The Millville Historical Society at 200 East in tv Main Street
The Baracha-Dunn House right next door to the Historical Society is open for touring.
History of the museum:
(from the museum’s website)
The Millville Historical Society has been preserving Millville, New Jersey’s past for over nine decades. Incorporated in 1927, the organization’s headquarters and archives depositary is located in the historic 1857 Millville Bank at 200 E. Main St., Millville.
The main gallery of the Millville Historical Society
The Society has been entrusted with the care of three of Millville’s most historic structures: the 1857 Bank building at 200 E. Main Street, the 1798 Baracha Dunn House, and the 1814 Wood Mansion House.
Admission to all buildings is free. Donations are gratefully accepted.
The main gallery of the Millville Historical Society from the front door
I recently visited the Millville Historical Society and got to tour the museum and the historical home next door. The main part of the museum is built inside a historic bank that the Society took over in the 1970’s. All the displays are showcased around the museum.
The original picture of the Millville National Bank during the turn of the last century
One of the first displays you will see is the original drawing of the bank. This beautiful historic building sits on the very edge of the downtown as you enter Millville. On the top of the display was a model of a sand separator that was in the creation of glass which the area was known for in the previous century.
The historic map of Downtown Millville, NJ
Another display has a model one of the major ferries that once ran in Millville.
The model of the Millville
The ferry that once ran in the area
The pictures of when the boat was christened
There was school display with one of the old bells of the school’s in Millville and a picture of one of its long serving principles, Rebecca Mulford Bacon.
The bell from the schoolhouse
Principal Rebecca Milford Bacon
The Principal’s plaque
The museum houses the recorded history of the town and the genealogy of the town and its citizens for people to research.
The Research Library along with more artifacts
After I toured the displays along the perimeter of the museum, I had a tour of the Baracha-Dunn House next door which was part of the historical society’s complex. These historic buildings were built in the late 1700’s and the addition in the early 1800’s. The tour takes you through both the main house and the later addition both upstairs and downstairs.
The Barack’s-Dunn house was open for a tour
The entrance the house from the street
The main room of the original house with the hearth in the main room for cooking and for heat in the house
The hearth is the center of the house
The Living Room of the main home
The Living Room of the home
The Living Room
The other side of the house which was the later addition to the home offered more rooms.
The Living Room from the main door
We walked up the narrow stairs to the second floor to the bedrooms. Each small room on the second floor was furnished with period furniture.
The bedroom on one side of the house
The second floor bedroom the leads to the attic
The second floor bedroom
This room led to the connected room on the other side of the floor
The small room on the second floor
The bedroom on the second floor
The Children’s room display of toys, furniture and clothing
The display of Children’s item
The house really showed life in the early parts of the 1800. The home’s period furniture decorates all the rooms in this home. The museum has another historical home in the downtown area that was closed that day. The museum offers a glimpse of Millville in its past.
The historical sign outside the museum
On my second trip to the Millville Historical Society, I was able to visit the Wood Mansion from 1814. The home had been home to generations of the Wood family, the founders of Wawa, among other businesses.
The Wood Family Mansion
The Historical Society Museum sign
The David Wood Historical sign
The Living Room decorated for the holidays
The Victorian Christmas tree in the formal parlo
The Christmas decorations in the Living Room
Th bannister decorated for the holidays
The Dining Room decorated for the holidays
The mantle in the Dining Room decorated for the holidays
The dish-ware area
The kitchen fireplace
The Ice House display under renovation
The Whitall Tatum glass display
The Whitall Glass display
The glass display
The Wood family tree and the progression of the business of the family
The local amusement park display
The local factory display
Pictures of the mansion since 1814
The Lincoln display
The main bedroom
The main bedroom
The Children’s display
The Children’s Toy Display
The Children’s Toy display
The Trolley display
The other Bedroom display
This beautiful Grandfather clock was made Salem, NJ
The beautiful display on the front door when you leave the house. Everything had been decorated for the holidays
The Borough of Rockaway Historical Museum at 199 West Main Street
The sign that welcomes you to the museum
When I visited the Borough of Rockaway Historical Museum, I like probably everyone else got the Rockaway Township Historical Society and Museum mixed up with the Borough of Rockaway Historical Committee and Museum. One is in the Township of Rockaway and one is in the Borough of Rockaway which are two different towns.
