Monmouth County Historical Association

Monmouth County Historical Association Over the past century, the MCHA has become a multi-faceted organization comprised of our Museum, Research Library & Archives and five Historic House Museums.

Welcome to the Monmouth County Historical Association, an organization with a rich history dating back to its founding in 1898 when a dedicated group of county residents incorporated to “discover, procure, preserve and perpetuate whatever relates to the history of Monmouth County.” We have been continuing that important effort ever since. Our Traveling Trunk Program, lectures and special events he

lp us to provide a variety of opportunities for people of all ages to engage in learning about and appreciating the interesting history and cultural heritage of our unique area.

Scissors? Not exactly! You are looking at a typical hair styling accessory of the 18th century. This pair of finely made...
07/14/2025

Scissors? Not exactly! You are looking at a typical hair styling accessory of the 18th century. This pair of finely made iron and steel curling tongs was made between 1750 and 1780 in England and imported to the American colonies. Just as today, hair - how you wore it, how you styled it - was an important social statement. Many men opted to keep their own hair cut very short and wear styled wigs. Women, on the other hand, usually wore hair add-ons rather than full wigs. Tongs like these would be heated over coals, then hair would be wrapped around the thin rods to "set" the curl, much like modern electric curling irons today. While we don't know what Monmouth man or woman used these tongs, we're sure they were stylish no matter what!

The Swiss chard in Covenhoven House's kitchen garden is holding up in the heat! In 1774, Thomas Jefferson recorded in hi...
07/13/2025

The Swiss chard in Covenhoven House's kitchen garden is holding up in the heat! In 1774, Thomas Jefferson recorded in his garden journal that he had added "white beet" to his vegetable gardens. "White beet" or "silver beet" was a common term for chard in the 18th century. Cultivated as far back as 350 B.C., chard is a member of the beet family. Grown for its stalks and leaves, chard was often used as a substitute for spinach. One early 19th century recipe book noted that the sturdy stalks could be "enjoyed much like asparagus." In 1596, English herbalist John Gerard noted that chard came in "variable colours," much like today's brightly colored chard varieties.

For most Fashion Fridays, we usually end our post by urging you to visit our eMuseum website to learn more about the obj...
07/11/2025

For most Fashion Fridays, we usually end our post by urging you to visit our eMuseum website to learn more about the object. This time around, you can come see the artifacts in person! And if you like 18th century shoes - and who doesn't - then our micro-exhibition "Fancy Footwork" is for you! On view now in the main hall of our headquarters in Freehold is a selection of 18th century shoes and shoe buckles. From a pair of circa 1760s blue silk and silver embroidered slippers to a sturdy pair of steel shoe buckles worn by Revolutionary War militia captain John Schenck of Marlboro, this is a rare opportunity to see and enjoy these delicate items - don't miss it!

Virtual Presentation!July 17th at 7 PMThe Wreck of the ManasquanThe Manasquan wreck defied identification for decades un...
07/10/2025

Virtual Presentation!
July 17th at 7 PM
The Wreck of the Manasquan

The Manasquan wreck defied identification for decades until local divers fit together the clues revealing its true name. The clues came from a dozen artifacts recovered from the wreck site, nine of which still had their manufacturer's names still legible on them. The research took years, but resulted in solving one of many mysteries of the Jersey Shore. Join us as veteran diver Dan Lieb tells the story of this fascinating discovery. Register for the free link today at monmouthhistory.org!

Image: c. 1820 spoons recovered from the wreck

There's a good deal of history - and vegetables - behind this lovely and colorful can label! Joseph Brakeley (1852-1937)...
07/09/2025

There's a good deal of history - and vegetables - behind this lovely and colorful can label! Joseph Brakeley (1852-1937) moved to Freehold in 1880. In 1882, he opened a cannery business at the corner of Manalapan and Bowne Avenues in Freehold. By 1910, the Brakeley Cannery employed over 1,600 people. Brakeley invested in electric light, up-to-date canning equipment, and other improvements so that by 1913, his canning factory (which encompassed fourteen large buildings spread over eight acres) was considered the finest in the state of New Jersey. Brakeley's firm processed, preserved, and canned Monmouth's peas, lima beans, tomatoes, and other produce. In 1929, Brakeley retired but continued to be active in local political and public life. Joseph Brakeley died in 1937 at the age of 85. In 1941, the old Brakeley canning plant was purchased by the A. & M. Karagheusian rug company for use as its research and design department.

Holmdel farmer Henry Thomas Gulick (1872-1964) retired at the age of 74. His sons presented him with a paint set - and G...
07/07/2025

Holmdel farmer Henry Thomas Gulick (1872-1964) retired at the age of 74. His sons presented him with a paint set - and Gulick began his second career as one of New Jersey's most beloved 20th century artists. During his career, Gulick produced about 180 paintings and exhibited his works in nine solo shows around the state. Classified as a "primitive" painter, Gulick was largely self-taught. Many of his paintings captured Monmouth's historic houses, including Marlpit Hall (one of the Historical Association's properties). But Gulick also had a powerful eye for "glimpse" paintings, focusing on parts of a scene or place. Four of this particular type include "Birdbath and Tree" (1960), "Front Door" (1958), "Senator Hendrickson's Barn" (1953), and "Across the Hall" (1954). Be sure to visit our eMuseum website to enjoy more of Gulick's amazing works!

