Tag: Small Museums of New Jersey

Old Schoolhouse and Firehouse Museum 6 Passaic Avenue Ogdensburg, NJ 07439

Old Schoolhouse and Firehouse Museum 6 Passaic Avenue Ogdensburg, NJ 07439

Old Schoolhouse and Firehouse Museum

6 Passaic Avenue

Ogdensburg, NJ 07439

https://www.sussex.nj.us/561/Old-Schoolhouse-Fire-Museum

https://www.facebook.com/oburghistoricalsocietypage

Ogdensburg Historical Society

Open: Sunday 1:00pm-4:00pm (Only on the forth Sunday of the Month) Monday-Saturday Closed-Check the website for seasonality.

Admission: Free but a donation is appreciated

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Profile/R4960NKjustinw/mediabatch/14495681?m=19905

The front of the museum

I recently visited the Ogdensburg Old Schoolhouse and Firehouse Museum at 6 Passaic Avenue in Downtown Ogdensburg and discovered the community’s rich history of farming and mining in its past and its current destination as a weekend vacation spot and a up and coming bedroom community of New York City.

The County still has some farming and agriculture going on as the County continues to be built up with expats from the City, and Bergen and Morris Counties. The first floor is dedicated to the history of the Ogdensburg Fire Department with an old Engine and Ladders trucks, artifacts from the Sterling Mine just up the road and township property such as an old voting booth. You can read about the history of the Ogdensburg family as you head to the outside gallery.

The second floor has displays of various town departments including the Rescue, the Police Department and Fire Department. There are various displays of the town’s school system and various clubs in town. There are displays on the town’s mining and agricultural past with items such as farm advertising and mining equipment and minerals. Each display plays a role in the development of the community and how it progressed from farming to mining to manufacturing to the bedroom community it is today.

History of the Building:

“Built in 1910 as Ogdensburg’s fifth public school, it was adapted for re-use in 1930 as the Borough’s first firehouse replacing the one built in 1872. In 1984, with the aid of two state grants, the Ogdensburg Historical Society adapted it for re-use and dedicated it as the Old Schoolhouse and Firehouse Museum in 1987.

After 97 years, the Museum continues to serve the Borough of Ogdensburg as an historical learning and preservation center, and as a meeting hall.  On June 10, 2006 it was dedicated as an Ogdensburg Historic Site.”

The historic sign of the museum

The Borough of Ogdensburg is the host of this marker commemorating the rich history provided by this building.  This building has been maintained with much thought and care and remains as a museum and meeting place for the residents of the town. The marker is located in front of the building on Passaic Avenue just off Main Street by the Ogdensburg Elementary School.  This marker was part of the 2008 placement (Museum website).

The outside of the museum which served as a school and a firehouse

The first floor of the building has the fire trucks, the history of the fire department and Ogdensburg’s 250th Anniversary of the United States on display.

The museum artifacts from the 250th celebration of the Country

The museum is on the heart of mining country of Sussex County, NJ and the museum has an interesting mineral collection along with their collection of mining artifacts.

The Mineral and Mining Collection

The museum being home to the Ogdensburg Fire Department contains the history of the local fire department along with vehicles and artifacts from the department.

https://www.facebook.com/oburgfd

Fire Department

The history of the Ogdensburg Fire Department

One of the early Ladder Trucks

The history of the department

One of the early Engine Trucks

The history of the department

One of the early pull hose beds pulled by men and then by horses

The first floor also contains the history of the Ogden family in the region.

The history of the Ogden family in the community

The town voting booth and a turn of the last century phone

The second floor gallery used to serve as offices and living space of the fire department.

The main gallery on the second floor

The gallery case lines are filled with memorabilia from different aspects of the community telling the story of the growth of the community that included Mining and Farming. It explains the growth into the modern suburbs of today. This includes the Fire and Police and Rescue Departments, the School System and cultural events in the community.

The main gallery on the second floor of the museum

The main gallery on the second floor

The display case of Ogdensburg departments including school, fire and police departments

The display of the Ogdensburg Police Department

https://www.facebook.com/people/Ogdensburg-NJ-Police-Department/61590226020577

Police Department

The display of the Ogdensburg First Aid Squad

Blanket with historical sites and artifacts of the town of Ogdensburg, NJ

The businesses including schools and the domestic and farming industries

Each of the display cases represented different aspects of the town and has a variety of pictures and memorabilia from a variety of eras. The case lines show how the community changed over time from a mining community to the changes of a bedroom community of Newark and New York City.

