The Pompton Plains Railroad Station Museum at 33 Evans Place.
I was visiting Morris County for the “Pathways to History” tour, I visited the Pompton Lakes Railroad Museum. This tiny museum served once as the depot for the local railroad but now houses its history. Piled all over the building is the history of the rail service in this area. Small displays are located all around a pot belly stove that serves as the center point of the museum. The memorabilia includes a series of pictures, maps and schedules.
(From the Pathways to History tour pamphlet 2024):
Pompton Plains Station, home to the Pequannock Township Museum, was erected in 1877 by the Montclair and Greenwood Lake Railway as a replacement for an earlier structure built when passenger service began in 1872. After closing in 1966, the station remained in private hands until 2006 when it was purchased by Pequannock Township with Morris County and Township Open Space funds, as well as, funds from the Morris County Historic Preservation Trust. It was listed on the NJ and National Registers of Historic Places in 2008 and was restored to its “Turn of the 20th Century” appearance in 2010 (PPHS website).
The Historic Marker at the station.
The building’s simple wood construction is characterized by its late 19th Century American “Stick style” architecture, with its notable exterior embellishments being the distinctive “Dutch cap” trim over each window and door and its decoratively patterned slate roof. The museum supports an extensive collection of photographs and artifacts illustrating the Township’s 300 years of recorded history. Featured is a collection of over two dozen models of historic buildings, as well as, exhibits about Civil War veteran, Medal of Honor recipient, station agent and prior owner of the nearby Martin Berry House, James R. Evans (PPHS website).
The Pompton Plains Railroad Station Museum gallery.
Other exhibits cover the history of the station, and the pioneering 1940’s rocket engine factory Reaction Motors. Plans for 2023 construction, which will include restoration of the decorative 19th century slate roof and chimney, will be on display.
The Conductor’s Office is part of the display at the museum.
A video promoting the Pompton Plains Railroad Station.
The Martin Berry House from the top of the hill at 581 Route 23 South. It is on a road hidden from the highway.
When I went to visit the Martin Berry House for the “Pathways to History” tour, I found it impossible to find. The Google Map has it in the middle of a parking lot in front of the strip mall along the highway and there is no pathway to the home from the parking lot. What you have to do is go the street behind the mall, head up the hill and make a right down a gravel road and there is the house at the end of the street.
There is not much parking here but with an isolated home like this, the Historical Society needs to put some things in place before they start having events here. The Society had bought the house not too long ago and there is still some renovation work that is being done, so the Society is in its first stages of opening the house to the public. It has some nice revolving displays and an interesting Colonial kitchen. The gardens are also beautiful when in bloom. Visiting the house in the future will offer many surprises.
(From the website of the Martin Berry House and the Pequannock Township Historical Society):
The Martin Berry House, or MBH, was built on this spot in about 1720. The original house was smaller than what you see here. This is the the result of the second major enlargement or renovation of the original construction as well as later renovations and remodeling.
The Martin Berry House from the gardens.
The MBH is owned by the Township of Pequannock and operated in partnership with the Pequannock Township Historical Society (PTHS). PTHS was formed in 2015 out of a movement that was original called the Friends of the Martin Berry House that had itself been initiated in 2014 to support the Township in its efforts to acquire the MBH.
The Martin Berry House Furniture display in May 2024.
When the Friends organized as the PTHS, it was decided that a broader vision was needed so that both the house and its context could be preserved and interpreted.
The Martin Berry House Art Exhibition during the “Pathways to History” tour 2024.
The Martin Berry House Living Room.
The PTHS is an all volunteer and membership -based organization with a mission to preserve, interpret, and promote the history and diverse heritage of Pequannock Township. We are working to preserve and maintain historic buildings, sites, and collections, and to create and present programs, exhibitions, publications, and other activities for the public that celebrate and interpret the history and heritage of Pequannock Township and neighboring communities. Our primary activities at this point, though, are centered around the preservation, restoration and management of the MBH as an historic learning center and living museum (MBH website).
The Martin Berry House gardens in bloom in the Spring of 2024.
The preservation of the MBH began with Eleanor and Charles Bogert purchased the house the 2.75 acres of land that surrounds it today in 1951. Lovers of history and historic buildings, it was their intent to restore the house as a Dutch Colonial manor. Along with the slow and laborious efforts of restoring the house, they raised three children, briefly operated an antique shop, gave tours for local school and scout groups and became active in organizations such as the Highlands Historical Society.
The Colonial kitchen section of the home.
Their intent was to restore the MBH and to provide it to Pequannock Township as a museum. In the winter of 2014 Mrs. Bogert informed the Pequannock Town Council and Township Historian that she was ready to begin the process for selling the MBH to Pequannock Township. Township Historian Ed Engelbart and the Pequannock Township Historic District Commission began generating support and The Friends of the Martin Berry House emerged in June (MBH website).
