The Sturr Family Cemetery sits on a bend of the driveway of the Chabad Jewish Center of Northwest Bergen County and is a small cemetery that once sat on the edge of the J.H, Sturr farm.
The Sturr Family Cemetery
The farmhouse of the Sturr Family sits on the lot across the street from the cemetery property. This is located on a small buff on what was the edge of the farm.
The Sturr Family cemetery tombstones
The tombstones of the Courter and Carlouch family members
The grave of William Courter
The only visible tombstones that are left in the cemetery are an Ackerman family member, Anny Ackerman and members of the Courter and the Carlouch family’s (who must have married into the family).
The Ackerman family tombstones (the one to the right was unreadable)
The other tombstones are broken and no one is sure who is buried where in the cemetery.
The History of the Cemetery:
(From Find a Grave website)
The cemetery is located in Franklin Township, Bergen County, New Jersey, on what was once the family farm of J.H. Sturr. As of October 1991 only 6 markers were still remaining.
The Sturr Family Cemetery in full view
History of the House:
(From the Franklin Lakes Municipal Website)
H. Sturr House or Blue Meadow Farm Built 1860 378 Pulis Avenue, Block 1510, Lot 8 Franklin Lakes, New Jersey 07417
The Sturr House – also known as Blue Meadow Farm -is a handsome and little altered example of mid 19th century vernacular architecture which incorporates several stylistic elements such as gable returns and frieze area of the early 19th century Greek Revival style. The Borough of Franklin Lakes lists the erection year of the house as 1860.
The façade of this 2 ½ story house consists of clapboard. The front porch has five bays with square posts and a rectangular entrance door with rectangular sidelights. Two tall 1st story windows are on one side of the porch. A single hitching post with iron rings sits in front of the porch stairs. The building has a frieze area with linear design. Semi-circular headed louvered vents are in all gable ends. The rear of the house has a one story wing. There is a detached garage to the west side of the house as well as a round frame well. Further west of the house is a stable which has been extensively remodeled and converted into a residence in recent times. The house combined with associated structures is a significant remnant of the large farmsteads which ones dotted the Borough’s landscape prior to the recent suburban housing boom.
History of the Family:
(From the Franklin Lakes Municipal website)
This Sturr house and the nearby more altered house at 402 Pulis Avenue were duplicate structures and were probably built around the same time by members of the Sturr family. The 19th century Sturr family was descended from Conraedt Sturr who purchased 190 acres of land in this area with John Coeter from Robert Livingston in 1793.
The non-extant homestead and mill was located at present-day 930 Old Mill Road. It is known that Henry Sturr, the son of Conraedt, had a fanning mill at this location in 1850. In a will dated 1852 he bequeathed his property and mill to his grandsons John, Henry, and Daniel (Maria Braun – 1976 page 26 & 27).
The property along Pulis Avenue upon which these houses are situated was probably included in this will since the homes were built around the mid-19th century. Future deed research is recommended to identify the original builder and the construction date of the house (1861: H. Sturr, 1876 Estate of H.M. Sturr). Presently the house is privately owned and occupied.
Open: Please call for a appointment and special tour
My review on TripAdvisor:
The front of the schoolhouse
The entrance to the property
The historic marker
The outside sign
The Friendship School was an interesting look at early rural education where students of various ages would be educated together.
The hours would vary with the growing seasons and students would be educated in the basics to educate them to the next level.
During the school day, children would have various chores to do such as gather wood, collect water, mind the fire and watch the day’s lunch. It would be a full day for both the teacher and the students.
My tour guide confirmed that nothing was easy during the school day and children had a lot of responsibility for what went on in their lives.
The tour was an interesting look at the lives of children of that period of time and the education they received.
The history of the Friendship School:
(from the Museum’s website)
This historic property contains the circa 1930 Friendship School, a circa 1900 privy, and a circa 1917 coal storage shed. The Friendship School was originally donated in 1976 by William Wells, grandson of Enoch Clouting to the Upper Township Bicentennial Committee during a time when Upper Township was particularly interested in its earliest buildings.
The historic plaques
The school’s hand pump
The committee, headed by the late Curtis T. Cordon, evolved to become the nucleus of the Historical Preservation Society of Upper Township (HPSUT) in 1977. Virginia M. Wilson was its’ first President.
The history of the Friendship School begins when it was incorporated in May of 1831 with Jonathon Corson, Lewis Corson, and Seth Young as trustees. The students’ tuition was paid for by parents in 1830, but by 1869, public funding for schools was established. In the 1862-63 school year, 52 students crowded into this 15’x 20’ structure, and of those students in the teacher’s roll book, 24 were Corsons!
The grounds of the school grounds
The school itself is standing on its fourth known location! It was originally located 6 houses southeast of its present location. It was used for classes until it was replaced with a larger building in the 1860’s.
The abandoned school house later owned by resident, Lot Corson, became known as “Lot’s Temple” because church services were held there. Then, it was moved to Enoch Clouting’s farm where a corn crib was placed on one side. It is Enoch’s grandson who kindly donated the school.
The barn on the grounds
The school building was in extreme disrepair when it was moved from the Clouting property to the corner of Ocean Ave. and Shore Road. According to an undated news article, “mere fragments of the (original) building remained” although “some of the heavier corner posts were salvaged.”