The school system with classes and sports teams

https://www.obboe.org/apps/events

Household, town and business artifacts

Military and early Native American artifacts

The Glenbrook Farm Milk Bucket

The Domestic home display

The Entertainment display of recorders, phonographs, radios and early record players

The influence that Thomas Edison had on the community with new technology. Several pieces of Thomas A. Edison memorabilia are on exhibit to honor the ten years Edison spent mining iron ore at the old Edison Ore Milling Company on Sparta Mountain. Several of his phonographic inventions were created here (Ogdensburg Historical Society website).

Close up view of record players and Victrola’s

The Ogdensburg School system display

The Ogdensburg Presbyterian Church display of artifacts from inside the church

The NJ Zinc Mine display with minerals and equipment

The NJ Zinc Mine and Mineral display is a small s as molding of the museum down the street and the importance of the mining industry at the turn of the last century.

A closer look at the minerals display

A replica of a working mine operation. The machine shows how workers descending and brought up rock from the mines.

The Dedication to Mr. Waco Hadowantez, the town historian

The last display as you leave the museum is dedicated to the man who founded the historical society, Waco Hadowantez.

The museum tells an interesting story of the history of Ogdensburg and the surrounding area. It shows the importance of the Mining Community at the turn of the last century and how the community is pivoting towards tourism to tell its story.

Please contact the museum directly for seasonal hours and tours.

Margate Historical Society Museum 1 South Washington Avenue Margate, NJ 08402

Margate Historical Society Museum 1 South Washington Avenue Margate, NJ 08402

Margate Historical Society Museum

1 South Washington Avenue

Margate, NJ 08402

(609) 822-4709

https://www.margatelibrary.org/margate-historical-society-museum

https://www.margatelibrary.org

Open: Sunday-Wednesday Closed/Thursday-Saturday 10:00am-2:00pm

Admission: Free but donations is appreciated

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g46600-d21309600-r1073428093-Margate_Historical_Society_Museum-Margate_City_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

The Margate Historical Society at 1 South Washington Avenue

The Margate Historical Society is a small history museum that tells the story of Margate, NJ and nearby Atlantic City, NJ. The two towns are intertwined by history and business. This small museum is run by the Margate Library, part of the town’s municipal system.

The museum sign when open

The entrance to the museum

The inside of the museum and their fire and rescue displays

This interesting museum covers the history of the Fire, Rescue and Police Departments with lots of artifacts from all three departments including pictures and equipment.

The rescue and life guard display

The display explains both the lifeguard stations and members and the rescue units run by both this department and the fire department.

Margate Fire Department artifacts

https://www.facebook.com/MargateCityFireDepartment

https://margate-nj.com/1333/Fire

The museum has a lot of interesting artifacts from the Margate Fire Department that covers both the working and social aspects of the department. Many cover the last 100 years of the department.

Margate Fire Company #1 Banner

The history of the Margate Fire Department

The Margate Police Department also had an interesting display of artifacts including a jail cell. The department also donated uniforms and items to arrest people.

The Margate Police Department display

https://www.facebook.com/MCPDNJ

https://www.margate-nj.com/1876/Police

The museum features the history of the town from community events and organizations to artifacts on buildings and businesses.

Transit display

The history of the community of Margate, NJ

The town has many historical sites especially the “Lucy the Elephant” building down the road from the museum, which is one of the most well known structures at the Jersey shore.

The history of the Margate trolley system that used to exist on the shore line

Artifacts from the old trolleys

The history of the early community

Artifacts from residents of the town that continue to be collected by the museum

Artifacts from the community

The corner stones from the local schools

The museum has an interesting display of the 1964 Democratic Convention that was held in a fading Atlantic City. One of the biggest complaints was that the hotels were past their prime. This was before gambling would be introduced five year later.

The Democratic Convention in Atlantic City that was held in 1964

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1964_Democratic_National_Convention

How Atlantic City’s 1964 Democratic Convention Was a Turning Point for Civil Rights

The formation of the town map block by block

The museum also has files of the original set up of the town since its founding.

The Margate Champion Little League teams

https://www.unpage.org/newjersey/nj-1980.htm

https://www.app.com/story/sports/youth/little-league/2026/08/23/new-jersey-little-league-baseball-teams-of-all-time-ranked/91432459007/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=false&gca-epti=z113329p003650l002850c003650e1186xxv113329&gca-ft=9&gca-ds=sophi

The museum touches on all parts of the Town of Margate,NJ and its role in the formation of beach communities along the Jersey shore. The museum shows the spirit of this New Jersey community.

