Category: Parks and Historical Sites

West Milford Museum 1477 Union Valley Road West Milford, NJ 07480

West Milford Museum

1477 Union Valley Road

West Milford, NJ 07480

(973) 728-1823

https://www.westmilford.org/cn/webpage.cfm?TPID=3979

Open: Sunday-Friday Closed/Saturday 1:00pm-4:00pm

Admission: Free but donations are accepted

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Profile/R4960NKjustinw/photo/798400892?m=19905

The West Milford Museum at 1477 Union Valley Road

The Museum focus:

(From the Township of West Milford, NJ website)

The Museum presents an eclectic view of local and regional history through permanent and changing exhibits of artifacts, documents, photographs, books, and videos. The West Milford Museum is the result of over 35 years of collaboration between local volunteers, donors, businesses, and municipal government. Formerly a M.E. Church, circa1860, this local historic landmark has been renovated extensively in the interior to accommodate the museum exhibits.

The entrance to the museum

The museum is located in the former Methodist Episcopalian church built during the Civil War. It was designed in the Gothic Revival style with a cedar shingled roof over hand hewn beams and a dried laid foundation. The congregation moved to a new location in 1906 and the building was deeded to the town in 1910 (museum pamphlet).

The museum sign

The inside of the West Milford Museum

History of the museum:

(From the museum pamphlet)

Following the 1976 Bicentennial, with a renewed interest in American history, the Town of West Milford, NJ decided to establish a museum in the old Town Hall Annex. Passing a resolution in 1985, the museum started the collection and archiving it and renovating the building. The museum opened in 2000 to patrons.

Maps of the early history and colonization of the town

The Farming Community display of the Dutch and English settlers

The development and population growth around Greenwood Lake

The Warner Brothers ‘Jungle Habitat’ Park of the early 1970’s that was located in the area. This drive through park was very popular in that time. The park was once filled with exotic animals. Warner Brothers moved the operation out of the area when they built Six Flags Great Adventure Park in Jackson, NJ.

The display of the old park with promotional videos

Some of the promotional items and mementos from the park

The Long Pond Ironworks display

The display on the growth of the railroad in the area

The Long Pond Ironworks display at the museum. This was a big business between the World Wars

The Long Pond Ironworks

The History of the Ironworks:

The ironworks got its name from ‘Long Pond’, the Native American translation for Greenwood Lake. The ironworks were an important business in the area serving both the Revolutionary and Civil War armies with much needed iron for equipment and munitions. Because of cheaper options in the Midwest and more abundant ore, the ironworks closed in 1882 (museum pamphlet).

The Native American exhibition

The extensive collection of Lenape artifacts in the collection

The museum has a large collection of arrowheads and other hunting and fishing artifacts

The museum has an extensive collection of reproductions of the Hudson River School painter Jasper Francis Cropsey

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

https://www.nga.gov/collection/artist-info.1191.html

The reproduction works of the artist in the collection

Many of the books and notes from the artist and the locations where the works were made

They even had a resident bear as a artist

The museum has an extensive collection of textiles both clothing and quilts

This display quilt has many of the town’s historical sites that are of significance in the town

One of the sites was the Cross Castle that was knocked down years ago from neglect

Pictures of one of the local homesteads that has passed through many families hands

The Ice Industry which was a big business on the lake and the Rocket Mail business which was a failure

The resort business and the Greenwood Lake hotels were a big business until the advancement of the automobile made other areas desirable.

Local businesses had an interesting display along with community organizations

There was an interesting display on the West Milford Pharmacy

Some of the old medical equipment that you would have seen in the past

The museum is also dedicated to the West Milford school system. Their first display is a replication of an old schoolhouse, which has not changed too much in form. Desks still face the chalk board and the teacher still leads the class.

The old classroom

The old fashioned classroom has not changed much in the last 100 years

The museum gives children a glimpse of the past and a better understanding of how it relates to the future. There are all sorts of artifacts in which children can relate to and compare to today’s counterparts. It is a good place to use your imagination and think back to life in the past.

