The Drakesville (what the town was originally called) historic sign
I visited the King Canal Store Museum and the King Homestead during the Morris County “Pathways to History” tour in May of 2022 and again in August 2024. This interesting store was still intact with its merchandise lining the shelves with a pot belly stove in the center of the store which was the center of action when the store was open to the community. All sorts of grocery items and notion items still line the walls.
The inside of the King Canal Store Museum shows the center of the community
Pictures of the old store when it was open
The guide explained that upon the death of the owner wanted to store closed and sealed. His daughter only opened it in the 1930’s in the depth of the Depression so that residents could buy items at a reasonable price.
The King Canal Store Museum still has items still lining the walls
The King Store and the King Homestead are historic buildings located in the Ledgewood section of Roxbury Township. The Roxbury Historic Trust acts as curator for these county owned buildings. These buildings represent significance in New Jersey commerce from 1815-1928 and were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994 (Wiki).
The notions area of the store
Some of the advertising for items in the store
The items on the shelves of the General Store
The King and Riggs families used to live above the store before they build the house next door. We got to take a tour of the second floor that you do not normally get to see.
The ice storage doors to the cooler
The upstairs rooms in the living area of the store
The rooms above the store
The rooms above the store
The graffiti on the walls upstairs from the turn of the last century
After I visited the King General Store, I walked over to the family home. This Victorian home had been in the family since the late 1880’s until the last family who lived in the house died in 1975.
History of the King Canal Store:
(From the Museum website)
The King Canal Store is a unique, 2 1/2 story building constructed of stone in 1815 by Woodruff and Hopkins. At the ground floor its walls are three feet thick. The Woodruff family operated the store until 1835. It was abandoned for two years and in 1837 Albert Riggs (Son of Silas Riggs, a tanner by trade and owner of several canal boats) acquired the building and reopened it as a general store serving the community and the Morris Canal trade as it was located 150 feet from the Morris Canal basin (Wiki/Museum website).
Theodore King was the son in law of Albert Riggs, took over the store in 1873. He lived on the second floor of the building with his wife, Emma Louise and daughter also named Emma Louise. In 1881, Mr. King built a new residence on adjacent property and then began a renovation of the store, changing the decor to Greek Revival and the color scheme to cream with brown trim. In the process, the exterior was given a smooth coat of stucco which was scored to resemble large blocks. The interior of the store was given an Italianate design with a cream and maroon color scheme (Wiki).
Mr. King died in 1928 and his daughter closed the building, its contents remaining just as they were with a few occasional openings in the 1930’s to help the locals in the depths of the Depression. Emma Louise King maintained the closed-up store and lived in the well cared for home until her death at 92 in 1975. From 1989, the Roxbury Rotary Club has worked with the Roxbury Historic Trust to restore the exterior and the first-floor shop and create the King Store Museum (Museum website/Historic Ledgewood Guide).
The King Canal Store Museum has grocery items lining the walls
The Theodore F. King Homestead:
The King Family Homestead at 211 Main Street was in the family until 1975
The King Homestead, a vernacular frame house to start had several additions with Italianate and Queen Anne influenced detailing. It is possible that the original house may just have consisted of the current parlor, the two exhibition rooms and one or both of the staircases to the second floor. There were two front bedrooms and a smaller bedroom in the rear of the home.
The King Family Homestead at 211 Main Street
The portrait of Mr. King hangs in the house’s Living Room
The house that was built by Mr. King for his family. They moved out of the second floor of the store.
The Living Room at the King House
The Living Room by the fireplace
The Living Room by the piano
Mr. King’s office to run the store
The Dining Room for entertaining
The Dining Room table for entertaining
The new Kitchen behind the Dining Room
The landing at top of the second floor
The nook on the second floor of the home
The Victorian Girl’s Room on the second floor
The Victorian Girl’s Room
The new bathroom needs some work
The stairs to the basement contained the kitchen (which was a common practice during Victorian times) with a dumbwaiter added to the dining room so that the food could be brought up from the kitchen. Another addition to the home was the first-floor front office used by both Mr. King and his daughter. The mural in the first-floor dining room was by artist James William Marland in 1936 (Wiki).