The school’s outhouse (pricey)
The historic sign
Nevertheless, restoration of this Friendship School was researched and planned by Kyle Fleetwood of Tuckahoe and James Wilson of Marmora; with assistance from Matt Unsworth, Robert Entirkin, Curtis Corson III, Somers Corson, Marshall “Ted” Behr, Guy Himmelberger, Harry “Hap” Folger and other members of the Bicentennial Committee. It was completed in 1980.
All replacement wood matched the original in size and material and great care was taken to restore it to its original appearance. Locally sourced materials for the restoration/reconstruction came from the Van Vorst sawmill in Petersburg, the Hess sawmill in South Seaville and the Brewer sawmill in Dennisville. Benches donated by Myra Clouting Biggs, were reproduced by Matt Unsworth.
The inside of the school house
The teacher’s desk is a reproduction also made by Matt Unsworth. Hardware for the building was hand-wrought by Robert Entrikin of Petersburg. Although it does not qualify for the State and National Registers listing because it retains little original historic building fabric, the building is important to the historical time line of Upper Township.
The schoolbooks and school equipment
Also on this site are two old frame buildings: a circa 1900 privy donated from the property of the Seaville School on Kruk Drive and a circa 1917 coal/storage shed donated from the Palermo School on Route 9. The coal storage shed, was donated by Wes and Doris Nickerson with Jim and Nancy Siegrist helping with its restoration. It was added to the property in 1993. Three three-seat privy (outhouse) from the old unused Seaville School was donated by Sharon Kruk in honor of her father, and was restored by Lewis Albrecht and Jim Siegrist. It is a work of art (with a French style roof), but is non-functional.
The school room reproduction
A special item, the cedar flag pole, from which flew a U.S. flag that flew above the capitol in Washington, DC, was donated by former Deauville Inn owners, Walter and Gloria Carpenter in December of 1983. (Since replaced)
The school bell and flag
The Friendship School was dedicated on September 10, 1983 by Virginia M. Wilson, President of the Historical Preservation Society of Upper Township, Upper Township Mayor Leonard Migliaccio, HPSUT members: Ebbie Unsworth and her son, Matt Unsworth, and guest speaker, New Jersey State Senator, James R. Hurley.
The children would collect water and fire wood for the class room during the school day
The reproduction of the school
Upper Township continues to own and manage the property and the school, while HPSUT members manage the inside and its activities. Each Upper Township Kindergarten class is invited to the annual Kindergarten Day to learn what a student classroom life is like in a one room school house in the early
I recently revisited the African Museum of Art on the SMA Father’s and on this trip really took my time to learn about the Mission and study the art in the various displays. Each country that the Mission is involved with is represented here with detailed information on the meaning of the art and its purpose. It is an interesting approach to understanding the culture of each of these countries.
The beautiful stained glass windows line the ceiling and walls and has a beautiful effect in the room on a sunny day.
The sculpture in the middle of the main hall
The History of the Museum:
(From the museum website)
This museum was established in 1980 and is one of the only rare few in the United States dedicated solely to the arts of Africa. Its permanent collections, exhibited on a rotating basis, offer a unique advantage in the study and research of sub-Saharan sculpture and painting, costumes, textiles and decorative arts, religion and folklore.
The main hall of the museum
The history of the Mission
The history of the Mission
The history of the Mission
The African Art Museum of the SMA Fathers is one of five museums around the world founded and maintained by the Society of African Missions, an International Roman Catholic missionary organization that serves the people of Africa.
The display case that line the main hall
The display case that line the main hall
The art works up close
The descriptions of the works
The display case that line the main hall
Some of the works up close
The description of the masks
The display case that line the main hall
The museum is the continued vision of SMA’s founder, Bishop Melchior de Marion Bresillac (1813-1859). The French-born clergyman urged his Society to respect and preserve the culture of the peoples they serve, the unique among the missionaries of his time. (This information is provided by the museum).
Some of the works being featured in the exhibition
Their current exhibitions is on the “Africanizing of Christian Art” which shows the 20th Century encounter between Catholic Christianity and the visual culture of the Yoruba, a prominent west African people of southwest Nigeria under the conditions of late colonization (This information provided by the museum).
The hallway off the main room
Linking the walls of the main room are wooden carved doors from a palace in Africa. The interesting detail work tells it own story.
The description of one of the doors
Panel One
Panel Two
Panel Three
Panel Four
The collection contains many works in the form of masks, textile work, religious figurines and decorative arts. Each display case shows a different theme in the art.
The works of art in the cases
The puppets in the case
The works of art lining the cases
The engaging Mask collection
The museum is the main hallway of the church. I found it a quiet place where you could really concentrate on the beauty of the art. It grounds are also nice to walk around in in the nice weather.
The Chapel just off the museum is interesting to visit. I wondered how many people came to serve here and how the service was performed.
The main chapel of the mission
The beautiful stained glass windows in the chapel
The museum is a true hidden gem of wonderful and interesting testimonial and contemporary art. An inspiring museum if you take the time to really enjoy it.
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.
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”:
Visiting a Museum: The Unique, Unusual, Obscure and Historical 