Tag: Exploring Historic Bergen County NJ

Aviation Hall of Fame 400 Fred Wehran Drive Teterboro, NJ 07608

Aviation Hall of Fame

400 Fred Wehran Drive

Teterboro, NJ 07608

(201) 288-6344

http://www.njahof.org

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Open: Monday Closed/Tuesday-Sunday: 10:00am-4:00pm/Three Sessions Daily: 10:30 AM-Noon, 12:30 PM-2:00 PM, and 2:00 PM-3:30 PM

Admission: Adults $20.00/Seniors and Children 3-12 $15.00/Children Under 2 Free

TripAdvisor Review:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g46865-d3474448-Reviews-Aviation_Hall_of_Fame_of_New_Jersey-Teterboro_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

The Aviation Hall of Fame Museum at 400 Fred Wehran Drive

The Wright Brothers display

The Welcome display when you walk into the museum.

The Aviation Hall of Fame Museum of NJ is a very unique museum if you are interesting in everything aviation from the history of flight starting with the Wright Brothers, the World War drama and battles and the influence of the NASA and members from New Jersey who have made a difference in the department.

NASA Display featuring Montclair, NJ resident Buzz Aldrich

There is a lot of interactive displays during “Open Cockpit Days” at the museum and equipment that you can walk into and explore from planes and rescue trucks. There is even a First Class section of a TWA flight. I was impressed that the airline even had a standard of dress for the flight.

The front of the TWA Flight plane

The TWA Display of items from the ‘Golden Era’ of flying

The History of the Museum:

(from the museum website)

Founded in 1972, the Aviation Hall of Fame & Museum of New Jersey is dedicated to the preservation of the Garden State’s distinguished, two century aviation and space heritage. The men and women whose outstanding aeronautical achievements have brought world-wide recognition to the state are enshrined in the Hall of Fame.

The Aviation Hall of Fame in the main part of the first floor

The inductees in the Hall of Fame

The Kelly Brothers from West Orange, NJ

Some of the most famous inductees

The recently expanded museum offers visitors an opportunity to view historic air and space equipment and artifacts, photographs, fine art and an extensive model collection. The library has more than 4000 volumes and hundreds of aviation video tapes. The New Jersey Aviation Hall of Fame & Museum offers education programs for individuals or groups. Participants learn history and science.

The “Flying Aces” display

Our Aeronautical History Hunt is available to groups that visit the museum. By seeking the answers to historical New Jersey aviation questions, students develop problem solving, logic and communication skills. Our ‘Dare to Fly’ program, developed for children ages 7 to 15 focuses on ballooning and powered flight. Participants design, build and fly their gliders. Organize a small group and call for dates.

(Information from New Jersey’s Aviation Museums)

Museum Guide: A companion virtual tour for your electronic device is available free at http://www.njahof.org/

Welcome to the First State Aviation Hall of Fame in the Nation!

Founded in 1972, the Aviation Hall of Fame and Museum of New Jersey (AHOF-NJ) is dedicated to the preservation of the Garden State’s distinguished aviation and space heritage. The men and women whose outstanding aeronautical achievements have brought world-wide acclaim to the state are enshrined in the AHOFNJ.

The set-up of the Museum:

Raymond R. Wells Theater

The first stop on your self-guided tour is in our 60 seat theater where you will experience the saga of NJ aerospace history in our information and concise nine-minute film “Flight”.

The Naval Display in the Flight Theater

Buzz Aldrin Exhibit:

Jersey boy makes good on the first mission to the moon. The story of his life and his time with the space program

The NASA Display with Buzz Aldrin

The full display

NASA Display

Hall of Fame:

Enter the heart of our museum and meet the men and women who embody NJ’s rich heritage of flight.

The NJ Aviation Hall of Fame

Dehmel Room:

See the world’s first electronic flight simulator built by legendary Curtiss-Wright, at one time the Garden State’s biggest aerospace company. The room also contains information about barnstormers, Tuskegee Airmen, flying aces, Flying Tigers, Enola Gay, etc.

