The Finns Point Lighthouse is located in the Fort Mott State Park and the afternoon that I was there which was the third Sunday of the month of June, it was not open. In fact, it looked like it had never opened for the day.
The gift shop/information center had a sign from 2019 with the hours of operation and the steps were not well cared for and the gardens around the building were over-grown. The lighthouse itself is behind a fence that you can look at but not enter and from what I read online is not open even when it should be if it is too hot or too cold because conditions inside can be impossible. The lighthouse and the Visitors Center will reopen for the 2023 season.
The Finns Lighthouse Visitors Center is now open in 2023
Still, the lighthouse has a majestic look to it and must have some views when it is open. If it is not open, take time to visit Fort Mott and the State Park, which offers spectacular views of Delaware Bay and the surrounding grounds. Take time to explore the fort and the where the guns were mounted. Very interesting.
Fort Mott also has a very good Visitors Center and small museum inside to see the history of the fort, artifacts from the fort and from the war years and all sorts of interesting information on the area.
The Finns Point Lighthouse
The History of the Finns Point Lighthouse”
(From the Friends of the Finns Point Lighthouse website-modified):
(Please read the above Friends Website for the complete history in detail of the ligthouse)
Soon after the 1638 landing of the Finnish colonists near the present site of Wilmington, DE, a small group of settlers crossed over to the east bank of Delaware River, where the land was though to be more fertile and established farms. One group selected land near the sweeping turn in the Delaware River and this area remains known to this day as Finns Point.
By an act of Congress in 1875, $55,000 was set apart for two pairs of range lights to help vessels transition from Delaware Bay into the Delaware River. Port Penn Range, located in Delaware, would guide traffic along the shipping channel from Ship John Shoal to Ready Island, while Finns Point Range would help vessels continue upriver, passing between Reedy Island and Baker Shoal.
Lt. Colonel William F. Reynolds of the U.S. Corps of Engineers oversaw construction of the front and rear range lights at Finns Point. The front light was located near the banks of the Delaware River and was displayed from a frame dwelling of the following description: “one and one half stories high with shingle roof, double weather-boarded on outside and lathed and plastered inside. Its rests on stone walls founded on wooden piles. The first story is divided into three rooms with the hall and stairways to the second floor and cellar and shed over the back door, porch and bay window in the front. The second story is divided similarly to the first, with a step ladder to lantern on the third floor, a gallery supported by brackets surrounds the lantern on front and sides.”
The illuminating apparatus for the front light was a fourth order range lens manufactured by Barbier & Fenestre in Paris, which focused the light from a fourth-order Funk Heap Lamp with one wick. In 1882, a “wooden screen painted white, with open spaces so as to show horizontal stripes” was placed atop the front lighthouse’s red tavern room to make the structure more conspicuous during the day. The daymark was removed in 1897.
The lighthouse sign
Three acres of land, roughly one and a half miles inland from the front light, were purchased from Joshua and Mary Dickinson on April 20th, 1876, as the site for the rear range light. To provide a focal plane higher than that of the front light, the project plans called for a tall, wrought iron tower to be used for displaying the rear light. The Kellogg Bridge Company of Buffalo, NY was contracted to manufacture the components of the wrought tower, which were then transported to Salem, NJ by railcar. From Salem, teams of mules pulled large wagons loaded with pieces of the iron tower to the construction site.
A frame keeper’s dwelling was built just west of the tower, along with a wood-framed privy and an oil house. The first keeper of Finns Point Rear Range Light was Edward Dickerson, who started serving on December 8th, 1876, even though the light was not lit until April 2nd, 1877.
The lighthouse sign
Fast forward to the 1970’s when the old dwelling was razed because it was unsafe, but locals showed an interesting in the lighthouse and having it moved. Resident Betty Husarik formed the “Save the Lighthouse Committee”. They faulted in moving the lighthouse but placed it on the National Register of Historic Sites in 1978.
In 1981, the committee set out to Washington DC to meet with their local congressman and the drive resulted in a contract for $33,600 being signed between the US Fish and Wildlife Service, on whose land the tower now stood and K & K Painting Company of Baltimore to have the tower repairs, sandblasted and painted. An open house was held at the tower on October 14th, 1984 to honor the determined effort shown by the “Save the Lighthouse Committee” and others in restoring the tower.
Today it is opened for limited tours and special events.
Open: Sunday 1:00pm-4:00pm/ Monday-Saturday Closed/Museum is open from April-December/The Auxiliary buildings are closed when the museum is closed. The community is welcome on Sundays when the museum is open and for community events. Please check the museum website on this.
I got to the Church Landing Farm in plenty of to tour the house and the grounds. What an interesting museum that is full of surprises. When they unlock the auxiliary buildings to show you the displays, they are a real wonder of fascinating artifacts each with its own theme.
The sign welcoming you to the Church Landing Farm-Pennsville Historical Society
The house was built by Daniel Garrison between 1840-1845 and was the home for five generations of the Garrison family up to 1973 when the last living relative, Anna Locuson died and did not leave an heir. In 1991, Atlantic City Electric worked with the Pennsville Township Historical Society to open this as a museum.
As I toured the floors with the docent, I noticed all the beautiful antiques. These items are all donations to the home. The only items of the Garrison family are portraits and pictures that were donated by the family over the years. On the lower floors are the kitchen, the Living Room and the Dining Room all decorated in a Victorian style. The kitchen looked like it was from the 1920’s with all sorts of kitchen items from a period of the 1880’s to the 1920’s.