The new exhibition on the West Milford Marching Band will be opening soon

The back of the museum is filled with interesting artifacts

The gallery of Paintings and Native American artifacts

Town Museum of Secaucus 150 Plaza Center Secaucus, NJ 07094

Town Museum of Secaucus

150 Plaza Center

Secaucus, NJ 07094

(551) 257-7205

https://secaucusmuseum.org/

https://www.secaucusnj.net/town-museum/

https://secaucusnj.gov/resident/upcoming-events

Open: Sunday-Friday Closed/ Saturday 11:00am-3:00pm

Admission: Free but donations are accepted

My review on TripAdvisor:

The Town Museum of Secaucus at 150 Plaza Drive

The signs and sculptures outside the museum

The Town Museum is Secaucus sits in the former Municipal Building shared with the Secaucus Fire Department and the Community Recreation Center.

The colorful bicycle sculpture outside the museum

The inside of the museum has a large collection of artifacts and memorabilia from the Town of Secaucus and the surrounding community. Each section of the room has a different theme to it.

The main gallery of the one room museum

The Town Museum of Secaucus used to be the old library space and has now been converted into a town history museum displaying all aspects of life past and present in Secaucus, NJ. There is a wide array of displays in the museum.

The main gallery of the museum with old electronics and housewares

The museum has a very extensive collection of artifacts from the Secaucus Fire Department next door. There is a lot of old and current equipment on display and a very detailed account of the events on 9/11 in New York City.

The 9/11 display from the Secaucus Fire Department

Fire apparatus and bunker gear from the former Mayor of Secaucus

The full Secaucus’s Fire Department display

Being so close to New York City, the community was affected by the events of 9/11. There are many artifacts and pictures from that day displayed here.

Next to the fire department display was an exhibit of the military contributions in town.

The Military and Town history display

The museum has a lot of artifacts of electronic equipment of the past. From rotary phones to old typewriters, the museum showcases items from the 1950’s to the 1970’s.

The electronics of the past

A collection of cameras from a local collector

A movie camera from early picture days

The back part of the museum

The museum’s covered the history of the town and events of different time periods. You could visit important dates in time.

The historical collection

An old Victrola with records was playing

The history of Laurel Hill on display

Laurel Hill was a section of town the used to house several hospitals including an Insane Asylum. These hospitals used to treat all illnesses.

The museum has a collection of household appliances

The progression of the American household is shown in the museum as well. Home furnishings, decorative items and every day equipment like telephones and typewriters, once a big part of our lives have been reduced to relics of the past yet show how they educated us and grew our lives.

This includes an old washing machine

Other pieces of household decor

Local artifacts

An old switch board from the local company

There was even a selection of children’s toys in the cases and a 1950’s Lionel train running overhead.

Children’s toys of the past

Children’s toys of the past

The Children’s playthings of the past show that not much has changed in child development. The use of these items to train children for their futures in commerce and homemaking have been part of our lives since before the Industrial Revolution.

The most interesting display and it is tucked in the corner of the museum is the exhibit of Presidential candidate Henry Krajewski.

Presidential Candidate Henry Krajewski

From tavern owner to Presidential candidate, we see the rise of a local politician. Though he campaign was not a success, there is a lot to be said of the spirit of this man’s political campaigns.

There is a lot to see and do at the Town of Secaucus Museum. There is everything from the history of the beginnings of the town from the Dutch to modern times to where the town will grow. There is a rich collection at the museum and a lot to see.

Some of the history of the town

The museum is situated in Downtown Secaucus where a lot of local shops and restaurants are located. As I walked around the downtown in search of a place for lunch, I weaved through the series of local businesses. There is a nice selection of places to eat.

I ate at Chico’s Pizza and Restaurant at 161 Front Street and had the most delicious lunch at this Mexican/Italian restaurant.

Chico’s Pizza & Restaurant at 161 Front Street

https://www.facebook.com/people/Chicos-Pizza-and-Restaurant/61551382461348/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g46812-d33058238-Reviews-Chico_s_Pizza_Restaurant-Secaucus_New_Jersey.html?m=69573

My review on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com:

Chico’s Pizza & Restaurant 161 Front Street Secaucus, NJ 07094

The lunch was excellent. I started my meal with a slice of Cheese pizza which seemed to call to me. It was crisp, gooey and the sauce was packed with flavor.

The start to my lunch

After this excellent slice of pizza, I ordered a Sausage Calzone. The calzone filled two plates and was loaded with chopped sausage and three different types of cheese.