NASA Hall of Fame

New Jersey Women in Aviation display

The Curtis Wright equipment

The Great Room:

History comes alive with air and space equipment, artifacts, photographs, fine art, multimedia displays, hands-on exhibits and interactive simulators.

Exhibits are:

*The worlds first hover craft

*Women in Aviation

The Amelia Earhart display

The New Jersey Women in Aviation display

*Aircraft and rocket engines built in NJ

*International Space Station Exhibit

*Dassault Fundamentals of Flight Exhibit

*Scorpion helicopter

*Actual fragments from the ill-fated German Zeppelin, The Hindenburg

The Hindenburg disaster

The artifacts from the Hindenburg disaster

*Hot-air balloon basket

*Working jet engine

*”Touchable parachute

*Curtis-Wright display

*Rutan “Quickie” home-built experimental aircraft

*Overhead Gallery

Outdoor Displays:

The outdoor plane display

Our outdoor displays incorporate a Martin 202A airliner from the 1950’s. Bell Cobra attack helicopter that flew actual combat missions during the Vietnam War. Bell 47-one of the first practical helicopters. Coast Guard Sikorsky helicopter. Lockheed LASA-60 bush plane. Grumman OV-1A Mohawk. Walters Airport Rescue & Firefighting Vehicle. Convair 880 Jetliner Cockpit (during open cockpit weekends.)

The helicopter display

The Jeeps and planes

The TWA display

Second Floor: From the balcony, enjoy the view of The Great Room. Sit in the cockpit of our “Little Cut Up” make-believe airplane and make things move on the wings and tail.

View from the second floor

The Teterboro Airport display

The area also includes: Newark Airport Diorama, B-52 ejection seat, Richard E. Byrd Exhibit, barnstormers, model airplane collection, Peoples Express exhibit, the NJ designed “Para-Plane”, a working airport beacon and Clarence Chamberlin Exhibit.

The Jump Seat display on the second floor of the museum

Silvio Cavalier Research Library: This library contains over 3,500 volumes and videos on aviation and space history.

Gift Shop: Don’t forget to visit the gift shop, brimming with aviation related gifts, books and mementos for yourself, family and friends.

Tours-Parties: We offer group tours, birthday parties and our educational Dare-To-Fly program for young groups. Call for details.

Special Events: Four times a year we have Open Cockpit Day where you and your family can sit in the pilot seat of airplane and helicopter cockpits. In December, Santa will fly over the museum in a helicopter, then visit with the children.

The vehicle display on the first floor

The Aviation Hall of Fame and Museum of New Jersey (AHOF) reserves the right to use for promotional purposed any photograph/video taken at AHOF or any AHOF event. By visiting AHOF or participating in any AHOF event, you are permitting AHOF to use these images.

This is such a great museum for families and especially for children.

(Information from the AHOF Museum Guide)

Disclaimer: This information was taken directly from the AHOF pamphlets and I give them full credit for the information. Please call the museum for any further information.

Waldwick Signal Tower 1 Bohnert Place Waldwick, NJ 07463

Waldwick Signal Tower

1 Bohnert Place

Waldwick, NJ 07463

http://www.wctower@optimum.net

http://www.allaboardwaldwick.org/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Erie-Railroad-Signal-Tower-Waldwick-Yard/135792839782599

Open: Please note the website for when the two buildings, the tower and the railroad station museum are open.

TripAdvisor Review:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g46892-d10366154-Reviews-Erie_Railroad_Signal_Tower-Waldwick_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

This was the second time I visited the Waldwick Signal Tower, one of the last surviving of its kind on the railroad line. The architectural Queen Anne Style depot was built in 1886. The depot was called ‘Waldwick’ meaning “Light in the Woods”. The railroad signal tower was erected in 1890 in a similar style as the depot (Waldwick Historical Society).

The Signal Tower sign welcomes you.

The history of the Signal Tower as it was once one of six towers between New York and New Jersey.