When we toured the upstairs bedrooms, one was decorated with children’s furnishings and toys. The other bedroom was decorated for adults and had once served as the Master Bedroom for the home. The house also has a complete Research Library for people to find genealogy about their families who lived in town and of Pennsville, NJ.
When you tour the outside auxiliary buildings, this is when the museum really shines. When each building on the property is opened for the tour, you get to see the whole collection of artifacts. There is a small one room schoolhouse on the property that served the community from 1837-1919, a period outhouse and a piece of art from the old electrical building that was located on the bay.
The outdoor buildings that show the displays
Each of the buildings has its own theme. One of them is dedicated to the high schools with all their uniforms and trophies, yearbooks and pictures of various sports teams. There is all sorts of spirit equipment and high school artifacts.
Another is a floating Fishing Cabin that was moved to the ponds and lakes when people wanted to ice fish and all the equipment you needed to perform the task. There was another shed that had all sorts of Military artifacts from various wars along with items from the local fire and police departments as well as the VFW. There was a display on the “Sunbeam”, the local paper of Pennsville and its former editor.
The outdoor sheds
The most impressive building display was of the Riverview Beach Park, a former amusement park that was located in the current park until 1969. The display has all sorts of artifacts that include signs, old ride cars, signs, pictures, maps and items from the games. The are all sorts of items such as prizes that were won, pamphlets and signs from the park. It really brings the old park back to life.
One of the sheds is used as Santa’s House during the holidays as well as the house will be fully decorated for the Christmas holidays. Santa and his wife make an appearance at the busy open house. I was able to visit the decorated home and buildings in 2023 and there is a magical wonder to the museum at the Christmas holidays.
Santa and Mrs. Claus at the Pennsville Historical Society
I was able to tour the grounds though and walk through the small gardens. The grounds had the most spectacular views of the Delaware Bay and the Delaware Memorial Bridge. I am sure much of this did not exist in that time frame but still it is the most amazing view especially on a sunny day like I had. The sun has the most amazing shine on the water from this direction.
The Church Landing Farms grounds and view of the Delaware River and the Delaware Memorial Bridge
Even when the house is not open, still take time to tour the grounds and visit the outer buildings. It is a nice walk around the property.
The Church Landing Farmhouse during the summer months.
I took an extensive tour of the house in December when it was decorated for the Christmas holiday season. The house, grounds and outer buildings were all decorated for the Christmas holiday season with a hugely successful Open House on the first weekend of December. This is when this museum is highly under-rated with the amount of time and effort put into decorating every inch of this property. The display of Christmas decorations is dazzling! What a tour!
The Church Landing Farmhouse during the Christmas holidays.
The front of the Church Landing Farmhouse.
The theme this year is “Toy Soldiers”.
We entered through the kitchen and Gift Shop area of the house towards the back and I have to say that every room was decorated to the hilt with beautiful trees and decorations. There was not one corner of the house that was not decorated beautifully and tastefully.
The museum gift shop just off the kitchen.
The kitchen in the Church Landing Farmhouse.
The kitchen at the Church Landing Farmhouse.
The Christmas tree in the kitchen of the Church Landing Farmhouse.
I was lucky in that I had a personal tour with the President of the Historical Society and she took me room by room explaining who designed and decorated the rooms and the detail work that went into them. We went room by room to see all the decorations.
The Living Room was decorated with all sorts of interesting decorations.
The Living Room tree with Santa standing guard.
The Christmas tree in the Living Room
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The Living Room during the rest of the year
The next room we visited was the Music Room with its piano as the center of the room and a beautiful Christmas tree off to the side of the room.
The Music Room at the Church Landing Farmhouse.
The Music Room Christmas tree
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The Parlor during the rest of the year
The next room was the Dining Room set for Christmas dinner.
The Dining Room set for Christmas dinner.
We then entered the room that Santa met all the visitors when they were at the Open House. The area was just off the foyer and was the first room that greeted visitors once they walked through the front door.
The Santa Room with a train set.
Santa and Mrs. Claus seats in the front parlor of the house.
The decorated staircase and hallway of the First Floor.
The Upstairs hallway with dolls.
Bedroom One
Bedroom One
The Bedroom during the regular months
Bedroom Two
The Bedroom during the regular months
The new dollhouse that was donated
The Upstairs bathroom
The Elf in the bathtub
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The bathroom during the year
I thought this was quite unique was to see an elf in the bathtub of the upstairs bathroom. This little guy amused many visitors when he was just laying there in the tub with a smile on his face.
The nutcracker was standing guard when I returned to the first floor.
After I had toured the entire house, the three of us visited the smaller outer buildings that had also been decorated for the holidays. These included the Schoolhouse display, the Amusement Park display, the Military display and the High School displays. Each was decorated with their own them and was unique in its own way.
The Amusement Park display in the Riverview Beach Park building:
The Amusement Park display.
The Amusement Park display
The Amusement Park display with one of the original carousel mirrors.
The Riverview Beach Park Display in the Amusement Building.
The Amusement Park display.
The Amusement Park display.
The display of the original park
The Amusement Park display
The Amusement Park display
The Amusement Park display
The next building we visited was the Military display in the Veteran’s Building. Every corner of the room was decorated to the hilt and honored local members of the local military.
The Military Building
The Military Building
The Military Building
The town history building
The next building was dedicated to the local schools and bands. When it is not decorated, you can see all the Alumni objects from the local high schools including uniforms, composite pictures and trophies.
Pennsville School display
The High School displays.
The School displays.