The Sausage and Cheese Calzone

The calzone was beyond delicious. When I cut it open, the cheese and sausage oozed out with a wonderful combination of flavors. The red sauce for dipping was so well spiced.

The small restaurant sits at the edge of the downtown and serves the most wonderful food at such reasonable prices.

The beautiful painting outside the restaurant

Haring Farm Cemetery Old Haring Farm Court River Vale, NJ 07675

Haring Farm Cemetery

Old Haring Farm Court

River Vale, NJ 07675

https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/bergen/river-vale/2020/10/08/river-vale-nj-cemetery-refurbished-teen/5898284002/

https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/1974293/haring-family-cemetery

http://files.usgwarchives.net/nj/bergen/cemeteries/haring.txt

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g46777-d33055554-Reviews-Haring_Farm_Cemetery-River_Vale_New_Jersey.html

The entrance to the Haring Farm Cemetery

One afternoon I took a trip into my very distant past. I visited the tiny Haring family Farm Cemetery, which is the resting place of Cornelius Haring and his family. The cemetery is what is left of what was once a several hundred acre farm owned by the extensive Haring family of Bergen County, NJ.

The burial site had been hidden for years and the site neglected until restored by Eagle Scout, Anakin Rybacki in 2020

https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/bergen/river-vale/2020/10/08/river-vale-nj-cemetery-refurbished-teen/5898284002/

The broken and delicate tombstones

The members of the family who are buried here

The History of the Cemetery:

(Shayla Brown article)

The history of the site extends back to the 17th century. “The immigrant ancestor was Jan Pieter Haring, who came from the Netherlands in the early 1660s. He was the leader of a group that purchased 16,000 acres in the Bergen/Rockland area, after living first in New Netherlands, now Manhattan,” said family descendant Regina Haring (Brown, NorthJersey.com).

Each of the historic tombstones are encased in a plastic box

The teen who renovated this cemetery encased each of the tombstones to preserve the place and history of each person buried on the site. Most of the tombstones were left in pieces by the time the renovation had started. This small cemetery is dedicated to the people who once lived here and passed away at the farm.

The grave site of Margaret Alyea

The grave of William Holdrum

The grave of Abraham Haring

Another simple tombstone of Elizabeth Haring

Some of the tombstones needed a serious cleaning

The grave of Elizabeth Blauvelt Haring

The cemetery from the entrance of the site

The sign on the site marking the fencing for the Haring Farm Cemetery

The cemetery is an interesting example of rural life in Bergen County when these early Dutch families would bury their loved ones on the family property rather than in the local churches.

My Class visit:

I stopped in at the Haring Farm Cemetery for a tour for their class project on Historical Cemeteries for the ‘Bergen 250’. This is for another Bergecco-Parc Consulting Inc. project.

So I got there early, raked the cemetery and tidied up the tombstones and cleaned and organized the signs. It looked so much better.

The Haring Farm Cemetery the morning of the tour. Much more respectable looking.

The class tour

The class group picture at the site

Fort Lee Historic Park Hudson Terrace Fort Lee, NJ 07024

Fort Lee Historic Park

Hudson Terrace

Fort Lee, NJ 07024

(291) 461-1776

https://www.njpalisades.org/fortlee.html

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g46446-d6899671-r995868317-Fort_Lee_Historic_Park-Fort_Lee_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

The Visitors Center offers a very interesting and thorough display of the Revolutionary and of the War effort by ordinary citizens.

The Main Gallery of the Visitors Center

About the park:

Fort Lee Historic Park is set on 33 landscaped acres atop the Palisades just south of the George Washington Bridge, with spectacular overlooks of the Hudson, Manhattan, and the George Washington Bridge. There are a Visitor Center and Museum, reconstructed 18th Century soldier hut and campsite, and reconstructed gun batteries.

Fort Lee has been named as a significant stop on the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area Revolutionary War trail (The Fort Lee Historic Park website).

The History of the Park:

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

The Battle of Fort Lee:

https://www.battlefields.org/learn/maps/fort-lee-nov-20-1776

The Hessian soldier display

The Battleships

The Soldiers display

The ‘Fall of Fort Washington’ display

The Visitor’s Center and Museum of the site tells the story of the battles fought, the retreats done and the important role that Fort Lee played in the history and foundation of this country. Each display shows the life and times of these brave men and women who survived famine and war to help build a nation.