The inside of the museum and the extensive displays of this small but interesting local museum.

The museum takes about an hour to visit and is packed with interesting information. The museum has very limited hours but you can work with the library in the off times to arrange a private tour.

Beach Haven Library & Museum 219 North Beach Avenue Beach Haven, NJ 08008

Beach Haven Library & Museum 219 North Beach Avenue Beach Haven, NJ 08008

The library at 219 North Beach Haven Avenue

https://www.beachhavenlibrary.org/

https://www.instagram.com/bhpl1924/

My review on TripAdvisor:

The front of the library and museum in the Fall of 2025

The historic sign

I recently visited the Beach Haven Library and Museum in Beach Haven during the holiday season and discovered a historical library with a rich history in both the community and on Long Beach Island.

The museum on the second floor

On the second floor of the library is the history room of the Beach Haven Library that contains a collection of historic artifacts and ledgers from hotels and businesses on the island. Each of the case lines tells a different story of the community from the grand hotels that once lined the shore and have since disappeared to the lives of the families that once called the island home. When I talked with one of the librarians, she told me that estates from the area donate these items to the library and this has established their collection.

The second floor fireplace

The antique kitchen equipment

The second floor of the library has another fireplace where vintage pottery and kitchen items are on display. There are also decorative pieces of pottery lining the shelves.

Historic China inside the Emily Lloyd Wilson Secretarial desk. Her father designed the Baldwin Hotel in Beach Haven.

The historic ledger from the Parry Hotel

The library has another fireplace where extensive collection of hotel ledgers and artifacts.

Letters from Elizabeth Pharo proposing the Library in 1923

Short History of the Library:

(From the library pamphlet)

Mrs. Pharo presented to the library board a proposal to build the library entirely at her own expense. She contacted Philadelphia architect, R. Brognard Okie to design the library. He chose the model of a Pennsylvania Farmhouse. The library was completed in the Fall of 1924. The museum is now over a hundred years old.

The dedication to Elizabeth Pharo, who dedicated the museum.

The Long Beach Island House Guest Ledger and historic items from the historic Bond Hotel

The records of the past resort town Long Beach Island used to be with guests coming from New York City, Philadelphia and beyond.

Historic items from the Tuckerton & Long Beach Building Land and Improvement Association

The Engleside Hotel ledger and items from the hotel

The New Jersey Declaration towards the Declaration of Independence

Historic books and periodicals

The library has an interesting collection of vintage and antique books that have been donated to the collection.

Photo display on historic sites in Beach Haven and pictures of the original library

Some of the pictures are from the old library and the artifacts come from ships ground ashore. The library has a diverse collection of items to view.

The Compass from the historic shipwreck ‘Fortuna’ that wrecked off Ship Bottom in 1910 and historic boat

The second floor museum gallery holds the diverse collection of artifacts

The second floor of the 1928 building

The first floor of the library has all sorts of historical artifacts along the walls

The Holiday Kickoff in 2025:

I visited during the library’s Holiday Open House with games, trivia and activities. There was also live music in the afternoon. It was a way that the library gives back to the community. It was a nice family event with good food and nice conversation with people from the community.

The Holiday Open House

The fireplace was going when I was talking to the librarians

It was a very nice family event where patrons families could relax, have something to eat and play games with their children. The Liberians could not have been more friendly and engaging with the public.

The Children’s Room had a holiday challenge

The museum is a rare gem tucked not just on the second floor but along the shelves and tables of the entire historic library giving visitors a chance to see all these historic artifacts mixed in with the library book collection.

The History of the Beach Haven Library:

(from the library website)

Attempts to establish a library in Beach Haven had begun as early as the 1880’s with a gift of books for the town’s children by Dr. Edward Williams. Williams, along with Charles Parry of the Parry House and the Baldwin Hotel, was a partner in the Baldwin Locomotive Works. The library collection was first housed in the home of Samuel Copperthwaite on Engleside Avenue. It was later moved into one of the Sunday School rooms of the Kynett Methodist Church, which had been built in 1890.

After the old Quaker Meeting House was donated to the town by Walter Pharo, the Reverend Alexander Corson of the Methodist Church began work, with the help of his wife, to turn the former Meeting House into a viable library. By the time they left in 1908, it was well on its way.