The Christmas tree inside the High School building
The Town and High School History building
The High School display
After we left this small set of buildings, we went to the old Schoolhouse display on the other side of the farmhouse. That was set up as a school room circa 1900.
The Schoolhouse by the side of the main farmhouse.
The inside of the School House.
The Stuffed Animal display
After I had finished walking around the buildings with the President and one of the Board Members, we toured the property really quickly. On such a beautiful sunny afternoon, I really had a great view of the Delaware River and the Bridge.
The Gazebo with a view of the Delaware Memorial Bridge in the background.
A close up view of the house as I was leaving.
The last thing the ladies showed me was the Totem Pole that they had created for the site. I thought the carvings were really original.
The Totem Pole of the Pennsville Historical Society property.
Carvings on the Totem Pole.
Carvings on the Totem Pole.
Carvings on the Totem Pole.
It was an amazing tour in a very underrated museum that has so much to see and experience during the holiday season. This display closed as of the last week of December before Christmas and if you have not experienced this year, I suggest making a trip starting next December to see this magnificent display of Christmas trees and decorations that dazzle the eyes with their colors, designs and sheer glitter. It was one of the best Christmas displays I have seen in a long time.
The History of the Church Landing Farmhouse/Penn Township Historical Society:
(From the Pennsville Township Historical Society website):
The Church Landing Farmhouse was built in 1840 by Daniel Garrison. In 1991, the Atlantic City Electric Company provided structural renovations to the house and a group of dedicated volunteers from the community restored the farmhouse and grounds to their current glory.
The Church Landing Farmhouse grounds currently house a 130 year old Floating Fishing Cabin, a 100 year old Wash House owned by Pennsville Physician Dr. James, the 100 year old Perry Farm Privy (the farm is located on the Pennsville-Salem Road), the Riverview Beach Park Museum, a 1929 Art Deco Tile from the original Deepwater Generating Station building, a one room Schoolhouse, and the historic records that features PMHA, Salem and SCCS Yearbooks, local genealogy, Township Obituaries (2010-2020), Federal NJ Township Census Records and local history.
The Art Deco Tile from the Deepwater Generating Station Building
The displays at the museum feature newspaper clipping and a section on local newsman Bill Gallo Jr., police, fire and military from the area, high school yearbooks and displays, ferry and excursion ships, antique looms, sewing machines and spinning wheels, antique tools and church records.
The Church Landing Farm estate from the parking lot
The Bay lawn in the Summer of 2024
Visiting in Christmas 2024:
I returned again for the Christmas Open House in 2024 to see another dazzling array of decorations and Christmas trees.
The Church Landing sign was decorated for the holidays
Every inch of the house and grounds was decorated for the holidays
The main house looked very festive for the holiday season
The Gazebo overlooking Delaware Bay
Since I got to the site when the estate first opened, the first thing I did was visit Santa and Mrs. Claus in their Santa shed. What nice, engaging, people they both were, and we were able to have a nice conversation about the care of elders in modern society today. I never realized the Claus’s were so insightful on current issues.
Santa’s Shed at Penns Landing
Santa and Mrs. Claus holding court in the private shed
Me giving Santa my list of wishes and telling him that I was not naughty
The beautiful decorations in the shed
I moved onto the Amusement Shed that I enjoyed touring over the summer. the decorations here were really elaborate.
The Amusement Park shed decorated for the holidays.
The bumper cars decorated for the holidays
The rides and amusement decorated
The rides and amusements decorated
The rides and amusements were nicely decorated
I then moved to the Military Shed which I barely recognized with all the decorations.
The patriotic colors of the holidays
Santa figures bowing and dancing
The unique trees
The Military Christmas
The Marching soldiers in the Military Shed
After touring the sheds, I toured the historic house on the property. Each room was more impressive than the next.
The entrance to the Church Landing Farm Home
The first-floor reception room
Taking pictures in the Reception Room
The Staircase decorated on the first floor
The Living Room piano
The decorations in the Living Room
The Christmas Tree in the Living Room
Decorations in the Parlor
Santa’s in the Parlor
Gingerbread houses in the Parlor
The Parlor decorated with Santa’s and Christmas trees
Decorations in the Kitchen
The selection of cookies and refreshments to enjoy the afternoon of the Open House
The beautiful trees in upstairs bedroom
The larger tree in the bedroom
The decorations in the second bedroom
The decorations in the second bedroom
The decorations in the third bedroom
The decorations in the third bedroom
A visitor in the decorated bathroom
The little bathing in the bathroom
The Christmas tree on the second floor landing
The Christmas tree on the landing
The Christmas tree on the landing
I finished touring all the beautiful decorations in the main house and then I visited the small schoolhouse in the yard to see its decorations.
These are the delightful decorations in the schoolhouse
The schoolhouse decorated for the school holidays
The Church Land Farmhouse decorated for the holidays
The Church Land Farmhouse decorated during the holidays in 2024.
It was a very nice afternoon and there was a lot going on with a car show, beautiful decorations and wonderful refreshments in the kitchen for people to enjoy. The Pennsville Historical Society always does such a wonderful job with the decorations.
There is a true beauty to a historical cemetery with its old tombstones, its interesting artwork on the grave sites and the history behind the famous families who are buried there whose homes we tour and roads and parks that are named after them. The cemetery is located right in Downtown Salem, which serves as the County Seat for the County of Salem.
It was also home to one of the oldest oak trees in the country which fell in 2019. The over 500 year old oak tree has been part of the original virgin forest and is said to where town founder, John Fenwick, met with the Lenape Indians for the establishment of a settlement and for peaceful negotiations.
