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Hope Historical Society 323 High Street Hope, NJ 07844

Hope Historical Society 323 High Street Hope, NJ 07844

Hope Historical Society

323 High Street

Hope, NJ 07844

No Phone Number-Please email via their website.

https://www.hopenjhistory.com/

Open: Sundays 1:00pm-3:00pm from June to October: Please check website for times

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g46518-d23805634-r822429868-Hope_Historical_Society-Hope_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

Hope Historical Society at 323 High Street in Hope, NJ

Trout Alley right next to the museum during the tour in 2024

On Friday the 13th in 2023, the Hope Historical Society had been open for the afternoon for a tour and I was able to visit the inside of the museum for a short visit. The museum is tiny inside being an old home and it takes less than an hour to visit the museum.

The museum’s collection is vast for such a small museum. They have history of this section of New Jersey with maps and old pictures, they have displays on rural New Jersey and the history of the area. The town of Hope, NJ was founded as a Moravian community and their are artifacts from that time.

They also have decorative objects from a rural home’s parlor with furniture and decorative items from a rural farm home. There is all sorts of Victorian furniture, paintings and prints and things from homes of the area.

the hominess of the museum with its fireplace.

The decorative furniture and objects of the museum.

Furniture and decorative objects of the local community.

Decorative objects in the cases.

In December 2021, I went on a Lantern Tour of Hope, NJ’s downtown district for the Christmas holiday season visiting this once Moravian founded town. The evening was an interesting tour of the history of this small town near the Delaware Water Gap with visits to historical homes of the residents of the town and the manufacturing hub.

We toured the historic downtown district that was ablaze with lights and garland learning about the residential and commercial district and the role it played in the development of the town. We toured the former Grist Mill, Cannery, Distillery, homes and former barns and churches and given a short history of them.

The New Jersey history display of the Hope Historical Society.

We toured the Historical Society which had a collection of artifacts from the town including pictures of the town at various times of history, resident’s personal affects including gloves, shoes and glasses and family heirlooms. There is also a small assortment of vintage furniture from different periods. The building may have been small but it was packed with information.

The Hope Historical Society at 323 High Street at Christmas time

The displays included old photographs and local memorabilia, an 1850 map of Warren County, NJ, genealogy of the town’s residents and historic documents, primitive furniture and Moravian history (Hope Historical Society). Two of the major fundraisers that the Society has is the Christmas Craft Market and the Lantern Tour.

The inside of the museum for the holidays in both 2021 and 2024 was decorated for the Christmas holidays with traditional Moravian decorations. The decorations included dried herbs, homemade decorations and a ‘Tower Tree’ which is made from a framework with pine branches and fruit and herb decorations that would reflex the times.

Moravian Decorations 2024 Christmas decorations

Moravian Decorations 2024 inside the museum

Moravian Decorations 2024 The Traditional Moravian Tower Christmas tree

Moravian Decorations 2024 The Nativity Scene

The Hope Lantern Tour on December 11th and 12th, 2021 (Again in 2024)

This is the ‘Hope Lantern Tour’ on December 11th, 2021 and 2024:

We continued the tour as the night grew darker and the town lit up with all its Christmas glory. There were supposed to be 1500 luminaries but because of the upcoming rainstorm that was supposed to arrive later that evening, they canceled them. The rest of the town was adorned with white lights and garlands. We started the tour at the Hope Community Center where food and bathrooms were available.

The Hope Community Center on Hope Blairstown Road during Christmas tour 2024

One of our tour guides, Anne, who was wearing traditional Moravian clothing

We moved to what was once the manufacturing center of the town and passed the former factories and manufacturing took place. We then walked down the hill to the Inn at Millstone Creek, where the Christmas tree display was located. We then moved up the hill to visit the Hope Historical Society.

Downtown luminaries light up Downtown Hope, NJ

This is “Trout Pass” where people avoided paying the tolls on the bridge during the day

While we were walking through “Trout Pass” during the tour. a group of school children performed Christmas songs by a large fire. I felt for these kids as it was getting colder outside.

The kids singing by the fire just below the Hope Historical Society

Video of the performance:

IMG_3730Download

Video of the performance:

IMG_3731Download

We then walked to the home across the street from most of the buildings where the businesses were located and heard the tales of Moravian Christmases past. All that talk about Gingerbread house making and baking to get ready for the holiday feast made us all hungry.

Starting the walking tour in Downtown Hope, NJ

We started at the old Dairy Creamery

Starting the walk around Moravian Hope, NJ

First we visited the Nativity scene display at the old Creamery. This is what the Moravians did when they visited each other during the holidays to see each of their displays in the homes.