In 1923, Walter’s widow, Elizabeth Pharo, presented the library’s board of trustees with a proposal to build, entirely at her own expense, a new library for the town. It would be sited two blocks away from the Methodist church on a corner lot which she owned at Third Street and Beach Avenue. The library would be dedicated to the memory of her husband’s parents, Archelaus Ridgway Pharo and Louisa Willits Pharo–the founders of Beach Haven–as well as to her late husband Walter. 

Mrs. Pharo contracted R. Brognard Okie, one of Philadelphia’s finest architects, to design the new library. He chose as his model a Pennsylvania farmhouse–not an early lifesaving station, as some believed. Unlike a traditional farmhouse, however, it would be constructed entirely of brick and steel and include several stunning features: three working fireplaces, a vaulted ceiling, and an interior balcony encircling the first floor.

Tons of concrete were poured and steel girders for the new, two-story structure were already up by the spring of 1924 on the southeast corner of Beach Avenue at Third Street. Okie moved to Beach Haven to supervise every step of the construction, which was all done by local builder Floyd Cranmer. Ten railcar loads of bricks were used to build the solid outer walls and it was soon evident that the town was to have the finest library on the New Jersey coast.

As the library neared completion in the late fall of 1924, its beauty was already drawing praise. Every window in the structure was framed with long shutters of pale green, which gleamed against the white brick exterior. A sweeping, multi-dormered black roof added a grace seldom seen in a public building. Surrounded by a low, white picket fence and later, a well-kept green lawn, it added an incomparable dignity to what, in that time period, was the town’s main street, Beach Avenue.

There are two large colonial-style working fireplaces on the first floor. One is in the main room and the other is behind it in the long back room on the ocean side of the library. Today this room houses the Mystery collection and its solid, ten-foot table makes it useful as a meeting room. In the early years, however, it served a different function–it was designated as the men’s reading room, and there male patrons could sit in large comfortable chairs to read magazines and newspapers. It was well lit by two tall French windows and it opened out onto the screened porch on the north side.

The main reading room with its vaulted ceiling is encircled with a balcony reached by a spiral stone staircase, its steps topped with thick slabs of slate. The balcony flooring is of oak, as are all of the spindles in the railings. The upstairs walls are lined with books. One great window on the west side rises ten feet to the ceiling. The rest are all set into dormers. On the east wall behind the upstairs balcony there is a door where one may step down into a well-furnished little museum with high, beamed ceilings and a huge stone fireplace. It is filled with old hotel registers, deeds, diaries, photographs and other mementos of Beach Haven’s vibrant history.

The Beach Haven Public Library is a prime architectural treasure on Long Beach Island and a direct link to a colorful past that is the town’s most precious heritage. Mrs. Elizabeth Pharo’s gift to the town, itself now almost 100 years old, is as stunning as the day it was built. The taxpayers who support it are proud of its status as the only independent library in Ocean County and have chosen to keep it that way.

The J.W. Gandy Farmstead 26 Tyler Road Greenfield, NJ 08250

The J.W. Gandy Farmstead 26 Tyler Road Greenfield, NJ 08250

The J.W. Gandy Farmstead

26 Tyler Road

Greenfield, NJ 08250

(609) 390-5656

https://theclio.com/entry/100872

Click to access Upper-Twp-History_2-page_Sep2013.pdf

Click to access gandy-house-history_copy_%2015June2008.pdf

https://capemaycountynj.gov/BusinessDirectoryii.aspx?ysnShowAll=0&lngNewPage=0&txtLetter=J&txtZipCode=&txtCity=&txtState=&txtBusinessName=&lngBusinessCategoryID=29&txtCustomField1=&txtCustomField2=&txtCustomField3=&txtCustomField4=&txtAreaCode=

Open: Sunday 1:00pm-3:00pm (Seasonal and Special Events

Admission: Free but donations accepted

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Profile/R4960NKjustinw/mediabatch/13884120?m=19905

The J. W. Gandy House at 26 Tyler Road

The historic marker

The historic signs

The Gandy House sign

The farm grounds

The historic sign

The historic grounds of the property in the winter

I visited the John Westley Gandy Farmstead on private walking tours both in the Winter of 2024 and the Summer of 2025 and got a glimpse of farm life in early rural Southern New Jersey. Away from the markets of New York City, I got to see how tenant farming and life was for early farmers after the Revolutionary War.