I visited the “Little Red Schoolhouse” Museum in Florham Park as part of the Morris County’s “Pathways to History” event that is held every May. This interesting little museum showcases the town’s historical collection of items from the 1800’s and 1900’s dealing with all aspects of town life.
The inside of the museum schoolhouse display
The inside of the old classroom
The schoolhouse setting
In the back there is a small classroom set up keeping with the theme of the building. This lets students who are visiting the building of their counterpart’s early education with desks, ink wells and chalk boards that have not changed that much over the years.
Not much has changed in the modern classroom over the years
The old schoolhouse desks
There is early century clothing, farming equipment from the town’s farming past and event Native American objects found in the town and in private collections.
The town artifacts and school items
The post
Other items included decorative items from the home including dishware, home products and furnishings.
Each section of the museum is divided up by lifestyle.
The museum’s historic plaque
The docents that day explained that the items were reflect the town’s past and some came from families that have been in town for years. The museum reflects the community spirit of town’s past. It explains that times have progressed but not changed too much over the years.
The Veteran’s Monument outside the museum
History of the Little Red Schoolhouse Museum:
(From the Museum Website)
By Kat Kurylko, Research Assistant
In 1830, the residents of Columbia, now Florham Park, sought to improve their thriving farming and broom-making community by establishing a public school for the local children. Therefore, a small schoolhouse, Columbia School #5, was built on the corner of Columbia Turnpike and Ridgedale Avenue and dedicated it on February 17th, 1831.
The schoolroom display
Schooling at the “little red frame building” prospered and so by the 1850’s, the building was “in condition of dilapidation rendering it unfit to be occupied” due to overcrowding.
The schoolhouse from the front
On March 1st, 1867, nearly 50 children attended their first class in a new one-room brick schoolhouse. The use of brick added prestige but great expense to the project, accounting for nearly half of the budget. The new building was designed based on principles found in Henry Barnard’s book, “School House Architecture.
Much like Thomas Kirkbride’s progressive hospital designs (illustrated locally at Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital), Barnard’s method School attendance continued to grow and by 1914, a four-room annex building, which could accommodate 78 students was built on the school’s property and the earlier brick building served as an auditorium.
The inside of the schoolhouse
Eventually, the community outgrew both buildings and in 1934, the borough’s current middle school was constructed.
The schoolhouse from the side view
Founded in the 1930’s to preserve the “Little Red Schoolhouse”, the Historical Society of Florham Park now operates the building as a museum. A source of great pride for the local community, the building stands in nearly the same location on the corner of Columbia Turnpike and Ridgedale Avenue, although moved back to accommodate the expansion of Columbia Turnpike. Listed on the NJ and National Registers of Historic Places since the early 1970’s, today the building serves as a reminder of the community’s rural roots.
The “Little Red Schoolhouse” Museum historic plaques
(From the Morris County site):
The Little Red Schoolhouse & Museum:
Florham’s Park’s iconic Little Red Schoolhouse was built in 1866 at a cost $2,250. Its open belfry and gable-end entrance instantly identify it as a typical 19th century one-room schoolhouse. The Italianate one-story narrow red brick masonry building is an architectural marvel with its steep roof, tall windows and elaborate arches.
Inside, part of the museum is set up as a 19th century classroom, where small groups can enjoy a lecture. The museum has a variety of artifacts from the 1800’s and 1900’s, vintage school desks and broom-making equipment. Its location at the historic crossroads of Florham Park has remained a key reminder of the borough’s rural origins. The schoolhouse is a stop each fall on the free “Pathways of History” event (which I was on that day I visited).
Town artifacts on display
The school organ on display
Of Special Note:
(from the township website)
*In 1978, the schoolhouse was moved back several yards to accommodate the expanded Columbia Turnpike.
*The schoolhouse is also known as Columbia School District Number 5 Schoolhouse.
*The schoolhouse is the borough’s icon, appearing on the town flag, letter head, website and public works and first responder vehicles.
