mayan Stone statues in the world.
In the Special Exhibition Gallery, “The Stories We Wear”:
The exhibition was based on how what we wear and change into transforms us into someone new. The exhibition featured sports uniforms, Chinese Opera gowns, Princess Grace Kelly’s formal dress, drag performers costume as well as an array of accessories that adorn people.
From Groundbreaking excavations to ongoing innovation. Our journey as an institution began with an excavation of the ancient Mesopotamian city of Nippur, the first American excavation in the Middle East and a groundbreaking undertaking in the history of archaeological research.
Ancient works of art
Since that time, over 300 field excavations and anthropological research projects around the world have set us apart as an active research and educational institution. Today, our mission is fulfilled by 22 curators, 5 teaching specialists and over 150 affiliated consulting scholars.
The Mesopotamians Galleries
We are stewards of our remarkable history and humanity. Out vast and varied collection of archaeological finds and ethnographic objects is organized in eleven curatorial sections documenting the peoples of Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas.
The art from Ur
Harp from the City of Ur
Ram hiding in the thicket from the City of Ur
The Queen Puabi display
These holdings as well as the Museum Archives of excavation and research projects, are used by researchers and borrowing institutions worldwide. And our curators and interpretive planners draw on these rich resources to provide compelling context to our galleries, where visitors can travel the globe in a day.
Middle Eastern works with a Roman influences
The Penn Museum Mission:
In bridging archaeology, the study of objects made by humans, with anthropology, the science of humanity, we chart a course for finding one’s own place in the arc of human history.
We are dedicated to telling powerful stories that emerge from excavations and research across the world. And nowhere else in the Western hemisphere will you be greeted by a 3000 year old, 15 ton Egyptian sphinx!
If there is one thing that 10,000 years of human history have taught us, it is that we have more in common than we think. In the canon of human existence, our past, present and future paths are inextricably intertwined.
What does the Code of Hammurabi have to do with the U.S. constitution? How can archaeology help to predict climate change? And what radical social changes accelerated by ancient plagues could be replicated in a post-COVID world?
Information about the museum:
Group Tours: Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more. Private tours and lectures are offered. Call (215) 746-8183 or email grouptickets@pennmuseum.org for information and reservations.
Public Gallery Tours: Penn Museum docents offer tours most Saturdays and Sundays at 1:30pm and Wednesdays at 6:30pm. Please check our website, http://www.penn.museum, for topics (Tour topics are subject to change; cancellation of tours may occur).
Parking & Transit: Visit http://www.penn.museum/directions-and-parking for parking information. Parking meters and lots are nearby. The Museum is near SEPTA bus routes 21, 30, 40 and 42 and the SEPTA University City Station (Regional Rail trains).
The Penn Museum sparks curiosity, wonder and endless exploration. We invite everyone to join our incredible journey of discovery and dig deeper. The museum is also a nice place to relax at after the games were over and walking all over the Penn Campus. The front of the museum has nice gardens and seating area right near the museum’s fountains and pool. There is a lot more I want to explore at the museum but that is for my next trip to Philadelphia.
blauveltartmuseum.com
Visiting a Museum: The Unique, Unusual, Obscure and Historical 