The house is decorated with artifacts from the early 1800’s to the turn of the Twentieth century and how they affected the lives of early inhabitants of the house. There is antique furniture, home made quilts and a fully stocked kitchen with a wood burning fireplace to cook meals from scratch (which was not a trend in those days, that is how they lived).

The grounds when I visited in the summer months

The grounds of the farm in the winter

The grounds of this historic homestead in the winter

The same grounds in the summer

The history of the house

The front of the house during the summer

The Laundry Room

The Laundry Room

When you walk inside the Gandy Housr on the first floor, you are welcomed into the kitchen and pantry area plus some of public areas of the house. Here meals were prepared and guests were greeted.

The pantry area of the kitchen

Wood was stored for heat and cooking and herbs were drying for the winter months for cooking and daily use.

The fire wood and herb s drying

The pantry and larders for daily cooking and baking for the daily meals. All meals were cooked from scratch and large breakfasts and lunches were part of farm life. All meals were cooked in the open hearth so meals had to be properly timed and cooking and baking had to be coordinated for the family meals.

The larders were filled with the items that were in season

Cooking over a wood burning fire was part of everyday meals in the farm kitchen. Various pots and pans were in use to cook the family meals.

The inside of the kitchen area that heated the main room

Meals were coordinated for the day with cereals and soups cooking first, baked items going into the oven when it was warm enough followed by roasts and stews.

The days cooking over a hot stove

There were early morning breakfasts on the farm and then a late lunch/ early supper when the afternoon work was done.

The other half of the main room was used for dining and the families social space. Here meals were served and the family relaxed.

Everyday family objects of the household

The front part of the room faced the road and the comings and goings of the surrounding community.

The side bench and family objects

The most interesting part of the tour of the first floor is the view of the construction of the home. Behind the glass frame showed how the home was built and of what.

The construction of the home behind the glass frame

The family quarters on the second floor show the chores that followed during the day with spinning yarn, making and mending clothes and dying fabrics.

The spinning wheels and the making of quilts

The landing and the first floor rooms

The spinning wheels and patterns

The first bedroom was furnished with handmade quilts and sown linens. The wash basins were used before indoor plumbing.

The first bedroom upstairs

The wash basin and grooming products

Going out for a formal evening

The second bedroom on the second floor has is collection of quilts

The hand made quilts in the second bedroom

The children’s toys

The handmade quilt collection in the one bedroom

Handmade linens were part of the fabric of rural life as women were trained to sew and quilt their clothes and bed linens. Store bought linens were a rarity at this time and the quality of a woman’s homemaking skills defined her household. The handwork on these quilts were amazing.

The upstairs fireplace to keep the rooms warm

The upstairs alcove where the fireplace is located

The Morning clothing in the alcove

We then headed up the stairs to see the attic which were hard to walk up they were such small stairs.

The narrow stair’s to the attic

I got to see the attic area which visitors normally don’s see. This is where the boys of the family would sleep in the summarrr

The attic loft area

We finished the house tour back in the kitchen-living room

The full kitchen and living room room

The laundry area just off the main room

The we then toured the grounds of the estate walking through the grounds and exploring all the buildings on the property, some original to the estate and some brought here from other properties that awaited the wrecking ball. The grounds included the family well, barn, outhouse, root cellar, wood shed and a grape arbor.

The area right behind the main

The estate well which was going to be replaced

Fresh well water is still a part of the communities in Southern New Jersey. These farmsteads were pretty much self-sufficient and people grew what they needed and could barter for the rest or bring it to market.

The woodshed on the estate

The estate on a sunny day

The root cellar

The Root Cellar was used to keep Summer foods and preserves cool throughout the season. People tried to eat seasonally as much as possible and store for the Winter months.

The Ice House

The historic sign for the Ice House

The inside of the ice house and the hooks to hold meats

Ice was brought in from local lakes and ponds to keep foods well preserved during the warmer months of the Spring and Summer.

The barn that was moved here

The inside of the barn with all sorts of historic farm. These are pieces of equipment that were used over the last 100 years.

The farm equipment

The equipment that runs a farm

The storage area of the farm

The storage bins

The Outhouse

There was no indoor plumbing in those days and the use of the outhouse was placed far from the main house.

The grounds of the farm

The back of the farm

The front of the homestead in the summer of 2025

The house was warm and contained by fireplaces in the Winter months and open and airy in the Summer months with a flow of air through the open windows. The Upper Cape May Township Historical Society is open also for special events like their Strawberry and Apple festivals plus private tours.