The family plots at the Salem Oak Cemetery
All that is left of the tree now is the rotting stump but three of its saplings still exist on the grounds and they look about two hundred years old. They grow majestically amongst the gravesites.
The family plots line the aisles at the cemetery
Inside the cemetery, the graves bear the names of founding fathers of the Town of Salem and prominent families who once made up the population with names such as Thompson, Reeves, Abbott, Wister, Bacon, Griscom, Waddington, Sickler, Lippencott, Goodwin, Bullock, Woodnutt and Bassett.
You will see these names on artifacts in the Salem Historical Society such as clothes, business document and household items. There names and influence still hold a position in the community.
The Salem Oak in the Friends Burial Ground before it fell in 2019 (Salem County Historical Society)
This is the spot where founder John Fenwick met with the Lenape Indians in 1675.
Take time to walk amongst the family plots and pay your respects to these important families who were once the founding members of both the community and of the great State of New Jersey.
The Friends Burial Ground plaque
The cemetery’s spot in Downtown Salem, NJ
The Salem Oak Cemetery in Downtown Salem, NJ
The cemetery is part of the Women’s Heritage Trail
The Salem Historical Society at 83 Market Street in Downtown Salem, NJ.
History and information on the Salem County Historical Society:
(from the museum pamphlet)
The Salem County Historical Society was founded in 1884 and has grown over the last century from generous donation from the community. It has over 10,000 objects in the collection that include fine arts, textiles, Native American artifacts and a variety of material culture artifacts.
The Society maintains extensive museum and library collections related to the region’s heritage. Our exceptional collection includes furniture, paintings, textiles, glass, china, silver, documents, tools and other family heirlooms. This collection enables us to graphically convey to visitors an understanding of the work, play, society and lifestyles of local inhabitants from generations past.
(The Society’s campus houses three other buildings: the Stone Barn, the John Jones Law Office ( a hexagonal structure housing New Jersey’s first law office) and the Log Cabin Educational Center).
I came across this little ‘gem’ when walking around downtown Salem, New Jersey on my Christmas break back in 2019. This historical society put some of the musty ones I have visited to shame. It is so beautifully set up and maintained. It also has some great exhibitions and was so nicely decorated for the Christmas holidays. It is a ‘must-see’ when visiting Southern New Jersey.
Museum logo
The Salem County Historical Society is housed in three interconnected historic houses, the centerpiece of which is the Alexander Grant Mansion (1721).
In June 2022, I finally got to return to the museum after COVID had closed it for months. The museum had been refreshed with new displays and more interesting artifacts mounted all over the museum.
I was lucky that it was quiet that afternoon and I was able to one of the members take me on a personal tour of the museum. He explained to me that during the pandemic since they were closed they were able to work on the displays and update and refresh the exhibitions. This is the one thing I like about the Salem County Historical Museum is that it is not a musty mish-mosh of displays. Displays are well thought out and explained to the public.
We started in the front room with a display of Revolutionary War memorabilia. Here you will see a ring with a lock of George Washington’s hair, the shoe buckles of General William Hancock, who was a prominent resident of the town who fought in the Revolutionary war.
Various objects from the family and the war years are displayed here.
Off to the main part of the museum and the one section of the museum that stuck out to me when visiting the first time was The Keeping Room, the original part of the house that was built in the early 1700’s. The large hearth was just recently opened from what I learned from the tour and was once the center of the original home due to a place of cooking and heat.
During the Christmas holiday season, this room was decorated with garland and a Christmas tree, which would not have fit the time period but still made a festive environment for the room. Here kitchen and home wares are displayed where the family would have concentrated their domestic chores. Cooking and serving items were displayed along with a spinning wheel to make clothes.
The Keeping Room at the Salem County Historical Society
The Keeping Room at Christmas time
The Keeping Room at Christmas time
The main room displayed many more pre and post-Revolutionary War items including home furnishings of desks, wardrobes and grand father clocks. The most interesting item that I saw the Inauguration dress of local prominent resident, Sarah Hancock Sinnickson, who was married to Thomas Sinnickson, whose family helped found Salem, NJ. The dress is prominently displayed and it was interesting to see an actual item that was on display the evening of that ball. If it could talk.
The historic dress of Sarah Hancock Sinnickson that she wore to George Washington’s Inaugural Ball
The Grandfather clocks and Sarah Hancock Sinnickson dress information
The next two rooms have displays of local materials. One room was dedicated to the local Native American population. There was a large display of arrowheads, hunting spears, cooking materials and grinding equipment to break down corn and wheat for baking. Each piece was displayed related to its use and it was fascinating to see how a society showed its sophistication by creating meals from the use of specialty styled sticks and rocks.
In another room was a display of early ice cream manufacturing including the delivery buckets and carts.
Several families were known for the ice cream making including the local Bassett family whose relatives still make ice cream for their store in the Philadelphia Reading Market and packaged for all over the world.
Evolution of Ice Cream
History of the Salem Ice Cream industry
Their first flavor: Tomato. The tour guide explained how companies would color their buckets differently so you knew where the ice cream came from.
Other standouts in the room was an original Edison Phonograph with the original cylinders which were the precursor to records. It was interesting to see how the modern day record player developed. The item had been housed in someone’s barn before it was donated and still had most of the original cylinders.
