Allaire Village

     Thursday, May 19, 2022: Later, after my being at Historic Walnford, I arrived at another historic Monmouth County, New Jersey village: Allaire Village, 4265 Atlantic Avenue, Farmingdale (732-919-3500). Unlike Walnford, Allaire was once a livelier company town with about 5,000 acres. At the peak of its prosperity, around the 1830s, about 400 people lived here, most of them were employed at the Howell Iron Works company. The iron works operated from the 1820s to 1846. Then in 1850, James P. Allaire retired here until his death in 1858. Years later, the Allaire family sold the property to newspaper editor Arthur Brisbane in 1901, and in the early 1940s, Arthur’s widow, Phobe, donated the grounds to the State of NJ in the hope, in Arthur Brisbane’s words, that it “… be used as a historical center and forest park reservation to be known as Allaire State Park….” When I visited here, the visitor’s center wasn’t open, but a box on the front door provided brochures and maps of the village. Nearby, I saw what had once been an Episcopal Church but has been currently serving as a non-denominational chapel. (It can be rented for weddings.) Similar to Walnford, some of the staff opened some of the buildings to the public. My favorite was the General Store! This 1835 store was one of the largest at the time in NJ, and it didn’t just serve the workers because people traveled for up to 40 miles to shop here. Afterward, other places that impressed me were the Manager’s House, the oldest building here, dating back to the 1700s, before Allaire Village.  I also entered an 1835 Bakery, an 1836 Blacksmith & Tin Shop, and an 1835 Carpenter Shop. In each of these places, I found an enthusiastic employee or two who either demonstrated his or her craft or gave a history of how important of his or her trade was the village or both. Some of the employees dressed themselves in 1830s style. Finally, I completed my visit by walking around and glancing at the other, mostly circa 1830s, buildings.      

 

Historic Walnford

      Thursday, May 19, 2022: I started this day by visiting Historical Walnford, 62 Walnford Road, Upper Freehold, New Jersey (609-259-6275). This historic Monmouth County village at its height in the early 1800s had around 50 people living there and working on the farm in the fields, orchards, mills, and elsewhere. By the latter part of the 19th century, most agriculture and milling moved west partly due to the railroads. During most of the 20th century, this village became a retreat for its owners. In 1985, the owners donated this property to the Monmouth County Park System. On the day I was there, a guide greeted me as I walked through a corn crib. The nearby former wagon house showed texts and pictures that gave visitors a good introduction to the history of this place. Afterward, I saw the different buildings, some of which I could enter. One of those buildings, the 1879 carriage house, displayed a carriage, a sidesaddle, and harnesses to either ride a horse or for the horse to pull a vehicle. The highlight of my visit, however, became the tour of the 1743 Waln House! Here I looked at rooms on both floors from an 18th century kitchen with an open-hearth fireplace, to a fancy parlor—but not too ostentatious because the Waln family were Quakers. One room showed different styled chairs from the 18th-, 19th-, and 20th-century. I also noticed some of the Waln family portraits. My second-favorite building was the 1872 grist mill. In here I observed pictures and texts, as well as milling machines and other equipment that explained the everyday operation of the mills and their value to the community. For the rest of this 36-acre village, I glanced at other buildings from the 1700s, 1800s, and 1900s near Crosswicks Creek. It made for a good day in the country.    

Kyle Family Farm

    Thursday, May 12, 2022: After visiting Princeton, New Jersey, I next went to another part of Mercer County, NJ: Kyle Family Farm, 831 Windsor-Perrineville Road, East Windsor (609-209-4032). This family farm sold many kinds of produce, both grown on this farm and elsewhere, in its store. In addition, they sold other kinds of foods: baked goods, dairy, honey, eggs, packaged foods, etc. They also included some non-edible merchandise for sale such as flowers and souvenirs items with the farm’s name on them: aprons, cutting boards, pens, and so forth. This place, too, has played host to events year round for the whole family, including yard sales with nearby vendors selling their stuff. The chances will be that if you stop here anytime, you will most likely buy something!   

Historical Society of Princeton

      Thursday, May 12, 2022: It has been 16 years since I’ve visited Princeton, New Jersey. Back then, I toured the campus of Princeton University. This time, I stopped into the Historical Society of Princeton, 354 Quaker Road, Princeton (609-921-6748). Located at the Updike Farmstead, the museum’s exhibits were in a few different rooms in this late-18th-/early-19th-century farmhouse. Once inside, a very helpful tour guide told us the history of Princeton from the time of the Lenni-Lenapes to the current times. In six exhibit areas, I looked at a lot of pictures and some texts, videos, and exhibit items. The first was my favorite because it had to do with some famous former residents of Princeton: Albert Einstein, John von Neumann, and others. As for the rest of the display areas, they presented the following subjects: photos of farm workers who worked on farms in the Princeton area around the early 20th century, African-American migrant workers, and Nassau Street through the years, as well as paintings done by artists from Trenton and photos of the Updike Farmstead that the Princeton Photography club took during a visit in 2012. Once outside, I glanced at a historical garden and farm buildings mostly from the 19th century. There was also a history trail where six signs along the way explained the different parts of Princeton’s history. Throughout the year, the Historical Society of Princeton played host to special events and offered tours of the area. Anyway, this has been one place that I highly recommend for an introduction to Princeton, NJ!    

Terhune Orchards

     Thursday, May 5, 2022: Earlier in the day, I had been to the Trenton Farmers’ Market, and I noticed that many of the vendors owned local New Jersey farms. Later that day, I visited one of those farms: Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road, Lawrence Township (609-924-2310). While I mainly stopped here to browse and buy a few things in their farm store, this place included more than a farm store. During different times of the year, Terhune Orchards offered special family events in the quest to introduce people to farm life, especially children. After being in the store, I walked through the rest of the farm, and I noticed a play area for children where they could play at being farmers and ride child-sized “tractors.” Other activities included looking at the farm animals, a garden, and a winery, as well as green houses and of course, orchards. One of the favorite activities here included picking produce in season. Meanwhile, the farm store sold many kinds of produce, baked goods, and apple cider, as well as wines, jarred and packaged foods, and flowers and plants. Overall, you could find your time here pleasant and educational!  

Trenton Farmers' Market

     Thursday, May 5, 2022: I liked farmers’ markets, and on the above date, I visited New Jersey’s oldest farmers’ market (since 1939): Trenton Farmers’ Market, 960 Spruce Street, Lawrence Township (near Ewing Township) (609-695-2998). Although I have been to bigger farmers’ markets, such as Berlin, Columbus, Williamstown, and Englishtown, this market contained over 40 vendors who mostly sold food, especially produce. Many of these vendors were from local farms, and in addition, they and other vendors also had other foods for sale: meats, baked goods, dairy, and so forth. In addition, I noticed a few non-food merchants selling clothes, accessories, jewelry, home goods, cosmetics, soaps, etc. Most of the vendors were friendly, and I found some items, both edible and non-edible, that I haven’t seen in my local stores lately!