Hope Historical Society at 323 High Street in Hope, NJ
Trout Alley right next to the museum during the tour in 2024
On Friday the 13th in 2023, the Hope Historical Society had been open for the afternoon for a tour and I was able to visit the inside of the museum for a short visit. The museum is tiny inside being an old home and it takes less than an hour to visit the museum.
The museum’s collection is vast for such a small museum. They have history of this section of New Jersey with maps and old pictures, they have displays on rural New Jersey and the history of the area. The town of Hope, NJ was founded as a Moravian community and their are artifacts from that time.
They also have decorative objects from a rural home’s parlor with furniture and decorative items from a rural farm home. There is all sorts of Victorian furniture, paintings and prints and things from homes of the area.
the hominess of the museum with its fireplace.
The decorative furniture and objects of the museum.
Furniture and decorative objects of the local community.
Decorative objects in the cases.
In December 2021, I went on a Lantern Tour of Hope, NJ’s downtown district for the Christmas holiday season visiting this once Moravian founded town. The evening was an interesting tour of the history of this small town near the Delaware Water Gap with visits to historical homes of the residents of the town and the manufacturing hub.
We toured the historic downtown district that was ablaze with lights and garland learning about the residential and commercial district and the role it played in the development of the town. We toured the former Grist Mill, Cannery, Distillery, homes and former barns and churches and given a short history of them.
The New Jersey history display of the Hope Historical Society.
We toured the Historical Society which had a collection of artifacts from the town including pictures of the town at various times of history, resident’s personal affects including gloves, shoes and glasses and family heirlooms. There is also a small assortment of vintage furniture from different periods. The building may have been small but it was packed with information.
The Hope Historical Society at 323 High Street at Christmas time
The displays included old photographs and local memorabilia, an 1850 map of Warren County, NJ, genealogy of the town’s residents and historic documents, primitive furniture and Moravian history (Hope Historical Society). Two of the major fundraisers that the Society has is the Christmas Craft Market and the Lantern Tour.
The inside of the museum for the holidays in both 2021 and 2024 was decorated for the Christmas holidays with traditional Moravian decorations. The decorations included dried herbs, homemade decorations and a ‘Tower Tree’ which is made from a framework with pine branches and fruit and herb decorations that would reflex the times.
Moravian Decorations 2024 Christmas decorations
Moravian Decorations 2024 inside the museum
Moravian Decorations 2024 The Traditional Moravian Tower Christmas tree
Moravian Decorations 2024 The Nativity Scene
The Hope Lantern Tour on December 11th and 12th, 2021 (Again in 2024)
This is the ‘Hope Lantern Tour’ on December 11th, 2021 and 2024:
We continued the tour as the night grew darker and the town lit up with all its Christmas glory. There were supposed to be 1500 luminaries but because of the upcoming rainstorm that was supposed to arrive later that evening, they canceled them. The rest of the town was adorned with white lights and garlands. We started the tour at the Hope Community Center where food and bathrooms were available.
The Hope Community Center on Hope Blairstown Road during Christmas tour 2024
One of our tour guides, Anne, who was wearing traditional Moravian clothing
We moved to what was once the manufacturing center of the town and passed the former factories and manufacturing took place. We then walked down the hill to the Inn at Millstone Creek, where the Christmas tree display was located. We then moved up the hill to visit the Hope Historical Society.
Downtown luminaries light up Downtown Hope, NJ
This is “Trout Pass” where people avoided paying the tolls on the bridge during the day
While we were walking through “Trout Pass” during the tour. a group of school children performed Christmas songs by a large fire. I felt for these kids as it was getting colder outside.
The kids singing by the fire just below the Hope Historical Society
We then walked to the home across the street from most of the buildings where the businesses were located and heard the tales of Moravian Christmases past. All that talk about Gingerbread house making and baking to get ready for the holiday feast made us all hungry.
Starting the walking tour in Downtown Hope, NJ
We started at the old Dairy Creamery
Starting the walk around Moravian Hope, NJ
First we visited the Nativity scene display at the old Creamery. This is what the Moravians did when they visited each other during the holidays to see each of their displays in the homes.
