Tag: Author Justin Watrel

Henry Doremus House 490 Main Road Towaco, NJ 07082

Henry Doremus House 490 Main Road Towaco, NJ 07082

Henry Doremus House

490 Main Road

Towaco, NJ 07082

https://www.montvilletwphistoricalsociety.com/museums

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

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1141264633508766/posts/1764205224548034

Open: Special Events and Pathways Tours in Spring and Fall-Please contact through their website

Admission: Free but donations are accepted

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g46639-d4814175-r1059078529-Henry_Doremus_House-Montville_Morris_County_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

The Henry Doremus House during the Pathway’s tour

I visited the Henry Doremus House during the Morris County Pathways Tour in May of 2026 and it is good look at the early farming communities of New Jersey under the Dutch and then the English. The house was used by General George Washington while he was passing through this section of New Jersey during the Revolutionary War.

The sign for the Henry Doremus House

The historic sign for the house

Montville Township Historical Society:

(from the Museum website)

Established in 1963, the Montville Township Historical Society is dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the cultural heritage of Montville Township. Our unwavering commitment to meticulous archival work, interactive educational programs, and community outreach initiatives is aimed safeguarding the rich history of our town. Our ultimate objective is to ensure that the stories and traditions of Montville Township are cherished and celebrated for years to come.

The farm and harvest equipment

General Washington’s payment to the Doremus family for use of their home during the Revolutionary War

The farming equipment

The farm and household equipment room

The farm equipment from the time of the Revolutionary War

Henry Doremus House History:

(from the Museum’s website)

The Henry Doremus House is a Dutch American stone farmhouse that has been remarkably preserved since the time the first portion was built, circa 1760. The house has never been modernized with heating, plumbing, electricity, or wiring, and is one of only seven left in New Jersey without modern electricity. What is now Route 202 was one of the main military routes during the Revolutionary War through Montville and Towaco, (then part of Pequannock Township). The Henry Doremus house was located in a small community often referred to as Doremus Town.​

The main room of the original house during the tour

The kitchen and cooking equipment by the open hearth fireplace

The open hearth fireplace for cooking and heat for the home

Cooking items

(from the Henry Doremus website)

General George Washington and his troops often traveled this route between Morristown and West Point. In June of 1780, Washington’s troops (2000 soldiers and 40 aides) were in Whippany and traveled to Doremus Town after the retreat of the Battle of Springfield. General Washington and his aides (which General George Washington at age 45 about the time he stayed at the Henry Doremus House (Mount Vernon)  included Alexander Hamilton) stayed two and a half days in the Doremus House as General Andre Rochambeau (NIAHD Journals)   documented by Washington’s expense account and letters. A payment of $40 was  made to Mrs. Doremus at Pequannock on June 25th, to house General George Washington and his soldiers after the Battle of Springfield. French General Rochambeau stayed in the orchards around the house with over 5000 of his men, women, and camp followers on his way to the Battle of Yorktown in 1781.​

The items for processing wool and flack for clothing

A closer look at the equipment

Household equipment

The house addition towards the back had a spinning wheel and demonstration on how to make cloth.

​The Henry Doremus House was placed, in 1972, on both the National Register of Historic Places and the New Jersey Register of Historic Places. It was also listed on the Montville Township Local Register in 1987, as well as the Crossroads of American Revolution Greenway. In addition, the preservation and protection of the Henry Doremus House won the New Jersey Historic House Preservation Award in 2009.

The demonstrations on spinning yarn and making clothing in the back of the house

When I toured the house, the docents described how the household functioned and how the farm worked during the season. Men and women had different roles to make the household function. There was not much buying things for the house so clothes were made, foods were preserved and pickled for the Winter and then meals had to be prepared while the men worked out in the field. Men had to grow, tend to and then pick all the fruits and vegetables. Then there was tending to the animals, sheering animals and just working on tending the farm with repairs and working through the seasons. It was a lot of physical work through all the seasons.

Household equipment and furnishings plus another open hearth for heating the house

The front of the house facing the street with twin Dutch doors and entrance to the root cellar

The Doremus House is open mostly during the Pathways tour in May and October. The Montville Historical Society also runs the Montville Historical Society Schoolhouse Museum in Montville.