The early Edison Phonograph
Another object in the other room was the Lafayette Quilt made by local resident Annabelle Chatter. This quilt was so beautifully designed with pieces of cloth from all over the world including the coat that President Lincoln wore that faithful night. I learned from the tour guide that people were taking small pieces of the coat after the President died. This was strange because I saw the same coat at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Exhibition and the coat was on display there and it looked pretty intact.
There was also an extensive display of items from the 1893 Columbian Exposition that showcased all the modern developments coming into society. This included pictures and objects that visitors could buy. Another display was on the Salem Oak Tree that once dominated the cemetery around the corner from the Society that fell in June of 2019. The room was made up of pictures of the tree and items that were made from limbs that had fallen in the past.
The upstairs had rooms full of Samplers, a way for young girls in the 1800’s to practice their sewing skills for use in homemakingfor things like clothes and domestic items like blankets. There was a Blown Glass display on items made in the area. Companies had use of local sand in manufacturing making blown glass items a big industry in the area.
The last display is dedicated to clocks, both grandfather clocks and the development of the pocket watch. The one thing that I learned was on the creation of the face of the grandfather clock was the use of the Roman Numeral IV as IIII. The tour guide explained that makers of the clock did not find it symmetrical with the other numbers in the placement and that’s why they used the incorrect symbol number.
The latest exhibition that I saw in 2022, is the “Step into our Canvas: 200 years of Salem County Art”, a extensive exhibition of local deceased artists from Salem, NJ. This includes artists who are recognized locally, regionally and nationally for their skills. These range from 18 Century artists to present day with the entire exhibition from the Salem Historical Society Collection. It was an interesting mix of portraits, still life’s and landscapes. This exhibition of the Society’s visual art collection aims to perpetuate Salem County’s heritage and enhance awareness of its artistic roots (Museum pamphlets).
The “Step into our Canvas: 200 years of Salem County Art” exhibition
The exhibition timeline
Also in 2022, I visited the courtyard and gardens in the back of the museum which contains several buildings including a barn, a small schoolhouse that was moved here along with the oldest lawyers office in the country, a small octagon structure.
There was a small bathhouse designed in the “Oriental” style of the time.
The barn in the courtyard
The buildings line the courtyard in the back of the historical society and on a nice day is a very pleasant place to stroll around and see the buildings.
The log cabin that was built on this property
Programs sponsored by the museum:
The Annual “Salem Walking Ghost Tour” event:
In 2022, I attended the ‘Annual Salem Walking Ghost Tour’ which tours the historic homes of the Salem Historic District and the church cemeteries of the downtown. At each stop, we got to hear tales of the haunted houses of the district and the owners in the afterlife still are involved in their current owners lives.
We started the night with a concert at St. John’s Episcopal Church with organist Erik Meyer, who played music that we relate to Halloween.
St. John’s Episcopal Church on Market Street the day of the concert.
The “Tunes from the Crypt” concert was right before the walking tour.
The concert featured five musical numbers that are classic to all horror films. The music being played is what you might hear in a popular horror film or something to do with Halloween. It seemed a little strange to be in a church but the organist told us that a lot of churches are using this for a fundraiser.
Erik Meyer who was the organist at the concert before the walk
He dressed like a vampire which I thought was strange for a church. These concerts have brought people back to these churches and even the priest said that he had not seen crowds like this on Sundays. The church was packed that evening.
The inside of the St. John’s Episcopal Church for the concert
The beautiful stained glass windows the night of the concert
After the concert, we walked down the antique store where the tour started. We stopped at various parts of the historic district to tales of woes, travels and ghosts still haunting the homes they loved so much.
One of the decorated porches on the Haunted Walking Tour
The Historic District of Market Street
A resident of the house talking about his haunted home the night of the walking tour
No walking tour is complete with a trip to the cemetery
The walking tour really was interesting and residents talked about their experiences in their homes that they say are haunted. The tour was about an hour but is really worth the trip. It was interesting to see how Salem, NJ developed over the years. The tour takes place before Halloween every year and tickets do sell out fast.
sited got a kick out of how things have not changed that much but today kids are more into cell phones and video games.
The entrance to the museum during the holiday season is nicely decorated.
For a small museum, the Salem County Historical Society Museum offers a view into our past and how New Jersey played a huge role in the development of the United States as a nation. Really take the time to see each room and admire their objects on display. You’ll learn a thing or two on what modern items are based on.
During the Christmas holiday season, the museum is decorated with trees, garland and the “Keeping Room”, the original part of the house, is decorating for the holidays.
The “Keeping Room”, the oldest part of the museum.
The Hearth decorated for the holidays.
The Victorian Christmas tree in the main room.
The banister to the second floor decorated for the holidays.
The museum was simply but nicely decorated for the Christmas holidays and the exhibits were family friendly for the season.
The Exhibitions:
The Society utilizes its rich museum to present engaging and informative exhibits. Our museum features several ongoing exhibits including The Keeping Room, A Legacy fro Salem County and The Stone Barn. These displays showcase some of the Society’s treasures including fine and decorative arts, Wistar glass and signature quilts.
In addition to our semi-permanent exhibits, the Society features large special exhibits that change every two years. These exhibits take a closer look at specific events or aspects of Salem County history. Check the Society website to get information about current exhibits. The Society has also opened more rooms for small exhibits that rotate and change periodically.
In 2023, the museum exhibited “Through a Child’s Eye: Toys from the Past” toys from the permanent collection. The museum had a collection of dolls, trucks, games and housekeeping play things. Toys from the Victorian era to the 1960’s were based on domestic roles and getting children ready for marriage. Items like dolls were for child rearing, tea sets for etiquette training for entertaining, trucks , cars and trains for transportation jobs and later on tinker toys and erector sets for thinking and construction. Items like board games were for socialization and thinking skills.