We made our way to former homes that are now a local bank were light with white lights along the doors and windows. The First Hope Bank was once known as the ‘Gemeinhaus’, which was the church/community center of the Village of Hope. It was built in 1781.
The walking tour showcased the town beautifully
The First Hope Bank at dusk
The luminaries by the Hope Bank in the middle of Downtown Hope, NJ
Our last part of the tour, we visited someone’s garage for a ‘Live Nativity’ of the Baby Jesus and was told the story from the Bible about the birth of Christ. The actors involved were very interesting but they could have cleaned the garage of the modern items located on the side of it.
The live Nativity (the actors looked like they were freezing outside in the 30 degree weather)
Homes decorated for the December 2024 tour
Downtown Hope, NJ is so beautiful at Christmas
We ended up back at the Community Center as they were cleaning up and I went to visit the ‘Festival of Trees’ at the Inn at Millrace Pond that itself was closed for renovation. I was the last one on the tour to visit what was the dining room to see various Christmas trees decorated by members of the community.
The Festival of Trees
The Festival of Trees
The Festival of Trees
It was a very festive room with Christmas of various shapes and sizes each decorated with a different theme and tables set elaborately for Christmas Dinner. I really liked the one that the elementary school students had created with the handwritten artwork and letters to Santa.
The Christmas tree decorated by students in 2024
In 2024, the ‘Festival of Trees’ was in the Community Center where we started the tour and it seemed that the volunteers liked it better there.
The “Festival of Trees” in the Community Center at the start of the tour in 2024
After I left the Inn at Millrace Pond, everything had wrapped up for the evening and the town was really quiet. I was starved and found the only open restaurant in the area, Hope Pizzeria at 435 Hope Blairstown Road located in a small strip mall. The pizza here is excellent (see my review on TripAdvisor).
For the tour in 2024, I ate dinner at the Community Center where the Hope Fire Department prepared the food for the fundraiser. You had a choice of a Meatball sandwich, Eggplant Parmesan, Mac & Cheese or Penne Vodka. I chose the Mac & Cheese with a Apple Cider Donut for dessert. The perfect comfort food on a cold night.
The Mac & Cheese dinner at the Community Center warmed me up after a cold night walking
The last part of the evening was spent at the Moravian Candlelight Service at the St. John’s Methodist Church. This beautifully run service included all the traditional Christmas Carols, a very engaging talk by the former pastor and a candlelight ceremony towards the end service. You can see the whole service on the St. John’s Methodist Church’s Facebook page.
The church during Christmas 2024
The Cemetery decorated for the holidays in December 2024
It was a wonderful evening of music, songs and prayer and the church was crowded with both locals and visitors. In 2024, it was funny that I have gotten to know the merchants and the people at the Hope Historical Society so everyone was greeting me at the church or we talked after services were over. What I loved about the Moravians is that you do not have to stand up during services like the Catholics do and I prefer this. It was nice to just sit and enjoy the services.
In 2021, this service took about an hour. By the time I got to my car, it started to mist and then rain. It was pouring by the time I got on the highway. Still, it was a wonderful evening of touring and it put me in the Christmas spirit. In 2024, it was just freezing outside, so I had to make a dash to the car and let it warm up. There was no traffic leaving Hope that evening as most people went home after the tour and there was no traffic on Route 80 so I got home in forty-five minutes. Enough time to relax and fall asleep on the guest room bed. It really was a beautiful night and the town could not have been prettier.
St. John’s Church in Downtown Hope, NJ for the Christmas services
The Christmas tree decorated in the church
The Candlelight Service was very nice and was the perfect way to start the holiday season
After the Candlelight church services, I joined the other parishioners for cookies and hot drinks in the community room of the church. They had a nice crowd that night but everyone looked so cold and the temperature dropped to 25 degrees in 2024. People did not linger that long and I felt bad for the church who had trays and trays of cookies. Still it was a wonderful night of touring around the town.