That was confusing enough and the fact that Google had them as closed on the Google website (which I changed). I was lucky to get there with just over an hour to visit the museum.
The museum was worth the trip. Located in Downtown Rockaway, NJ, the museum was near all the restaurants and shops downtown plus a historic cemetery at the Presbyterian Church. The whole museum you can see in an hour so it was just perfect.
The front gallery of the museum
The front gallery is dedicated to town history and the Morris Canal. The Morris Canal was the reason for the growth in this area of New Jersey and was built on the wealth of the farmers crops, coal and light manufacturing. Items were then sent to New York City and Philadelphia.
The railroads would change this later but would be where the early growth of this area would come from.
Pictures of the Morris Canal in the area
Pictures of the early Morris Canal in Rockaway, NJ
Artifacts of early Rockaway history including bottles and newspapers
WWII listing of Veterans lost in the war
The second small gallery showcased former businesses of the Town of Rockaway, NJ from the Downtown merchants to the larger, more commercial businesses. Most do not exist anymore.
The businesses of old Rockaway and the surrounding area
Artifacts from the McKinnon Axe Factory
The businesses with high school memorabilia
The McKinnon Axe Factory
The McKinnon Ace factory was once a major employer and manufacturer in the town. Long out of business, the museum has lots of pictures and artifacts from the company.
Artifacts from the McKinnon Axe Factory
Artifacts from the McKinnon Axe Factory
Old businesses from Downtown Rockaway
Most of these old businesses do not exist anymore but their memories live on in these displays with artifacts from a lot of these businesses.
Old businesses in the Rockaway
The Beaver Brook Dairy Farm
In the back gallery, the museum had more displays of the high school and displays on the history of the Rockaway Police and Fire Department. There was historical maps of the area and a small Military display. They even had an original land deed from one of the earliest settlers living in the area.
There were even pictures of the old quarry of the town that once sat behind the museum. It shows how the town keeps changing.
The display of Rockaway High School memorabilia
Graduation and Washington trip photos
The Military display and historic maps of Rockaway
A closer look at the Military display and the local hero’s of the town. The display showcased some of the residents in town who made important contributions to the military effort including a Four Star General.
The historic map of early Rockaway Village
The Military, Fire and Police Department displays
Artifacts and memorabilia from the Fire and Police Departments of Rockaway
The display of Rockaway schools and pictures of the City Fathers who ran the Borough of Rockaway
The old quarry that sat behind the historical society that is now Recreational space and ball fields showing how the town keeps changing
This little hidden gem is located just off the main downtown and should not be confused with the Historical Society of the Township of Rockaway, which is another town with it’s own Society.
There is a lot to see at the museum and is a nice way to get to know a little about the history of the area. This includes local family history as well.
The Jackson Family land deed of one of the old families of Rockaway
Walking around Downtown Rockaway, NJ after the tour of the museum:
Around the corner in Downtown Rockaway is the First Presbyterian Church of Rockaway at 35 Church Street, where members of three Jackson family members and many original settlers were buried.
The old cemetery behind the church were many original families are buried
The history of the First Presbyterian Church of Rockaway’s Historical Cemetery:
(from the church website)
Part of the present-day cemetery was believed to be an old Native American burial ground. Colonial settlement took hold here in Rockaway, Morris County New Jersey, around the year 1720, and considerable business formed around 1730 with the building of the Job Allen Sr. Iron Works. Tradition states that this particular spot was selected as a burial ground by the earliest families. On March 2, 1758, the Presbyterian Church was founded and organized. The first Meeting House constructed of wood, was built in 1758-60, primarily by Job Allen Sr. Job Allen Jr. would complete the construction of the Meeting House some 36 years later in 1794. The present church sanctuary was built in 1832.
The original church property consisted of 10 acres and 30 perch, which used to cover property west of Wall Street, and also included property across the street from the present church. Some of the earliest settlers whose grave sites are unknown and forgotten can be under the large church parking lot or even under some of the cemetery roads.