The write up for the exhibition.
The selection of Boys and Girls toys.
Contemporary Board games, musical instruments and dolls.
Dollhouses, trucks and cars for future jobs in industry and in the home.
Domestic toys such as kitchen sets and dolls for women to prepare them for motherhood.
Toys were best for creativity and imagination.
Dollhouses were very popular in every generation.
A baby blanket
Dolls, trucks and tea sets were created a future of domestic and work based lifestyle.
The museum had an interesting collection all sorts of toys, games and vehicles from all ages. From what the museum docent told me was that the kids who vi
Research Library and Special Collections
Thousands of researchers make their own connections to Salem County with the help of the Society’s research library. Historians and family researcher trace their ancestors through time with the help of our library’s comprehensive collection of resources, thus helping to bring people closer to Southern New Jersey’s distinctive heritage.
The library’s holdings of family records, manuscripts, deeds and church histories serve scores of genealogical and historical researchers with primary documents.
The Museum at Christmas 2024
Programs and Special Events
The Society has an active calendar with many diverse programs. From our Quarterly Meetings to the popular John S. Rock Memorial Lecture series to genealogical workshops, there is something for everyone.
The Society also sponsors events such as the highly regarded Open House Tour which opens Salem County’s historic homes and churches to the public every spring. In the fall, the Society sponsors the Walking Ghost Tour, an evening of spirits and stories in historic Salem.
The Walking Ghost Tour in 2019 at the Society
Tunes from the Crypt in 2022
The Salem Ghost Tour in 2022 behind the Salem Historical Society
Touring the cemetery during the day is less creepy and very interesting.
Actors telling their tales the night of the Salem Ghost Walk
The Annual Christmas Yuletide Tour of Salem Homes and Museums:
With Sinterklaas being cancelled this year, it gave me a chance to visit Salem and Woodstown, NJ for their Annual House Decorated Tours. I took full advantage of the time and started early on the tour of Downtown Salem, NJ.
I started the tour right after the Salem Christmas Parade by visiting the Salem Fire Museum, which is never open.
I started my tour of Salem the second the parade was over. I did not want my chance to see the museum’s collection.
The inside of the first floor tells the story of early fire servic
The museum first floor was quiet before the parade to tour
The museum’s second floor with offices and a view of the downtown
The wild Christmas tree on the second floor
The antique pumper on the first floor was the main attraction
The more formal Christmas tree on the first floor near the rescue equipment
I found the Salem Fire Museum to be a fascinating look at firefighting at many different eras. It is nicely displayed and organized and the members of the Salem Fire Department were around to answer any questions.
I watched the Salem Christmas Parade in the morning after the tour of the museum, wanting to see that first before the crowds came. The parade was fun but sparsely attended and I swear the police blocked off every road so it was hard to cross or find parking.
The Salem Magic of Christmas Parade
The Salem Magic of Christmas Parade
The Salem Magic of Christmas Parade
The characters in the Parade
The Parade Queen and her Court rode throughout the parade
After the parade was over and I had a quick snack, it was time to start the Holiday tour of the homes and businesses of Salem.
Salem has limited restaurants but Bravo Pizza & Pasta at 179 West Broadway in Downtown Salem, NJ
My favorite place for lunch, Bravo Pizza on East Broadway
While I was downtown, I stopped at the old bank to see their display before I started the walking tour of the homes. This is now an artist school and gallery. Their take on the holidays was quite clever.
The walk in safe decorated for the holidays
The history of the bank and the downtown
I started the tour of Downtown Salem, NJ homes at the antique store to pick up my map and look around. They have some great things to buy here.
The beautiful Federalist homes the lined northern Market Street had all sorts of elegant decorations on them.
He beautiful and historic Downtown Salem, NJ
He first stop on the tour was Salem City park to watch the military display of arms
The gazebo was nicely decorated for the holidays
The whimsical decorations in the park that day
My next stop was the historical cabin in the downtown. It had been a recreation of an original cabin used during the Revolutionary War.
The cabin had been set up for the military display
The inside of the cabin set up to reflex the war years
I then moved on to start the tour of homes and churches along this stretch of North Market Street.
Even the homes not on the tour were decked out for the holidays
The first house on the tour on North Market Street
The Dining Room of the home was set up for an elegant Christmas lunch
The Living Room was decorated to receive guests
The sideboards were maddened with holiday decorations and Christmas cookies
Most of the homes on the tour provided refreshments complimentary. The first home’s kitchen was laden with trays of homemade Christmas cookies and candies
I loved the use of garland and greens on these homes at the holidays
The second home I visited both floors were designed with elegant holiday displays.
The first floor and second floor had several Christmas trees on display
The second tree on the first floor with the theme of Gingerbread homes and people
The elegant tree on the second floor of the home
I then moved on to St. John’s Church to hear the organ music and wondering singers and look at how nicely decorated the church was for holiday services.
The home at North Market Street from the outside
I had been in the church several years before for the ghost tours and knew of its history.
The sign for the historic St. John’s Church
St. John’s Church on the tour
The church was decorated for Christmas Mass
As a fundraiser in their Chapel, the church was selling soup and sandwiches at very reasonable prices. It was a cool morning and I got the New England Clam Chowder and Sourdough bread. It hit the spot!
The homemade New England Clam Chowder was excellent
The strolling carolers entertained us throughout the tour at each site. Even they stopped to enjoy lunch here.