We're combining fashion and patriotism for today's Fashion Friday! Five-year-old Ella Pullen carefully sewed these patri...
07/04/2025

We're combining fashion and patriotism for today's Fashion Friday! Five-year-old Ella Pullen carefully sewed these patriotic patches in 1863. Born in Hopewell, Mercer County, Ella most likely constructed the red, white, and blue shield panels for an apron. Magazines like Godey's Lady's Book offered patterns and instructions for patriotic aprons specifically for little girls. The larger panel served as the bodice front of the apron, while the two smaller patches would have been pockets sewn to the apron's skirt. It appears that Ella never finished her apron. We particularly love the tiny five-pointed stars scattered across the dark blue cotton background! We also hope you'll join us this morning at 9 a.m. when we celebrate the Association's annual "Reading of the Declaration of Independence" at the Allen House in Shrewsbury!

Please join us at 9:00am on Friday, July 4th, 2025, for our 11th Annual Reading of the Declaration of Independence at th...
07/02/2025

Please join us at 9:00am on Friday, July 4th, 2025, for our 11th Annual Reading of the Declaration of Independence at the historic c. 1710 Allen House in Shrewsbury!

Don't miss out on this fantastic patriotic event! 🎆❤️🤍💙

Allen House c. 1710
Historic Four Corners
400 Sycamore Avenue
Shrewsbury, NJ 07702

Bring your lawn chairs, friends and family!!! ✨

Parking is available across Sycamore Ave at the Shrewsbury Municipal Complex.

You can just feel the cool breeze, can't you? This photograph, taken in 1906, recorded members of the Compton family in ...
07/02/2025

You can just feel the cool breeze, can't you? This photograph, taken in 1906, recorded members of the Compton family in front of the little Bayside Beacon lighthouse in Keansburg. The man on the right, wearing a bowler hat, may be Captain Thomas Compton (1838-1917). Compton served as the head lighthouse keeper there for 45 years. A Civil War veteran, Compton lost a leg at the Battle of Fredericksburg in 1862. The man stands on the toe of his right leg, perhaps an indication of his injury. His wife, whose first name was Experience, may be the woman on the far left. Notice the two little girls standing in far background, perched atop the stone wall.

You know you're doing something right when you lose count of the bees buzzing around your garden lavender! Lavender orig...
06/29/2025

You know you're doing something right when you lose count of the bees buzzing around your garden lavender! Lavender originated from the Mediterranean, and so the hot dry weather we've had recently makes it happy. While planting and weeding in the Covenhoven House kitchen garden the other day, the buzzing of honeybees and bumble bees was loud enough to hear over some of the traffic along Route 537! Although we don't have specific records or documents about just what plants and herbs Elizabeth Covenhoven grew in her garden, lavender was one of the powerhouse herbs of the 18th century. It's a safe bet that she devoted at least a bit of ground to herbs like lavender for home remedies and for tucking between the household's linen sheets.

The Old Tennent Parsonage, originally built in 1706 and enlarged over time, saw some of the heaviest fighting during the...
06/28/2025

The Old Tennent Parsonage, originally built in 1706 and enlarged over time, saw some of the heaviest fighting during the Battle of Monmouth on June 28, 1778. the structure was pelted with musket balls and at least one cannon ball, which slammed into the attic space. When the historian Benson J. Lossing visited the site in September 1850, he was aghast at what he saw. As he wrote in his Pictorial Field-Book of the Revolution (1851–52): The old parsonage is in the present possession of Mr. William T. Sutphen, who has allowed the parlor and study of Tennent and Woodhull to be used as a depository of grain and agricultural implements! The careless neglect which permits a mansion so hallowed by religion and patriotic events to fall into utter ruin, is actual desecration, and much to be reprehended and deplored. The windows are destroyed; the roof is falling into the chambers; and in a few years not a vestige will be left of that venerable memento of the field of Monmouth." Prior to its destruction in May of 1860, property owner William Sutphin Potter commissioned a lithograph print of the building. The drawing captures, in stark black and white, the state of near collapse of the site. On the left, a very rare image of the Parsonage captures the building. If you look closely, you can see many of the shingles along the side of the house have been removed, most likely as souvenirs mentioned by Lossing. Today, June 28, 2025, marks the 247th anniversary of the Battle of Monmouth. Be sure to visit Monmouth Battlefield State Park this weekend to experience the annual battle reenactment!

This small love token is less than two inches in diameter, but the details are stunning! The central element features a ...
06/27/2025

This small love token is less than two inches in diameter, but the details are stunning! The central element features a brightly colored floral bouquet against a vivid blue background. A tiny snip of paper with the motto "Forget me not" is tucked beneatht he glass dome. A little brass ring is glued to the back of the panel, allowing the lucky wearer to use it as a pendant or - if the recipient was a man - an eye-catching watch fob. This little piece was apparently made in the 1840s and was donated to the Association by Margaret Riker Haskell. Haskell, one of the early 20th century's acknowledged powerhouse collectors of 18th and early 19th century American fine and decorative arts, also had an eye for the small and unique. Visit our eMuseum website to see what other small treasures we've been adding recently!

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East Freehold, NJ

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