On September 27th, 1773, David Beaman: a founding member, deacon, chorister, elder of the Rockaway Presbyterian Church, was voted “to take care of the burying yard, to tell people where to bury their dead, and to advertise it through the parish.” This makes him the first sexton at the Rockaway Presbyterian Church. Ironically, David Beaman is buried in a grave that was never marked. He passed away in 1802 and has a cenotaph in the cemetery. Thomas Conger became sexton in 1797. Revolutionary War veteran, David Gordon, became sexton in 1802. People used to call him “the old sexton.” His broken tombstone bears the same inscription. He held the position as sexton for over 30 years. He died in 1852 at the age of 92 years and 10 months. In 1832 William Wear became the sexton for the “new church”, having “the privilege of tilling and pasturing the graveyard.” After his service there was Silvanus Howell in 1840, in 1845 Samuel Garrigus, then John B. Kelsey and Fredrick Star, then David Hamilton in 1858, Joseph H. Beach in 1864, then John Gordon Mott (David Gordon’s grandson) in 1875, who held the position for an astounding 47 years! He was also the first sexton who kept accurate records. He was assisted by William Rogers and Peter Beatty in the last few years of his tenure. Peter Carlyon followed John Gordon Mott in 1923 retiring in 1955. The oldest gravestone is dated April 8th, 1762. David Estill lost his beloved wife Mary at the age of 24 years.
There are estimated to be 47 Revolutionary War veterans buried here, including a Hessian Soldier named Leopold Zindle (d. 1821), some accounts say around 100 people buried here participated in the conflict. The Morris County- New Jersey Militia’s highest ranking officer, Brigadier General William Winds is buried in the small knoll behind the church. He was also elected as one of three delegates from Morris County to the New Jersey Convention which ratified the Constitution of the United States for the state of New Jersey in 1788. He died in 1789.
There are 16 War of 1812 veterans interred in the cemetery, 6 War of 1812 “peace time era” service members of the Morris County N.J. Militia, 132 Civil War veterans, 13 Spanish American War veterans, 89 WWI veterans, as of December 2021 there are 168 WWII veterans, 41 Korean War veterans, 20 Vietnam War veterans resting in peace. There are approximately 7,000 people interred in the cemetery.
In 1861 – 1865 the cemetery was surveyed and plotted, and walkways and roads were constructed. In 1933 part of George W. Stickle’s will was bequeathed to the cemetery. Part of the money was used to erect the iron spiked fence that surrounds half of the property (from the church website).
The section of the Jackson family plots
The Jackson family plot in the cemetery
The museum is a treasure trove of information of Rockaway’s and central New Jersey’s past. It is interesting to see how the area had changed and how it will continue to progress in the future.
On the recommendation of the head of the museum, who was also a town Councilman, I walked down into the downtown area to have lunch. I stopped at Anthony’s Pizzeria at 51 West Main Street for lunch. I just wanted a slice of pizza.
The historic building at the crossroads of Downtown Rockaway at 51 West Main Street
Anthony’s Pizzeria at 51 West Main Street has been in business for 45 years and a town staple.
I ordered a slice of pizza and a Coke and while I was talking to the owner, I looked into the pizza case and saw an unusually large slice of Cheese pizza. He explained it was their specialty stuffed pizza and it had everything in it from ham, pepperoni, sliced meatballs, onions, peppers and olives etc.
When I told him I was not thrilled with cooked vegetables on pizza, he insisted I try a slice and cut me a piece to try complimentary. He was a good salesman. He warmed it up and I have to say that I was pretty impressed by it. The layers of ingredients give it its complex and combination of spicy and tangy flavors
There is a lot in that slice of pizza
I have to say that I was impressed by it. I would have left out the olives but still it had a unique flavor and with a small side of their homemade red sauce makes a perfect meal onto itself. The pizza here is excellent, the service is really friendly and the prices are really reasonable.
It was almost like COVID never happened. It’s nice to know that some restaurant owners are not gouging. My lunch here was excellent.
It really was a nice afternoon in Downtown Rockaway, NJ even on a gloomy afternoon.