The Nativity Show

The Nativity Show

The video of the show:

IMG_3723Download

We made our way to former homes that are now a local bank were light with white lights along the doors and windows. The First Hope Bank was once known as the ‘Gemeinhaus’, which was the church/community center of the Village of Hope. It was built in 1781.

The walking tour showcased the town beautifully

The First Hope Bank at dusk

The luminaries by the Hope Bank in the middle of Downtown Hope, NJ

Our last part of the tour, we visited someone’s garage for a ‘Live Nativity’ of the Baby Jesus and was told the story from the Bible about the birth of Christ. The actors involved were very interesting but they could have cleaned the garage of the modern items located on the side of it.

The live Nativity (the actors looked like they were freezing outside in the 30 degree weather)

Homes decorated for the December 2024 tour

Downtown Hope, NJ is so beautiful at Christmas

We ended up back at the Community Center as they were cleaning up and I went to visit the ‘Festival of Trees’ at the Inn at Millrace Pond that itself was closed for renovation. I was the last one on the tour to visit what was the dining room to see various Christmas trees decorated by members of the community.

The Festival of Trees

The Festival of Trees

The Festival of Trees

It was a very festive room with Christmas of various shapes and sizes each decorated with a different theme and tables set elaborately for Christmas Dinner. I really liked the one that the elementary school students had created with the handwritten artwork and letters to Santa.

The Christmas tree decorated by students in 2024

In 2024, the ‘Festival of Trees’ was in the Community Center where we started the tour and it seemed that the volunteers liked it better there.

The “Festival of Trees” in the Community Center at the start of the tour in 2024

After I left the Inn at Millrace Pond, everything had wrapped up for the evening and the town was really quiet. I was starved and found the only open restaurant in the area, Hope Pizzeria at 435 Hope Blairstown Road located in a small strip mall. The pizza here is excellent (see my review on TripAdvisor).

435 Hope Blairstown Road

https://www.hopepizzeria.com/

https://www.facebook.com/hopepizzeria/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g46518-d19270906-r821734185-Hope_Pizzeria_Catering-Hope_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

The pizza here is delicious

For the tour in 2024, I ate dinner at the Community Center where the Hope Fire Department prepared the food for the fundraiser. You had a choice of a Meatball sandwich, Eggplant Parmesan, Mac & Cheese or Penne Vodka. I chose the Mac & Cheese with a Apple Cider Donut for dessert. The perfect comfort food on a cold night.

The Mac & Cheese dinner at the Community Center warmed me up after a cold night walking

The last part of the evening was spent at the Moravian Candlelight Service at the St. John’s Methodist Church. This beautifully run service included all the traditional Christmas Carols, a very engaging talk by the former pastor and a candlelight ceremony towards the end service. You can see the whole service on the St. John’s Methodist Church’s Facebook page.

The church during Christmas 2024

The Cemetery decorated for the holidays in December 2024

https://www.umc.org/en/find-a-church/church/11006

https://m.facebook.com/pages/category/Methodist-Church/St-Johns-United-Methodist-Church-1406394686297265/

(You can see the church service on their Facebook page)

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g46518-d20377992-r821735002-St_John_United_Methodist_Church-Hope_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

It was a wonderful evening of music, songs and prayer and the church was crowded with both locals and visitors. In 2024, it was funny that I have gotten to know the merchants and the people at the Hope Historical Society so everyone was greeting me at the church or we talked after services were over. What I loved about the Moravians is that you do not have to stand up during services like the Catholics do and I prefer this. It was nice to just sit and enjoy the services.

In 2021, this service took about an hour. By the time I got to my car, it started to mist and then rain. It was pouring by the time I got on the highway. Still, it was a wonderful evening of touring and it put me in the Christmas spirit. In 2024, it was just freezing outside, so I had to make a dash to the car and let it warm up. There was no traffic leaving Hope that evening as most people went home after the tour and there was no traffic on Route 80 so I got home in forty-five minutes. Enough time to relax and fall asleep on the guest room bed. It really was a beautiful night and the town could not have been prettier.

St. John’s Church in Downtown Hope, NJ for the Christmas services

The Christmas tree decorated in the church

The Candlelight Service was very nice and was the perfect way to start the holiday season

After the Candlelight church services, I joined the other parishioners for cookies and hot drinks in the community room of the church. They had a nice crowd that night but everyone looked so cold and the temperature dropped to 25 degrees in 2024. People did not linger that long and I felt bad for the church who had trays and trays of cookies. Still it was a wonderful night of touring around the town.