Harding Township Historical Society/Tunis-Ellicks House 16 Village Road New Vernon, NJ 07976

Harding Township Historical Society/Tunis-Ellicks House 16 Village Road New Vernon, NJ 07976

Harding Township Historical Society/Tunis-Ellicks House

16 Village Road

New Vernon, NJ 07976

(973) 272-3661

https://www.hths.org/museum

Open: Special Events and Pathways Tours

Admission: Free but donations are accepted

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g46670-d24085125-r1058924664-Tunis_ellicks_House_Museum-New_Vernon_Morris_County_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

I visited the Tunis-Ellicks House on the Morris County ‘Pathways’ tour of historical sites throughout the County and enjoyed the self-guided tour of this well maintained and displayed home. Unlike many sites I have visited over the years where things are left out and jumbled on tables, the Tunis-Ellicks House offers a look at small family farms from before the Civil War. The displays depict and discuss the life of a farming family in Central New Jersey.

The Tunis-Ellicks House in New Vernon, NJ

The house sign

The house is located in the New Vernon Historic District

The house was located in one of the oldest sections of the community, facing other structures in the historical district of New Vernon, NJ.

The house and front garden from the road

The vegetable garden in the front of house

In front of the house was a large vegetable and fruit garden with a grape arbor for spirits on the side of the house. These items would be jarred and pickled for the winter months or sold at market.

Mission Statement:

(From the Museum website)

The Harding Township Historical Society is a private, not-for-profit corporation founded in 1977 to stimulate interest in the history of Harding Township. The Society shall support, assist in and seek to achieve the preservation of documents, buildings and sites related to Harding Township. It shall also collect, preserve, maintain and interpret original cultural material, which illuminates this history. In addition, The Society is responsible for preserving and maintaining the Tunis-Ellicks House and environs. Through use of its historic site, collections and programs, the society endeavors to document and illustrate the history of Harding Township for present and future generations (Tunis-Ellicks website).

You enter the museum from the back of the house. In the backyard of the home, there were all sorts of activities going on while you could start a self-guided tour of the house.

The back of the Tunis-Ellick’s House

The beautiful view from the back door of the home

The inside of the main part of the museum

The main part of the museum was the newer extension of the home where the living room and dining rooms were located. There were displays on the walls discussing farm life in New Jersey during the late 1700’s and early 1800’s.

The Dining Room section of the house

The workings of the Dining Room

The story of ‘Country Life’ and the gentleman farmer

Pieces of the decor on display

The kitchen area of the older part of the home offers a homey fireplace for cooking and summer storage for jarred and pickled food stuffs for the winter.

The kitchen and storage areas of the home

Pottery collection in the museum

The pottery collection

The kitchen dining and cooking area of the home

The fireplace for cooking, roasting and stewing of foods

The oven for baking breads, cookies and pies and the baking equipment

The Summer storage area for canned and jarred provisions for the winter months and for cooking.

The bathrooms were on the second floor of the home/museum and I got a quick tour of the upstairs bedrooms.

Bedroom One

Bedroom Two

These were not part of the self-guided tour but I was able to see them and how they were decorated.

History of the Harding Township Historical Society:

(From the Museum website)

The Harding Township Historical Society was formed in 1977 to save the circa 1795 Tunis-Ellicks House and restore it as it appeared in the early 19th century. The society discovered an original 18th century hearth and Federal-style mantel and a water-fed cooling room besides the well.  Areas of the house were left exposed to showcase the post-and-beam construction. A permanent exhibit on 19th century farming was created as well as space for temporary exhibits. 

The Society saved a circa 1870 Tramp House from destruction when the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge was created by having the building moved the Tunis-Ellicks House property.  The Harding Township Historical Society maintains an extensive archive containing records, maps, and objects since the colonial era pertaining to the town. The archive is open to researchers, genealogists and the public. Each year we provide an award  to a student at the Harding Township School that excels in the subject of history. The Society produces exhibits, lectures, tours, and interactive events to bring history to the public.

I then joined many of the other visitors to hear an historical reading on the patio of the home from a descendant of a Colonial family. He was discussing life in Colonial New Jersey.

The Colonial talks

They also had a table set up for arts and crafts. The volunteers were making corn husk dolls with some of the visitors.