The Gandy Farmstead Annual Apple Festival 2025:

Two weeks after my initial visit to the Gandy House during the Firemen’s Convention, I returned for the Historical Society’s Annual Apple Festival. The event reminded me of the Brinckerhoff House Strawberry Festival, a very nice family and community event that attracted everyone.

Since there were a lot of shore towns I wanted to revisit while the weather was nice, I arranged to stay at an Airbnb in Ocean City so I had plenty of time to do what I needed to do and relax afterwards.

I could not believe how crowded the roads were as so many places were having either Fall festivals or October Fest. Route 9 was like a parking lot near Smithville, NJ.

I got to the Apple Festival around noon and the parking lot was packed with people. One of the members said later that afternoon that he could not believe the consistent crowds as it was still busy at 2:15pm (the festival was over by 3:00pm). The crowds were filled with several generations of family members who I am sure were traveling from one event to another on this spectacular sunny morning.

The sign welcoming you to the event

When I arrived at the festival, the parking lot was still filling up so I had to park way in the back so I could get in and out easily.

On the Gandy family property on the other side of the home, they had an antique car show, a mini train ride around the tracks of this part of the property and a Caboose train car that you could explore.

The train tracks around the farm property

The train set up and tracks to tour around the farm

The train rides were really popular with both the small and ‘big’ kids

This small train trip had a nice sized line to it as families were really enjoying themselves

I then toured the Caboose which was set up for service and a day in the life of a conductor. Some of the volunteers were even dressed as conductors leading tour and talking to families.

The caboose on the farm property

The inside of the caboose

Getting ready for the holidays

Life of a train conductor shown in the caboose

After the tour of the car show and watching the families have fun on the trains, I headed across the street to the Gandy House for the tours and activities.

The back of the Gandy Farmstead with crafts and entertainment

Entering the Apple Festival with a Farmers Market and Apple sale

The Farmers Market of locally grown produce

They had a wonderful duo interesting the crowds that afternoon

There were all sorts of crafts stands around where the entertainment was performing

The local crafts people were really talented and included crocheted, painters, floral arrangers and jewelry markers.

One woman sold flowers from her gardens and arranged bouquets

This woman painted her own crafts and did beautiful work for both Halloween and Christmas

Here beautiful holiday crafts

I loved this Santa tree and was going to get it for my mom

This woman had the most beautiful handmade doll clothing and knit items for the holidays

What is an Apple Festival without food? I went to the concession stand for lunch and ordered a hot dog with a glass of locally made Apple cider and had an homemade Apple Shortcake, which I found out later the members had made the night before.

The concession stand where all the food was made

Enjoying my lunch. Both the hotdogs and apple cider were locally made. That’s why it tasted so good!

Hot dogs taste so good off the grill!

The delicious homemade Apple Shortcake with homemade apple topping were made by the members

I also stopped off at the apple stand where cases of apples were being sold. It looked like many people were going to make pies and sauce with these and the stand looked like they were selling out.

I managed to buy one of the Mango sweet apples they were selling individually

The apples were so hard, fresh and sweet that it made the perfect addition to dessert.

The Mango Sweet apples

Talk about delicious

After lunch I ran into the Board members who had helped me with the tour two weeks early and I took a quick tour of the first floor of the home. The laundry room was not open the day of my private tour.

Touring the outside grape arbor

The grape arbor on an early Fall day

Touring the first floor laundry room

An early washing machine

How to do laundry at the turn of the last century

After having lunch, touring the house and visiting all the vendors I relaxed for the rest of the afternoon and listened to the entertainment perform. They did a combination of 70’s hit songs, country music and some James Taylor.

The duo performing

The first part of the song “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)” from the 1970’s before people walked in the way

The rest of the song performed. They did an excellent job with it

Before I left just after 2:00pm, I stayed to see who won the Apple pie contest. There were only three contributors but I wanted to get a slice before I left. They did not slice them up. Bummer!

The winners of the Apple pie contest

The Apple Festival sponsored by the Upper Township Historical Society happens every October. It is a wonderful family event and fundraiser for the Historical Society. I know I had a lot of fun and it reminded me of the events that I went to as a kid in the 1970’s.

It was funny that the only person who had a cell phone glued to his hand was me. It was just like the 1970’s all over again with families enjoying each other’s company. Try to visit in the future.