The History of the Hope Historical Society:

(From the Hope Historical Society website)

The Hope Historical Society & Museum are located at 323 High Street (Route 519 North) at the top of a stone bridge within the State and National Historic Register District in Hope Township, NJ. The tiny frame building was thought to be the original 1820’s toll keeper’s house. It was used as a private home until 1955, when it was restored by the Hope Historical Society and became the current museum and organizations headquarters.

Historical Society meetings with guest speakers of topics of historical interest are held April-November on the first Tuesday of the month, generally, at the Hope Community Center.

Site from Friday the 13th on January 13th, 2023:

The Moravian Cemetery in the film.

The Moravian Hope Cemetery

Where Annie got dropped off in the film

The Moravian Church cemetery

The John Blair grave that the Moravian Cemetery.

The Cemetery dirt being sold by the church on “Friday the 13th”

Day Two Hundred and Eight: Private Members Museum nights at the Met and the Museum of the City of New York and American Museum of Natural History November 29th, December 2nd and 12th, 2021

Day Two Hundred and Eight: Private Members Museum nights at the Met and the Museum of the City of New York and American Museum of Natural History November 29th, December 2nd and 12th, 2021

Members Nights are one of the best features that you can enjoy at any museum.

This is the benefit of joining a museum as a member!

jwatrel's avatarmywalkinmanhattan

I put my walk of the Garment District on hold as many of the museums are having their Private Members nights before the holidays get into the full swing. It gives the members a chance to really enjoy the museums before the City gets crazy with tourists and people are beginning to return to the City.

Metropolitan Museum of Art at 1000 Fifth Avenue

https://www.metmuseum.org/

My first event that I attended was “The Met After Hours” event. It was a well-attended event that members were able to explore the first floor at their own leisure for three hours.

The Invitation to the Met

https://www.metmuseum.org/

It really was a wonderful night. First it was a warm and clear evening and you could see the stars because it gets dark at 5:00pm. We as members got to the museum before 5:00pm and waited in a long line by the Member’s Entrance on…

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Museum of the American Revolution 101 South 3rd Street Philadelphia, PA 19106

Museum of the American Revolution 101 South 3rd Street Philadelphia, PA 19106

Museum of the American Revolution

101 South 3rd Street

Philadelphia, PA 19106

(215) 253-6731

https://www.amrevmuseum.org/

https://www.facebook.com/AmRevMuseum/

Open: Sunday-Saturday 10:00am-5:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60795-d12163505-Reviews-Museum_of_the_American_Revolution-Philadelphia_Pennsylvania.html

The Museum of the American Revolution

(From the Museum’s website)

On a recent trip to Philadelphia for the Cornell versus Penn Football Game (We won!), I had on my bucket list a series of small museums that I wanted to visit. One of them was the Museum of the American Revolution at 101 South 3rd Street in Old Town Philadelphia.

What was supposed to be a two-hour visit ended up being almost four hours of fascinating artifacts, paintings, murals, flags, ammunition and cold hard facts about the Revolutionary War and its beginnings, battles and finally peace.

My first stop in the museum was the exhibition “Liberty: Don Troiani’s Paintings of the Revolutionary War” which showed the artists interpretations of the historical battles and occurrences that took place during the war from the travels of Paul Revere to the Battles of New York and New Jersey. The paintings tried to explain the happenings in the war years since photography did not exist at the time.

“Liberty: Don Troiani’s Paintings of the Revolutionary War”

The exhibit takes the viewer on a journey with the troops and each of the happenings in different parts of the new country. The Battles both North and South that people fought for their wanting freedoms from a society that they felt was not listening to them and repressing them both socially and economically.

“The Boston Massacre” as seen by an eye witness account

This led to the main exhibitions on the second floor “A Revolutionary War”, “The Darkest Hour” and “A New Nation”. Each room built on the timeline of the War starting with the Stamp and Tea Taxes that Britian imposed on the Colonists who felt they had been taxed enough and the system did not go through even the colonial government set up at the time.

Room by Room leads you from situation to situation and battle to battle and the people who fought them. It was interesting in that you see the role that men and woman both White and Black and the Native Americans played in each situation. These were things I never read in a history book. You see how ordinary people played a role in shaping this country by fighting for their freedom with very little in ways of ammunition and direction.

You also notice the changes that could have happened with some of the disastrous battles in the beginning of the war that almost led to General Washington being removed, which would have changed the trajectory of the war. There were stories of how other European powers such as the French got involved with the war and new immigrants to the country of German descent played their role in the battles.