They also had corn husk doll making as an activity

Then I was able to tour the grounds and visit the ‘Tramp House’ that was used for workers of these farms. This had been moved from the ‘Great Swamp’ to this location. It showed the living conditions of workers on the farm.

Walking on the grounds of the farm

The Wine Arbor on the side of the house

History of the Tunis-Ellicks House:

(From the Museum website)

The Tunis-Ellicks House was built in 1795 when George Mitchell bought it from Michael Pearce, a Minuteman in the Revolutionary War. The deed for 7 acres of land is dated April 22, 1795. Interestingly, the ledgers of Daniel Tunis, who lived down Millbrook Rd and had a store, show that, beginning May 9, 1795, Mitchell bought items consistent with building a house: a load of timber and half a bushel of hair (used for plaster).

In 1838, a local farmer named Silas Tunis bought the farm and his descendants owned the house until 1923. Eva and Lee Ellicks sold the house to the township in 1968. In 1977, the Harding Township Historical Society began to restore the home as it would have appeared in the early 19th century. The house is a post-and-beam East Jersey cottage complete with a cooling room fed by the well outside. The museum features a permanent exhibit entitled A Country Life about the workings of 18th-century farms.

The ‘Tramp House’ for farm workers

The historic sign

The inside of the small living quarters

The farm equipment used in processing crops

History of the Tramp House:

(from the Museum website)

The Tramp House is a simple stone building built about 1870 by the Morris Overseer of the Poor as a place to stay for wandering Civil War veterans searching the countryside for work.  By providing a place to stay, farmers protected their barns from accidental fires by the men trying to cook or keep warm. The men would work on the farms in exchange for a safe and warm place to sleep

The house was located in one of the oldest sections of the community, facing other structures in the historical district.

The house and front garden from the road

I really enjoyed visiting the site and got a good view how life on a New Jersey farm was before the Civil War. The museum was very nicely organized and the displays were engaging. The volunteers and docents could not have been nicer and it was a fun afternoon.

Instituto Italiano di Cultura (The Italian Cultural Institute of New York) 686 Park Avenue New York City, NY 10065

Instituto Italiano di Cultura (The Italian Cultural Institute of New York) 686 Park Avenue New York City, NY 10065

Instituto Italiano de Cultura (The Italian Cultural Institute of New York)

686 Park Avenue

New York, NY 10065

(212) 879-4242

Home

https://www.instagram.com/accounts/login/?next=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fiicnewyork%2F&is_from_rle

My review on TripAdvisor:

Instituto Italiano de Cultura at 686 Park Avenue

The Institute of Italian Culture has a small gallery in it that several times a year hosts small art gallery events that are open to the public. This one caught my eye when I saw the picture of Sophia Loren looking back at me when I passed.

I thought it might be interesting and I stopped to see “Italians: Italian Women who changed the World” by artist Salvatore Catalano. The gallery held about fourth pictures of Italian women from all over the world and of different time periods who influenced art, fashion, politics and business.

There were many names I recognized and a few who I did not know. The works were very interesting and engaging.

The sign that welcomes you to the gallery

The main gallery at the Instituto Italiano di Cultura for the “Italiana: Italian Women Who Changed the World” exhibition

The exhibition Italiana: “Italian Women Who Changed the World” by artist Salvatore Catalono highlights the many impressive achievements by Italian women over the course of the last few centuries, until today.

(From the museum website):

These formidable women all greatly impacted the world in one way or another, often also against the odds imposed by a “male-ruled” society. The selection of 22 portraits includes scientists, politicians, entrepreneurs, artists, humanitarians and writers. These women all accomplished incredible feats and have contributed to the world in ways that still continue to resonate nowadays.

The Institute of Italian Culture exhibition sign:

The show Italiana: Italian Women Who Changed the World”

These were my favorite sketches from the show and women I most admired in the show.

Miuccia Prada, of the Prada fashion empire

Catherine de Medici, who revolutionized French Culture

Sophia Loren, the famous Italian actress

Lidia Bastianich, the Chef and restauranteur

The sketching’s represented different eras.

(From the museum website)

They are not all household names, but they are all at the top of their professions and exemplify the spirit of Italy. Salvatore Catalano uses his art as a vehicle to transmit these stories and to highlight the lives of these incredible Italian women.