The tower is a two story museum right next to the tracks in a rather obscure location in the back which you have to reach coming off Hopper Road to 1 Bohnert Place and the parking lot is off to the side.

The Signal Tower still sits on the Pascack Line that leads into New York City.

There is some walking here and not ADA accessible as the building was built so long ago but you can see it from a car from the parking lot and get a feel for its look and purpose at an earlier time in history. The main room downstairs had an interesting exhibition of railroad deeds from the various railroads that used to be part of the system of Bergen County whereas the upstairs which can be reached from the outside.

The outside of the Waldwick Signal Tower.

On the lower level of the Signal Tower has the exhibitions on the artifacts of the train station that includes the signal lightening, telephone pole protectors and items used at the station.

The downstairs gallery at the Waldwick Signal Tower.

The schedules and signal lights of the tower.

The map of the railroad into New York City and out into the suburbs.

The exhibition on the signal lights used by the conductors on the rail line.

Upstairs you get a better view of the tracks and the surrounding area. There was a train video going the first time I was there and there are members of the Waldwick Historical Society on hand to answer any questions.

The upstairs Conductor’s office is set up as it would have during the time of the tower in service.

The tower’s signal board on the second floor.

The tower is well organized with exhibitions on both floors and in a very interesting way. The displays are interactive and very detailed and the volunteers were there to talk to visitors about the site.

Waldwick Signal Tower History:

Waldwick’s Train Signal Tower is both historically and architecturally significant. It is a rare historical treasure for its residents and railroad enthusiasts from far and wide. Before the turn of the 20th Century, the Waldwick rail yard was an active repair depot and turn station for the Erie Main Line from Jersey City, NJ to Port Jervis, NY and was a major employer in Waldwick thus contributing to the borough’s residential and commercial growth.

The ornate Queen Anne style building was built in 1890 and housed the mechanism connecting switches and signals allowing trains to safely move from one track to another. The tower men who operated the switches by hand had great power indeed in their time.

Another view of the signal tower.

By the mid-1980’s, upgrades in computerized signal equipment warranted the elimination of the tower. The tower was slated for demolition in June 1987. The Waldwick Historical Society members led by Kay Williams campaigned to place the tower on The National Registry of Historical Places. This accomplishment allowed the tower to at least stay dormant till the next wave of enthusiasts came along in 1999.

The tower before the renovation

Michael Brunkhorst and Glenn Corbet banded together a group of citizens to form the All Aboard committee of Waldwick’s Historical Society. Curtis Springfield of Wanaque, who is the great-grandson of the renowned locomotive engineer, Harvey Springfield, got wind of the tower’s trials. He stepped up to the plate and purchased the tower for $6,000 then gave the Tower to the Borough of Waldwick as a gift to preserve for future generations in honor of the trainman’s family name.

The small All Aboard group set out to create awareness of the tower’s existence and it’s plight. Before long, fund drives were organized grant applications were filed. The response of a number of supporters including Mr. Robert Keeble, have given this project a solid start.

Meticulous measures are currently being made and can now be witnessed at the track end of Bohnert Place, to maintain the tower’s historical authenticity. Attention is being given to the placement of exact shaped decorative shingles and the repair and replacement of the original slate roof are among the initial stages of it’s restoration.

The Waldwick Signal Tower in the Spring 2024.

The Mission Statement:

The All Aboard continues seeking membership and financial support to complete the tower with the vision of becoming “The Harvey Springfield Memorial Tower at Waldwick” for generations of Waldwick citizens and for rail enthusiasts everywhere. If funding continues the tower is sure to be the pride of Waldwick with time and care.

This information comes from the Waldwick Historical Society’s pamphlet.

All Aboard Waldwick

Bless this tower, standing tall,

With Memories we share with all;

Bless the levers standing there,

Their work now finished,

with a prayer;

Bless this time in history now,

Remembering its always, this we vow;

Bless the ones who share this song,

And keep us all in health and strong.