The two artifacts that I found most interesting first was the pieces of the King George Statute that stood in the Bowling Green Park in Lower Manhattan. There were pieces of the statue that still existed and had not been melted down. Another interesting fact was that the head of the statue was smuggled back to England by Loyalists of the Crown. I had thought the whole thing had been melted down (this was on loan from the New York Historical Society).

The other artifact that caught my attention was the tent that General Washington had used on his battles as his ‘war room’. They showed us in a film program the tent he used at Valley Forge that had been saved by his wife’s granddaughter, who was General Lee’s wife. The tent and other artifacts had been held at the Lee Estate by his wife and had been protected by one of the slaves on the plantation. I thought that was an interesting story.

General Washington’s “War Room” tent was one of the highlights of the museum

The later rooms tell the story of a nation in growth and change. From the makings of La building the nation to the Women’s Suffrage, you can see the way we have evolved as a nation.

This is a museum that takes several hours to enjoy and you need about three to four hours to truly enjoy it. This is an all-day affair.

The Museum of the American Revolutionary War History:

(From the Museum’s website)

Mission & Vision:

When the museum of the American Revolution opened its doors on April 19th, 2017, it fulfilled a promise made more than a century ago to create a museum dedicated to telling the rich and complex story of our nation’s founding. Since then, we have a delivered an exceptional experience to hundreds of thousands of visitors and established ourselves as a destination that brings history to life in a unique and powerful way.

Mission:

The Museum uncovers and shares compelling stories about the diverse people.

Our Vision:

To ensure that the promise of the American Revolution endures.

History of the Museum:

The Museum of the American Revolution uncovers and shares compelling stories about the diverse people and complex events that sparked America’s ongoing experiment in liberty, equality and self-government. Through the Museum’s unmatched collection, immersive galleries, powerful theater experiences and interactive elements, visitors gain a deeper appreciation for how this nation came to be and feel inspired to consider their role in ensuring that the promise of the American Revolution endures.

Located just steps away from Independence Hall, the Museum serves as a portal to the region’s many Revolutionary sites, sparking interest, providing context and encouraging exploration. The Museum, which opened on April 19th, 2017, is a private, non-profit and non-partisan organization. For more information, visit http://www.AmRevMuseum.org or call 877-740-1776.

The cannons at the entrance

The entrance to the museum on the second floor

The General George Washington show

The settlement of the Colonie

Early Colonial artifacts

Various household items

General Washington’s battle

The Wampum belt of Peace

The ‘Join or Die’ symbol of unity of the colonies

The Causes of War and Taxation

The squishes before the war

The images of the Boston Massacure

The revolt of the ‘Tea Tax’ and the ‘Boston Tea Party’

Preparing for the war

Losses on both sides

The ‘Brawl at Harvard Yard’ between Loyalists and Patriots

General Washington at the start of the War

The destruction of the King George statue in the Bowling Green Park in New York City

The tearing down of the statue of King George

The pieces of the statue still survive today

Most of the metal was used for munitions

The creation of the Republic

Preparing for War

The back galleries

Muskets and swords

The gift shop on the first floor

Montgomery Place-Bard College 26 Gardener Way & River Road Red Hook, NY 12571

Montgomery Place-Bard College 26 Gardener Way & River Road Red Hook, NY 12571

Montgomery Place-Bard College

26 Gardener Way & River Road

Red Hook, NY 12571

https://www.bard.edu/montgomeryplace/

Open: Sunday-Saturday From Dawn to Dusk/Mansion is closed

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g29820-d209648-Reviews-Montgomery_Place-Annandale_on_Hudson_New_York.html

The front of Montgomery Place in the summer of 2023

On a recent trip to the Hudson River Valley for Fall events I took a tour of Bard Campus to visit their campus and tour Montgomery Place which the college bought from the Hudson River Historical Society in 2016. It is now part of the campus and you can tour the grounds but not the inside of the house.

The back of Montgomery Place

Montgomery Place on the Bard College Campus

Before 2016 when the house was owned by the Historic Hudson Valley Society, who used to have tours of the mansion. When the family sold the mansion and all its contents to the Society, they left the house untouched when they moved out you got to see how the Livingston family lived not just in current times but with all the historical furniture that came with the house.

The view from the house to the Hudson River

The gardens from the back of the house

The former tour used to take you through each room that had antique furniture and decorations but much of the house had been modernized over the years. Older furnishings had either been conserved or slipcovered because of age. Since the house has been sold to Bard College, you can only tour the house by appointment only through the college.