Martin Berry House Colonial kitchen and displays.
The Township submitted an application to and then received a matching grant from the Morris County Historic Preservation Trust Fund to purchase the home in 2015 and then contracted with HMR Architects for a Preservation Plan.
The Colonial Kitchen display in the old Dutch Kitchen.
The Plan was received in the winter of 2016. It recommended that the Township complete the purchase of the MBH and provided information regarding its renovation and interpretation. Final negotiations began with Mrs. Bogert and the sale was completed in January 2017. Negotiations then began with the PTHS on a management agreement that was adopted and signed in September 2017 in time for the PTHS to open the MBH to visitors for the Pathways of History Tour.
The history of the Martin Berry House and renovation.
The History of the house:
(from The Martin Berry House historical pamphlet)
In 1695 and 1696, a group led by Captain Arent Schuyler, Major Anthony Brockholst and six others including Samuel Berry, negotiated purchase of the land from both the Lenape Tribal Americans and the East Jersey Board of Proprietors. The land was later divided to eight separate owner including Samuel’s son Martin Berry born in 1693, who acquired the property and likely built his fine home sometime after his marriage to Maria Roome in 1720.
Historian Emil R. Salvini noted that Martin built his house of stone, with walls two feet thick for insulation, set into the hillside facing south, typical of the Dutch homes of the period. Its has six bedrooms, two center halls, shallow fireplaces to reflect the heat back into the rooms, servants quarters and a massively framed Gambrel room built without the benefit of a ridgepole.
Besides being a successful and prosperous farmer, Martin served in positions of community leadership, both as a deacon and later elder in the newly established Dutch Reformed Church which was built in 1736 and was accessible via “Martin’s ford” across the river from his farm. The house passed out of the Barry family in 1862 during the Civil War.
As part of the Morris County “Pathways to History” tour I visited the small Lincoln Park History Museum just off the downtown. This colorful and well lit little museum is packed with information on the development of the town. The transformation took place with the form of transportation that changed the area starting with the Morris Canal running through then the railroad system and then the advent of the automobile. This area is still quite sleepy even though its located just an hour outside of New York City.
Lincoln Park History Museum, located at the original 1922 Library building. Lincoln Park, or as once known, Beavertown, is small in geographic nature but has a rich and diverse history. The museum’s goal is to rediscover the town’s past and celebrate / preserve the history, which sadly, at times, is lost and forgotten.
The history of the town’s police and fire departments
Join us and discover our past which includes: dinosaurs, native American artifacts, revolutionary roads /houses, civil war hometown hero, part of the Morris Canal path, part of the Boonton Line Railroad branch, airport, major flood events, some Hollywood film locations and of course our townsfolks who sacrificed in war, volunteers (fire department, police, first aid, pal, scouting etc.), all who made Lincoln Park a wonderful town to grow up in and formed pride and sense of community (Pathways Tour website).
The history of the Morris Canal that ran through the town before the railroads.
The Morris Canal was an important part of the town’s development.
Learn how the town transformed from a small crossroad in the American revolution to a canal stopping point with incline plane, lock and hotel. Learn how it progressed from farming to resort area to commuting town and transform to what it is today. The town keeps growing.
The day the Railroad came to town and it changed everything! On December 14, 1870 the first passenger train stopped at Beavertown. School was closed that day so the students could witness this momentous occasion. The following year Beavertown’s name was changed to Lincoln Park. This event, started a large and long transformation of the town. Prior to this, the town was all farmland and the few businesses in town centered on support of the Morris Canal. Once the railroad came, the transformation started (Pathways Tour website).
Small industries were created which used the train system for shipping freight and the population started to grow. In the earlier 1900s advertisements were placed in New York /Brooklyn newspapers advocating the benefits of country living. City folks would come by train for the summer and enjoy river activities and many of these folks became permanent residents. During this time the Morris canal was slowly fading away, not able to compete against the railroad. Soon, it was feasible to commute daily from Lincoln Park to New York by train and the population continued to grow along with more business to support the population (Pathways of History Tour of Morris County website).
Lincoln Park’s Farming past and Business District.
Lincoln Park’s town history of schools, fire and police departments.
The museum only takes about an hour to visit but take the time to see all the displays and talk to the docents. The town really has an interesting history.
Every semester I challenge my Business 101-Introduction to Business students to a project. This year we promoted the Garretson Forge & Farm for the “Bergen 250”, the 250th Anniversary of the Revolutionary War in Bergen County, NJ. Our concentration was on the historical Garretson Forge & Farm in Fair Lawn, NJ. The students had to create a series of events to promote the site and they did an excellent job with the project!
Visiting a Museum: The Unique, Unusual, Obscure and Historical 