The History of the Hope Historical Society:
(From the Hope Historical Society website)
The Hope Historical Society & Museum are located at 323 High Street (Route 519 North) at the top of a stone bridge within the State and National Historic Register District in Hope Township, NJ. The tiny frame building was thought to be the original 1820’s toll keeper’s house. It was used as a private home until 1955, when it was restored by the Hope Historical Society and became the current museum and organizations headquarters.
Historical Society meetings with guest speakers of topics of historical interest are held April-November on the first Tuesday of the month, generally, at the Hope Community Center.
Site from Friday the 13th on January 13th, 2023:
The Moravian Cemetery in the film.
The Moravian Hope Cemetery
Where Annie got dropped off in the film
The Moravian Church cemetery
The John Blair grave that the Moravian Cemetery.
The Cemetery dirt being sold by the church on “Friday the 13th”
The Avalon History Center is at 215 39th Street in Downtown Avalon, NJ
Recently I took a tour of small Jersey shore towns and their historical societies. These interesting little museums are packed with information on the history and development of these towns. The progress of these towns from fishing and hunting villages for the Native Americans to the modern day resorts and permanent residence’s have a fascinating history.
The early history of Avalon display with the development of the hospitality industry in the town
The Avalon History Center was the last museum on my visit to the shore that day and it had become very gloomy outside. The town was relatively quiet when I got there on a late Thursday night. I ended up having the whole museum to myself to tour. The curator came out and greeted me nicely and said that they were working in the back and if I had any questions to come get them. Outside that, I was the only one touring the exhibitions.
When you enter the building, the rooms are broken down in section by display. The Avalon Police Department has a wonderful exhibition of the history of the department. There are all sorts of police gear, mannequins with old uniforms and all sorts of police gear and pictures of the department through the ages. Near that is the Brendan Borek High Tide Memorial Fund.
The Early Avalon Room contains the history of the many hotels that used to dot the town during the Victorian era that have either burned down or succumbed to the ocean currents. Of all the hotels that existed only the Sea Lark B &B (See my review on TripAdvisor) still greeting guests. There are all sorts of dishware from the old hotels, menus and silverware that show the opulence of the time when pleasure travel lasted longer than present day.
The history of the Hotel Industry in Avalon with artifacts like menus, china and wonderful pictures of the old hotels. One of the hotels, the Sealark Hotel, still operates as a bed and breakfast. I had stayed there in 2017 for the Firemen’s Convention and had a excellent stay.
The Sealark B &B at 3018 First Avenue in Avalon, NJ
There was a section on the Founding of the town and its development over time. The town used to be Native American place to fish and hunt to the Victorian resort it became with the railroads. There was extensive history of the Railroad system that was so important to the growth of these shore towns. This was until 1937 when the rail system became obsolete with the advent of the automobile. There was a nice display of the old Avalon Pier.
The detailed display of businesses that made Avalon the place to go and party
The Mascot for Pudgie Pelican
The back of the building was dedicated to local businesses that have since closed, This shows old signs, pictures and menus of watering holes that were popular for generations. There was an interesting display from the Avalon Hotel’s ‘Phil’s Bongo Room’, a popular place for bands.
The artifacts from Jack’s
Memories from a forgotten bar scene
On the other side of the front of the museum is an interesting display on the Avalon Shore Patrol, a much dedicated group of men and women that play such an important role in a shore community. The museum displayed an restored patrol boat surrounded by other artifacts. Pictures of generations of Beach Patrol members proudly line the walls.
The Beach Patrol display
The Beach Patrol display
The museum also has landscaped grounds to walk outside either to some of the smaller historical buildings or to the gazebo to relax on a nice day and just enjoy the breezes. It is nice to walk along the flowering beds and just enjoy the sunshine.
The Avalon Cottage sign outside the museum
The Avalon Cottage located outside the museum
The Summer Sanctuary sign outside the museum
The Summer Sanctuary outside the museum
It was a great visit both times I went to the museum.
History of the Avalon History Center:
(from a recent AHMS Newsletter)
The current facility opened its doors in September of 2001 to the public and began to share Avalon’s past, historical photographs, artifacts, memories and recollections lovingly collected and recorded by members of the Avalon Museum and Historical Society.