The mansion’s portico overlooking the Hudson River

The grounds are still impressive. During the Spring, the formal gardens next to the house are in full bloom and the last time I had taken a tour there, the gardens were being maintained by a local garden club.

The entrance to the Montgomery Place gardens

There were flower beds, herb gardens and cutting gardens on top of the flowing lawns from the house to the river. The gardens are broken into three different sections: the Eclipse Gardens, the Wilderness Gardens and the Walled Gardens. Each of them connects to the other and some have returned to their natural state over time and care of them.

The Montgomery Place Gardens are changing from Summer to Fall

Pathways through the gardens

The gardens were developed over time from Louise Livingston’s day to her daughter, Clara Livingston Barton and her husband building on them the to Delafield family, who were the last owners of the house maintaining and adding to them.

The formal gardens

The Garden Sign of the Ellipse and Rough Gardens

The Rough Garden

The Rough Garden was in full bloom with lotus and frogs all over the pond

The Ecllipse Garden has gone back to nature in comparison to the garden’s original plans

In the Fall on a recent visit, most of the gardens had been cut back with a few seasonal flowering bushes still showing color. The trees surrounding the house were turning a gold hue while the lawn that had been freshly cut was still emerald green. The house while a little worn from the outside still looked like it was ready to receive guests for the Fall season in the Hudson River Valley. The views from the back of the house are breathtaking from the window views of the Hudson River and the paths leading to it.

The Garden sign

In the Summer of 2023, the mansion grounds are open until dusk for people to walk around the estate and visit the gardens. The gardens were in bloom with summer flowers and plantings. The Rough Garden with it ponds were full of frogs who were making all sorts of noise. I had not seen a frog in the wild in many years and you just don’t see those and turtles anymore in the woods. The mansion is still not open except by appointment through the college.

The formal gardens in the summer of 2023

The grounds are well maintained but there is more detail in the maintenance of the gardens that are needed. They could use some weeding with all the crabgrass coming into the beds. Still the gardens are breathtaking on a warm sunny day and make quite an impression. They must have been something when the family maintained them with their gardeners.

the beauty of the formal gardens

There are all sorts of hiking trails to the Sawkill River and through the forests, a trail down to the Hudson River and tours of the property. The grounds are open from dawn to dusk and there is plenty of parking by the Visitor’s Center along with a history of the estate.

The History of the Estate:

(Taken from Wiki)

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

The property had been home Native Americans for at least 5,000 years as a seasonal hunting ground. The Dutch settled in the area in the late 18th century using the Saw Kill River for various mills.

In the late 1770’s, Janet Livingston Montgomery purchased from Abraham Van Benthuysen 242 acres of land on the Hudson River after the death of her husband General Richard Montgomery at the Battle of Quebec. She moved into the home they built after the Revolutionary War. She later had plans made for a Federal style mansion on the riverfront property she bought and moved into her new home, Chateau de Montgomery, in 1805. She established a working farm with the help of friends who gave her tree samples (Wiki).

The Sun Dial in the Walled Garden during the summer of 2023.

Upon her death in 1828, the mansion was inherited by her brother, Edward Livingston. He had spent his summers vacationing here with his wife, Louise. They renamed the estate ‘Montgomery Place’. He died the next year and his wife, Louise hired Alexander Jackson Davis to convert the mansion into a more ornate villa. Two wings and exterior decoration were added at this time of the renovation. With the help of Andrew Jackson Downing, a friend of Louise’s and mentor to Davis, she developing the landscapes. Her daughter, Cora Barton worked with the architect on designing garden and conservatory (Wiki).

The front of the mansion

The back of the mansion from the grassy gardens facing the Hudson River

Upon Louise’s death in 1860, Cora and her husband hired Davis again to build some the earlier outbuildings including Coach House, Swiss Cottage and farmhouse and then extended the landscaping to turn the estate into more ‘pleasure grounds’ and have a separation from the farming operations.

The Coach House for Carriages and then cars

The house then passed on to another relative in 1921, John Ross Delafield who added heating and modern plumbing to the house. He and his wife also extended the gardens on the estate as well (Wiki). The gardens had more ornate features to them.

The “Walled Gardens” to the right of the mansion

Upon his death, his son John White Delafield inherited the house and they opened two corporations to own and operate the property.

The expansion of the gardens

In 1981, the estate was sold to the Historic Hudson Valley, the historical society. After an extensive renovation, the house was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1992 and it was bought by Bard College in 2016 who is its current owner (Wiki).

The Montgomery Place Mansion sign and the evolution of the home.