Words by Helen Taylor.

A Brief History of the Borough of Waldwick

Pre-1700: Lenni-Lepane Indians inhabited the land.

1600’s: European farmers settled the land.

Late 1700’s: Franklin Turnpike is a toll road.

1840’s: The railroad connecting Jersey City with Suffern is built and ran through Waldwick, then named New Prospect.

1852: Erie Railroad Company takes over the railroad.

1880: New Prospect becomes a depot.

1886: An architectural Queen Anne Style depot is built. The Depot is called ‘Waldwick’ meaning “Light in the Woods”. The depot brings more commerce to the area also called ‘Orville Township’.

1890: The Railroad Signal Tower is erected in a similar style as the Depot.

1919: The small railroad hamlet is incorporated as the Borough of Waldwick.

The history of the tower.

Disclaimer: This information is taken directly from the Waldwick Historical Society pamphlet and I give them full credit for the information. Try to take time to see both the tower and the museum by the train station. The Whistle Stop Restaurant is around the corner and has a reputation for excellent sandwiches and ice cream.

The Waldwick Whistle Stop Restaurant at 27 Fredrick Street.

https://www.facebook.com/waldwickwhistlestop

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g46892-d8660054-Reviews-Waldwick_Whistle_Stop-Waldwick_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

My review on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com:

Waldwick Whistle Stop Restaurant 27 Frederick Street Waldwick, NJ 07463

The burgers here are really good as are the chicken fingers.

The Cheeseburgers and fries are excellent and very reasonable at the Waldwick Whistle Stop Restaurant.

Hackensack Water Works Van Buskirk County Park Elm Street Oradell, New Jersey 07649

Hackensack Water Works

Van Buskirk County Park

Elm Street

Oradell, NJ 07649

A Bergen County Historic Site

https://www.hwwc.org/

The Hackensack Water Works building is closed for visiting and under renovation.

When I visited the day I went to see the Hackensack Water Works Building all you could see is the signs outside the building.

The information sign outside the Waterworks.

The layout of the pump station.

On an oxbow in the northern reaches of the Hackensack River is Oradell’s Van Buskirk Island, a man made island that did not exist until 1802. Created by the dams built for the local mills, this stretch of the Hackensack River was the highest point of navigable water on the river where schooners regularly carried goods to and from New York.

The Hackensack Water Works Building in full.

Now a part of the Bergen County Parks system, this almost 14 acre site contains the historic Romanesque brick buildings of the Hackensack Water Works. This is the oldest surviving representative of a water purification and delivery system from the late 19th and early 20th century period, crucial to the development of a modern, safe water supply that was critical to turn of the century metropolitan and suburban growth.

The Pump Station right side.

The left side of the Pump Station.

The Hackensack Water Works, in continuous operation from 1882 to 1990 is a rare example of later 19th and early 20th century water works architecture and engineering. The historic buildings include the 1882 Pumping Station, expanding five times from 1886-1911 and innovative 1905 Filtration House, expanded in 1912 and 1955. The Pumping Station contains a unique collection of steam pumping equipment representing over four decades of development of steam technology in the early 20th century, including a 1911 Allis Chalmers Vertical Triple Expansion Pump and a 1915 Allis Chalmers Centrifugal Pump. The plant also contains the 1905 coagulation basin and gatehouse and the 1911 intake and waste gates.

The inside of the Hackensack Water Works

This Bergen County Historic Site with its open space and park like setting is a living 100 year old timeline of technology from steam to electricity as well as a river site that represents the evolution of Bergen County from its pre-Revolutionary War saw and grist mills to the creation of pioneering water filtration technology so vital to the 20th Century development of towns and cities all over America. Not open to the public at this time.

The history sign of the pump station.

http://www.co.bergen.nj.us

The Bergen County Division of Cultural and Historic Affairs

The Bergen County Division of Cultural & Historic Affairs received an operating support grant from the New Jersey Historical Commission, a division of the Department of State.