Another house downtown decorated for the holidays
On the way to the next church and some of the historical buildings, I stopped at the new Willows Wisp at 82 Market Street. This cute little shop had just had a soft opening and was just letting hg the community know they were here.
I stayed for the first couple of songs to warm up before I moved to the Salem County Historical Society across the street to take a quick tour of the exhibitions.
The Salem County Historical Society at 83 Market Street
The museum was open for the duration of the tour of homes and had their interesting Portrait and Toy exhibitions (as noted above) still open to tour and view with docents.
Since I had toured them earlier to see what exhibitions were still there and found I had seen the all, I looked over the Dutch Keeping Room to see an early display of a Dutch Christmas activities. This is the oldest part of the original home that houses the Salem County Historical Society. It used to be where the original Christmas tree was placed which is now replaced by the Victorian Christmas tree further in the museum.
The Keeping Room at Christmas time
The Keeping Room set up for a Dutch Christmas
The Keeping Room decorated for Christmas
After visiting the museum. I went over at Old Salem Courthouse and toured the historical building. The building sits on the site of the original building that was built in 1692. This building’s cornerstone was built in 1735 and enlarged in 1817. The building was moved and renovated in 1908. It is now the oldest Courthouse in the United States under continuous use since its inception (Salem Historical Society Guidebook),
The Old Salem Courthouse at 113 Market Street
The beautiful decorations on the side of the building
The inside of the oldest Courthouse being used in the United States
The side of the room decorated for Christmas
The old fashioned bell that was once used outside
When I was finished with my tour of the Old Salem County Courthouse, I was down the block to my next stop, the Salem Friends Meeting Room building, one I had walked past many times.
The historic signs for the Friends Meeting
The Friends Meeting House in downtown Salem
The historic Friends Meeting House
The view from the top of the Friends Meeting House
The Friends Meeting House was indeed old and I was amazed that this building was still being used for worship. I looked like a relic from another era. There was not much decorations either so it did not seem to festive. I walked around the downtown to the next destination.
Historic Downtown Salem, NJ during the tour, the Courthouse to the left and the firehouse to the right
As it got later in the day, I stopped by the old JC Penney building at 225 Broadway, that was now being used as a training ground for carpenters. They were showing us around the old department store.
Then it was a quick tour of the Brown & Smith Building, which was at 193 Broadway. The historic building was now a gift shop and art gallery. I toured the items of the store before I moved onto my last two sites before I got to my B & B. The next place I visited was the Sarah Hall House at 90 West Broadway, which is now an Insurance company. The front of the offices had been decorated for the holidays with vintage decorations.
The former Sarah Hall House at 90 West Broadway in Downtown Salem
Some of the decorations when we entered the house for the tour
The Christmas tree inside the older home portion of the building
This delightful little doll was owned by one of the members of the Insurance company’s grandmother. The home had also once been the Masonic Lodge. So I could see the addition in the back of the building.
The last private home I saw on the tour was the Matlack House at 24 Oak Street, which had been built in 1868. The couple that owned it now were on property to tell us how they renovated and cared for this home.
The beautiful Matlack House at 24 Oak Street
The owners had done all the wallpapering herself and it was very impressive
Their Christmas tree just off the kitchen
One of the decorated trees by the old Library
What I liked about visiting this house was the sheer creativity of the decorations and the beauty of the design of the home. The last place on the tour was the Barrett Plantation House, where I would be spending the night. The B & B was on the tour that evening so I could not check until the tour was over.
It was really nice to be part of the tour as I got to see all the rooms in the B & B and hear more of its history. The fireplaces were going when we toured and they had a Revolutionary violinist playing and telling us stories of the holidays back then.
I never realized that this house was built in 1735 as a plantation which once encompassed five hundred acres. It was so beautifully decorated for the holidays and what was nice about it was that the fireplaces were going and it was nice and warm in the main room.
The inside of the main room during the tour with the fire going
The beautiful decorations were all throughout the home
One of the bedrooms decked out for the holidays
The violinist who entertained us with music and stories of Christmas’s past
This was the end of the former tour and I just relaxed at the Barrett House to warm up and listen to the music. Since my hosts needed some downtime to get the B &. B back in shape, I went back downtown for the Christmas tree lighting outside of the Old Courthouse.
The Salem Tree Lighting was not part of the House Tour but a nice an accompaniment to it and the earlier parade. I have to admit it was a small tree. I thought in a town as old as Salem they would have this large tree in town but it looked like they had just planted it.
The outside of the Salem Courthouse for the Tree Lighting
The Courthouse decked out and lit for the evening
The Choir singing before the lighting
Videos of Santa arriving on the Salem Fire Truck and The Tree Lighting:
The tree lighting with the parade queen and the choir joining in the fun
The tree at the end of the Tree Lighting ceremony that evening
The Tree Lighting ended my tour of the day. It really was a wonderful house tour and there were so many beautiful homes and public building to tour and visit and so many gracious hosts. I highly recommend this tour for people who want to see the beauty of Revolutionary homes decked out for the holidays.
My stay in Salem, NJ the night of the Yuletide Tour and Tree Lighting:
After the tour was over, I went back to Barrett’s Plantation B & B for the evening. My host Gaynel and Craig greeted me warmly after a long and cold day of touring homes and the downtown. I was greeted by my hosts in the Living Room with a warm fire going and a glass of wine. We had small snacks of Shrimp Cocktail and a Roast beef sandwich with a side of Red Skin Potato salad.