Artist Salvatore Catalano

https://www.salvatorejcatalano.com/

https://www.instagram.com/catalano7127/

(from the Italian Cultural Institute of New York website)

Salvatore Catalano is an artist, illustrator, and educator. Catalano works in all forms of visual communication. His art has appeared on everything from postage stamps to billboards and his work is in many private and corporate collections. He is an educator at the college level, teaching in New York City and Florence, Italy.

Catalano has worked with The United Nations, U.S. Government, Department of The Interior, National Audubon Society, The New York Times, The New Yorker, ABC, CBS, NBC, American Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, N.Y. Zoological Society, Merck, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Bayer, GlaxoSmithKline, Coca Cola, Pepsi Cola, Seagram’s, General Foods, Sony, Panasonic, Citibank, Scholastic, Harper-Collins, Bantam-Doubleday, Dell, MacMillan, DuPont, Exxon, State of New Jersey Children’s Television Workshop, McGraw-Hill, Ranger Rick, among others. He has also worked on more than thirty books for children.

The History of the Instituto Italiano di Cultura in New York City:

(from the Instituto Italiano di Cultura website)

The Italian Cultural Institute in New York was founded in 1961 by the Italian Government. Its mission is to promote Italian language and culture in the United States.

Under the guidance of its trustees at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, its advisory board, and its staff, the Italian Cultural Institute in New York fosters cultural exchanges between Italy and the U.S. in a variety of areas, from the arts to the humanities, to science, and technology.

Central to the Italian Cultural Institute’s activity is its collaboration with the most prominent academic and cultural Institutions of the East Coast. The scientific exchanges, the organization of, and support to, visual arts exhibitions, the grants for translation and publication of Italian books, inspire and nourish the Institute’s initiatives.

In particular, we focus on the relationship between memory and innovation, and the multiplicity of identities in the Italian civilization. The Italian Cultural Institute in New York, therefore, provides an “open window” on main cultural and social aspects of past and current Italy.

New York Botanical Garden 2900 Southern Boulevard Bronx, NY 10458

New York Botanical Garden 2900 Southern Boulevard Bronx, NY 10458

New York Botanical Garden 2900 Southern Boulevard Bronx, NY 10458

(718)817-8700

https://www.nybg.org/

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

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g47369-d103513-r1056012355-New_York_Botanical_Garden-Bronx_New_York.html?m=19905

My visit to the New York Botanical Gardens:

I had never been to the New York Botanical Garden before. Being a member of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, I never saw the purpose until my best friend invited me to see the Orchid Show which had been heavily advertised, I jumped at the chance.

The entrance to the Gardens:

It was a cool April afternoon when we arrived. The first wave of Japanese Cherry trees were in bloom as well as the daffodils.

We started our tour of the Gardens at the Conservatory where the Orchid Show was taking place. The Cherry Trees were coming into full bloom. I had never been to the NY Botanical Gardens before. Being a member of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden for over twenty years, I just never saw a reason to come up here. Now I will be making many future trips (I also found out that my membership with the Brooklyn Botanic Garden gets me in here as well).

We visited two areas of the Gardens that day, the Conservatory where the Orchid Show was taking place and Daffodil Hill, their section of the Gardens were all the daffodils were starting to bloom at that point of the Spring.

The Garden’s Mission:

(From the Garden’s website):

The New York Botanical Garden is an advocate for the plant world. The Garden pursues its mission through its role as a museum of living plant collections arranged in gardens and landscapes across its National Historic Landmark site; through its comprehensive education programs in horticulture and plant science; and through the wide-ranging research programs of the International Plant Science Center.

The Conservatory

The Conservatory in the Spring

The turn of the Century Conservatory

Visiting the Orchid Show in 2026:

(From the Garden’s website)

New York City has never bloomed like this. At The Orchid Show: Mr. Flower Fantastic’s Concrete Jungle, orchids collide with concrete in a dazzling reimagining of the Big Apple, from stoops and slice shops to the subway itself. Step into a breathtaking fusion of nature and cityscape artistry in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, and experience the flair and style of New York transformed by thousands of flowers.