Disclaimer: This information was taken directly from the Bergen County Division of Cultural and Historic Affairs handout. Please call the above number or email them for more information.

Meadowlands Museum 91 Crane Avenue Rutherford, NJ 07070

Meadowlands Museum

91 Crane Avenue

Rutherford, NJ 07070

Phone: (201) 935-1175

Email: meadowlandsmuseum@verizon.net

https://www.meadowlandsmuseum.com/

https://www.facebook.com/MMusRutherford/

Open: Most Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10:00am-4:00pm

TripAdvisor Review:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g46796-d2403380-Reviews-Meadowlands_Museum-Rutherford_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

Both Curator & Chronicler

The entrance of the museum

The Meadowlands Museum is the main steward of the history and culture of the Meadowlands region and one of its leading storyteller.

The sign welcoming you

Its mission and collection, which resides in the Yereance-Berry House in southern Bergen County in Rutherford, NJ are distinctive and unique. The house too is a historic treasure and landmark and was built in 1804 by the Berry family, who were among the county’s earliest European settlers.

The front of the museum in the Spring of 2026

Rooms in the three-level American Dutch farmhouse are alive with permanent and temporary exhibits and sometimes include loaned objects from other museums and private collections. Historical artifacts like archives and photographs are mingled with textiles, furniture, housewares and artwork.

The display on the history of area

There is even correspondence by the daughters of John Rutherfurd, a close confidant of George Washington.

The display in the local artifacts

The gardens outside in the Spring of 2016

Grounds include the William Carlos Williams Poetry Garden, which acknowledges the legacy of Rutherford’s most famous native and the town’s history as a cultural center.

The everyday products of the Meadowlands Museum

Founder in 1961 as the Rutherford Junior Museum by parents of school age children to help connect them to their community, the museum is staffed by professionals assisted by dedicated volunteers and involved trustees. Interns add to the rich resource of individuals who contribute to its present and future.

A recent commercial developed by my Business 101 Class for the Meadowlands Museum for the project “Rocking it in Rutherford: Being a Tourist in your own Town”

The location of the Yereance-Berry House suggests a colonial farm dating to 1740. The oldest house in south Bergen County in close to original condition, it was part of the Historic American Building Survey project of the 1930’s. The building is also listed on the state and national registers of historic places and the Bergen County Stone House Survey.

The Yereance-Berry House is the now the Meadowlands Museum

Affiliated organization include the American Alliance of Museums, American Association for State and Local History, Meadowlands Regional Chamber of Commerce, New Jersey Association of Museums and The National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Programming & Community Service:

Free and reasonably priced services for individuals, community groups, businesses, government bodies and educational institutions are available.

*Educational programs, lectures and traveling exhibits.

The ‘Historic Rutherford Homes’ exhibition at the museum in 2026

The Historic Homes exhibition

The Historic Homes exhibition

*Customized on and off site programs.

*Collaborative ventures with a wide range of partners.

*Assistance with academic research and other archival support.

Special Events:

Special events, which often are made possible by partnerships with businesses and other organizations, are an additional way for visitors of all ages to enjoy the museum. Public and private events occur on a regular or one-time basis; many are fundraisers. Call or email for a current calendar and sponsorship possibilities. The house hosts both permanent and special exhibits.

Our permanent exhibits include:

*Yereance Berry House: During the Spring of 2026.

The outside of the museum

*Pre-electric kitchen: This unique kitchen in the basement shows off the collection of equipment that would be used in the kitchen from the Civil War to the 1950’s. There are coffee grinders, whisks, wash boards and such. It showed how much effort was put into preparing the family meal through the ages.

The Farm Kitchen of Bergen County

The Farm Kitchen at the Turn of the Century

*Meadowlands Geology: there are all sorts of rocks and gems not just from the area but all over the state. There are two different rooms one of the specimens locally and there is a separate room for glowing stones. It is very interesting to see when the lights are out.