After a nice conversation and getting to know the other guests a swapping ghosts stories, it was time for bed. I highly recommend the Dickerson Room, one of the two suites. I slept soundly that night.
The Dickerson Suite
The Dickerson suite when I woke up to start my day touring
The Sitting Room in the Dickerson Suite
The breakfasts at the Barrett’s Plantation are always wonderful. In the warm and inviting breakfast room, warm fire was going and the table was set for us with juice, fresh fruit and tea. For breakfast with the fresh fruit was Amish Honey Bread and Sunday Casserole with a side of potatoes. What a wonderful way to start the day.
The table set for breakfast
The table setting with fresh fruit
The fresh fruit to start the meal
The Amish Honey Bread
The Sunday Casserole with a side of potatoes for the main dish
The decorations around the house
After the wonderful breakfast, I was ready to start my day. I just loved the decoration inside and outside the house. The couple really did a wonderful job making the B & B festive for the holidays.
Decorations around the house
The side of Barrett’s at the holidays
The beautiful decorations outside
The grounds at Christmas time were nice to walk around in
The grounds at Christmas time
I left that morning to tour other museums and to explore the area more for my blog. It was an excellent tour of the homes and the sites and I highly recommend the Yuletide Tour to really get to know Salem, NJ.
Information on the Society:
(Taken from the Museum pamphlet)
Why become a member of the Salem County Historical Society?
The mission of the Salem County Historical Society is to seek, document, preserve, interpret and perpetuate Salem County’s heritage and to enhance the awareness and appreciation of that heritage through research, collections, functions, exhibits, educational programs and publications, for the benefit of future generations and for the betterment of the community.
The Society offers a wide variety of programming and services that are unduplicated regionally. These programs are presented at locations around the county and are designed to reach and serve a wide range of audiences. This includes guided tours, school lessons on site, outreach programs and our Open House in Fenwick’s Colony tour and Quarterly Meetings. Most programs are free and all are open to the public.
Salem County’s history and the evidence of it that is all around us in the origins and architecture of its buildings, is one of its greatest assets and should be a source of pride for all of us. The growing number of visitors using the Society’s research library, museum displays and public programs is testimony to the increasing interest of the general public in enjoying Salem County’s history.
Membership Benefits
*Receive our award winning quarterly newsletter
*Free admission to our library and museum
*Discounted copies and services in the library
*Discounts on Society events and programs
The funds needed to operate the facility and to maintain and improve the level of services provided by the Society, come in part from annual membership dues. If you are not already a member, please consider a membership. You may join online at http://www.salemcountyhistoricalsociety.com or stop by and visit the Society.
Volunteer
Volunteers play a crucial role in the Society’s operation and overall success. The Society welcomes individuals with varying backgrounds and interests to contribute to our overall mission of preserving and caring for the history of Salem County. Please contact us to learn more about volunteer opportunities.
Resources & Records:
*Bible Records
*Census, Church and Cemetery
*Military Service
*Published family histories and family files
*Rare manuscripts and subject files
*Birth, marriages and death resources
*Newspapers on microfilm
*Online access to Ancestry.com
Special collections:
*Maps
*Photographs
*Rare books
*Recorded and unrecorded deeds
*Diaries and journals
*Historical publications about county, state, military, ethnic and industrial history, as well as topics of local interest such as glass, brick houses and agriculture
*Unique house and church files
Publications
The Society publications an award-winning Quarterly Newsletter featuring Society news, events and scholarly articles. Our bookstore features books and periodicals on Salem County topics from many local authors. Publications are available to purchase on our website and at the Historical Society.
Education
The Society brings history to life for hundreds of children every year, providing hands-on lessons about life in 18th and 19th century Salem County. Utilizing current exhibits and permanent collections, children are introduced to the region’s rich heritage through presentations and hands-on activities.
These programs complement school lessons for traditional and homeschooled groups. All of our education programs meet state curriculum standards for Social Studies, Language Arts, Visual and Performing Arts and Mathematics, grades 4-12.
The Society offers educational programs based on the American Revolution, the Civil War, life in the colonial past, which has students identify objects from the past and modern equivalents. The Society also offers educational programming based on the current exhibits. These programs are available at the Historical Society and the programs on the Revolution, Civil War and “History’s Mysteries” can be presented offsite upon request.
Please check the education section of our website to learn more about these programs. Field trips and group tours can be scheduled by contacting the Society at (856) 935-5004.
Accessibility
The Salem County Historical Society strives to make all of our programs accessible to the public. Our library and museum exhibits are wheelchair accessible. Persons requiring special services should contact the Society in advance of your visit. Group visits are welcome and available by reservation.
The Society’s programs are made possible in part by funds from the Salem County Cultural and Heritage Commission, the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution and our generous Corporate Sponsors. If you are interested in corporate sponsorship please call the Society.
Museum & Library Admission: $5.00 per person
Directions:
From the Delaware Memorial Bridge:
Take the Route 40 exit and immediately bear right onto County Route 540. Follow 540 to Route 45 south, which becomes Market Street in Salem City.
From NJ Turnpike and I-295: Take Route 40 exit, proceed across overpass and go straight onto County Route 540. Follow 540 to Route 45 south, which becomes Market Street in Salem County.
Disclaimer: This information was taken directly from the Salem County Historical Society pamphlet and membership forms. It really is a nice place to visit and take about an hour to visit the galleries. Please call the above numbers for more information.
Visiting a Museum: The Unique, Unusual, Obscure and Historical 