The entrance to the Orchid Show

The sign welcoming us to the show

The inside of the Conservatory

The magnificent orchids

The orchids in the beginning of the show

The inside of the Conservatory

The beauty of the potted plants

The beautiful potted plants

They were more beautiful up close

The inside display of the Conservatory

The flowers lined the paths

Then we walked through the fountain area and got to see the beautiful turn of the century fountains. We walked all through the Conservatory that afternoon and these were the breathtaking plants that we saw that day. I had not seen this many orchids out of Hawaii.

The fountain elegantly decorated for the event

The fountain area in full bloom

All sorts of beautiful orchids lined the pools

They came in all colors and sizes

The Tropical display

The orchids in full bloom

The colors were fantastic

Then we walked through the desert display at the end of the Conservatory which was really nice.

The Desert display

The Desert Display

The start of some interesting displays at the end of the show

The Pizza display where I did really think we could order lunch

Blogger Justin Watrel in front of the car washing display

My best friend, Maricel, who toured with me

Blogger Justin Watrel at the end of the Orchid display

The end of the Orchid Show display

The Orchid Show was amazing and I will have to come back next year.

Then we walked the grounds. The New York Botanical Garden’s version of Daffodil Hill is not the same as the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens but still beautiful.

Leaving the Conservatory towards the other gardens.

The path outside the Consrvatory

The beautiful Cherry Blossoms in the gardens that day were in full bloom

We headed to the NY Botanical Garden’s Daffodil Hill display after the Orchid Show and walked down paths of flowering Cherry Trees. It was quite a site as everything was coming into bloom in the park.

The pathway to Daffodil Hill

The pathways to Daffodil Hill

The daffodils were just starting to come in and some were at peak bloom. Though not as impressive as the display at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden it is still impressive and had just come into bloom when we arrived that day. It is a nice place to walk around.

Daffodil Hill at the New York Botanical Garden’s version

Another section of Daffodil Hill

Walking back to the front of the gardens

The Garden Library from the turn of the last century

We even saw a cardinal eating a snack on the side of the sidewalk. He was happy pecking away at an apple core.

The cardinal snacking

He even started to watch us

History of the Gardens:

(From the Gardens website)

The New York Botanical Garden has been a connective hub among people, plants, and the planet since 1891. We’re rooted in the cultural fabric of New York City, here in the heart of the Bronx—its greenest borough. For more than 130 years, we’ve invited millions of visitors to make the Garden a part of their lives, exploring the joy, beauty, and respite of nature. NYBG’s 250 acres are home to renowned exhibitions, immersive botanical experiences, art and music, and events with some of the most influential figures inplant and fungal science, horticulture, and the humanities. We’re also stewards of globally significant research collections, from the LuEsther T. Mertz Library collection to the plant and fungal specimens in the William and Lynda Steere Herbarium, the largest such collection in the Western Hemisphere.

At NYBG, we’re plant people—dedicated horticulturists, enthusiastic educators, and scientific adventurers—committed to helping nature thrive so that humanity can thrive. We believe in our ability to make things better, teaching tens of thousands of kids and families each year about the importance of safeguarding our environment and healthy eating. Our expert scientists work across the city, the nation, and the globe to document the plants and fungi of our world—and find actionable, nature-based solutions to our planet’s dual climate and biodiversity crises. And our eyes are always looking forward as we train the next generation of botanists, gardeners, landscape designers, and environmental stewards, ensuring a green future for all. At NYBG, we know that it’s nature—or nowhere.

That got us thinking about lunch and we were both starved. So I took Maricel out for a much delayed lunch at Virgil’s in Times Square. It was my treat to her for taking me to the Botanical Garden that afternoon. This is one of our favorite places to have both lunch and dinner.

https://virgilsbbq.com/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g60763-d424440-r1056011275-Virgil_s_Real_BBQ_NYC-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

She enjoyed a some appetizers of Barbecued Wings and we shared these Pastrami Nachos, which I finished the next day they were so big. The food here is amazing!

The Chopped Pastrami Natchos

I had the Pulled Pork sandwich which I love but rarely have anywhere else. There is nothing like it and Virgil’s I consider the best place for barbecue in New York City.

The Pulled Pork sandwich with Potato Salad and Coke Slaw

Yum!

It was a wonderful afternoon out.