The Mineral Collection at the Meadowlands Museum

The fluorescent Zinc display

The Mining Display

*Mining in South Bergen: This is how the county has changed when we mined ore.

The Mining Display at the Meadowlands Museum

The Mining Display

The Mining Display

*19th century Laundry Room: The Laundry room that is located in the basement has many of the things our grandparents would have used. The washboards, scrub bushes, old washing machines and ringers. Washing clothes was much harder back then.

The Wash Room of the Turn of the Century

*The wonderful Toy Exhibition of turn of the last century toys and from the 1960’s 70’s and 80’s. This contains Dolls, Board Games, play things and instruments:

The Toy Collection fascinates kids of all ages

The Factory Toys display

The wonderful toy factory in Kearny, NJ that used to produce all these wonderful toys.

The Toy Display

The Toy Display

The Doll display

The Doll display

The ‘Brownies’ display in the Toy Room

*The Bergen County Farm display:

Farming in the County in the past

The Farm display

The home Spinning Wheel display

Spinning Wheel display

The new Turn of the Century Furnace display

*Horse elevator

Recent special exhibits have included:

*High school football

*Needlecraft

*Steampunk

*Medical Innovations

*Maps of the region

*Civil Rights

*Dr. Williams’ Babies

Dr. William’s display

Dr. Williams display

Dr. William’s display

Dr. William’s display

Dr. William’s display

*World War I

Special Events:

Scarecrow Day 2018:

I went to the recent Scarecrow Day on October 20, 2018 where guests of the museum created their own scarecrows using their own creativity. All the scarecrows were lined up facing the street with their interesting clothes and accessories.

Each person got to use their own clothes and each one had its own style to it. It was fun watching the families show their creativity at this annual event.

Image result for scarecrow day at meadowland museum

Scarecrow Day at the museum in 2018

Scarecrow Day in 2021: the winners of the contest for best Scarecrow

I also stopped by for the Dutch Christmas decorations. The museum was decorated for the holidays with garland and trees. On December 1st, they had a Dutch Christmas festival (I could not attend) with food and entertainment.

Celebrating the Easter Holidays in 2026

Help tell the story…

(from the museum website)

Individuals who value the purpose and work of the Meadowlands Museum remain its inspiration and abiding spirit. Donations, memberships, sponsorship’s, grants and fundraisers are crucial elements of the museum’s financial well-being.

Admission to the museum is free but donations are greatly appreciated. Fees for events and other services vary. A personal letter to the appropriate person acknowledges a gift made in the name of an individual. Donations to provide for the buildings and grounds are valuable links to the future and a kind of giving that is among the museum’s top priorities.

Disclaimer: This information was taken directly from the Meadowlands Museum’s pamphlet. For information on the site, please call or email the museum for more information.

My Bergen Community College Team Project in 2022:

Bergecco-Parc Consulting Inc.-Rocking it in Rutherford:

My Business 101 class at Bergen Community College Lyndhurst branch visit in the Spring of 2022 for the project “Rocking it in Rutherford: Be a Tourist in your own Town”.

For Spring Semester in 2022, my Business 101-Introduction to Business class made a weekend visit to the Meadowlands Museum for the project “Rocking it in Rutherford-Be a Tourist in your own Town”. We were promoting the museum to increase tourism with a fundraiser and a barbecue. So on the weekend, I took my Team to the museum to tour it for extra credit. They ended up learning a lot about not just the museum but the history of Rutherford and Bergen County, NJ.

The project was promoting the Town of Rutherford for Domestic and Foreign Tourism and created a fundraiser and modernization of displays for the museum. This is a copy of the project, presentation and Commercials.

The Team Project “Rocking it in Rutherford: Be a Tourist in your own Town”:

Day Two Hundred and Thirty-Four- Bergecco-Parc Consulting Inc. presents: “Rocking it in Rutherford, NJ: Be a Tourist in your own Town” April 28th, 2022

Video’s of the Presentation:

The video presentation promoting the museum:

The Project showcased the museum in such a professional and creative way.

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