The museum main gallery
After several years of discussion, 1997 saw a historical society being formed at last in Avalon, supported by the enthusiastic endorsement of Mayor Marty Pagliughi and Borough Council President Nancy Hudanich, Doris Hanna and Jean Losch even secured a $10,000 donation from the Avalon Women’s Civic Club, as seed money for a building. Borough Council agreed to provide a location at 39th Street as well as a modular building-the old Public Works Headquarters, which did not prove suitable. The Avalon Museum and Historical Society got to work.
In June 1997, the first election of the Avalon Museum and Historical Society officers occured, along with the adoption of a constitution and bylaws. Among those first officers were Robert Jaggard, President, Lucille (Sue) Jacobson, Vice-President, Jan Jaggard, Secretary and Gordon Smith, Treasurer. Among thefirst Trustees were Jean Losch, Doris Hanna, Betty Shoemaker, Marvin Wells Jr., Joseph Koen and Robert Penrose Jr.
In early 1998, as the AMHS held its first fund drive, Doctors John and Elizabeth Ruskey agreed to honor the previous owner’s wish to donate their recently purchased house (location on 111st Street in Stone Harbor) to the effort. The Avalon Museum and Historical Society had support, money, a location and a building. Now all they had to do was move the house from Stone Harbor to Avalon, which is exactly what happened on November 6th, 1998. The groundbreaking took place on January 22nd, 1999.
The main history display at the museum
Once in place, work on putting the building back together and creating a museum space continued, inside and out. Items had been donated, collected and stored in the homes of the officers and trustees. It was the work of the AMHS to organize fundraising events to finance the project.
In mid-September 2001, the officers opening day arrived at last and AMHS President Pary Woehlcke, together with Mayor Marty Pagliughi cut the ribbon on Avalon’s very own local history museum.
Since then, there have been many changes at 215 39th Street, including the merger and incorporation of the Avalon Museum and Historical Society into the Avalon Free Public Library. We are now the Avalon History Center.
One thing that remains constant is the commitment, enthusiasm and passion from History Center staff and the Historical Society Board and members. Our mission remains to bring Avalon’s past alive and make it accessible for all. This year has been a challenge but one we hope we have met as we continue to keep the doors open, broaden our outreach online, entertain, educate and amuse our patrons.
The Avalon Yacht Club display
Mission of the Avalon History Center:
The Mission of the Avalon History Center is to collect, chronical and preserve the history of the Borough of Avalon in the County of Cape May, New Jersey.
Peermont Self-Guided Walking Tour:
This self-guided tour of a section of Peermont (25th to 42nd Streets) will lead you from the Avalon Post Office at 33rd and Dune Drive through to 30th Street and ending at the Boardwalk and Beach Patrol on 32nd Street. It should take about one hour of gentle walking.
History of the Area:
(from the Avalon History Center pamphlet)
In October of 1888, Philadelphia entrepreneur George Rummel and the Avalon Beach Improvement Co. (ABICO) purchased from Joseph Wells at 17 block area of Seven Mile Island from 25th to 42nd Streets. The tract excluded the vast beachfront but included large areas of boggy meadowlands west of Third Avenue. This section of Seven Mile Island became known as the ABICO tract.
Rummel’s first priority was to build a hotel, which he named “The Peermont”. The railroad station which went up at the same time also became known as Peermont and so the ABICO tract followed suit. Peermont was on the map.
The Hotel Peermont in Avalon, NJ
Building lots were very quickly offered for sale so many that those in the Avalon section began to feel somewhat behind. Lots were also sold and bought in the meadowlands between Third and Forth Avenues on the assumption that they would be drained, filled, graded and curbed. Unfortunately 25th Street to Gravens Thoroughfare was the only roadway made passable. Rummel did however tear down the dunes, fill in and grade the ponds and marsh areas along the beachfront section of the ABICO tract, in order to build a seawall and then a boardwalk.
Visiting a Museum: The Unique, Unusual, Obscure and Historical 