Cranbury Township

Cranbury Historical & Preservation Society Updates

The Cranbury Historical & Preservation Society had an eventful winter and spring. The Society hosted a special champagne reception at the Cranbury Museum in January to recognize the contributions of long-time Society volunteer and Township Historian Betty Wagner. In March, the Society held its traditional Potluck Dinner and Membership Meeting at the First Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall, followed by a charitable auction to benefit the Cranbury History Center.

In April, the Society will sponsor the Second Annual Lyn Green Victorian Tea. The Tea will be held at the Cranbury Museum on April 23 from 2 pm to 4 pm, featuring a lecture and luncheon with food historian Judith Krall-Russo. Ms. Krall-Russo will use the writings of Lewis Carroll to provide an entertaining retrospective of tea and tea tasting in a Mad Hatter tea party setting. In the spirit of the day, guests are invited to wear their most inventive hats. A limited number of tickets will be available -- $18 for Society Members and $20 for non-Members. For tickets or more information, contact the History Center at 860-1889 or Lisa Beach at 409-1289.

The Cranbury Museum’s current exhibit of cookie jars collected by Mrs. Wilma Shimer will run through April. A new exhibit, starting the first Sunday in May and running through August, will feature the history of dairy farming in New Jersey with items loaned by local collectors Ken Eiker and Leo Fennity.

Planning is already in the works for the Society’s biennial Historic House Tour to be held on October 1. Individuals interested in volunteering to help with the Tour should contact Bobbie Marlowe, Audrey Smith, or Diane Stasi for more information.

The Society has also begun working on a “Civil War Whispers from the Grave” event tentatively scheduled for late October 2005 in cooperation with Company H of the 14 th New Jersey Regiment, the re-enactors group that represents a Civil War unit raised in and around Cranbury. Many Township residents have seen the modern-day Company H in action, marching in the Memorial Day Parade and encamped at the Cranbury Museum on Cranbury Day. Their annual Memorial Day ceremony at the Civil War Monument behind the First Presbyterian Church is a worthwhile and moving event. Patterned after a highly successful Revolutionary War event held several years ago, “Civil War Whispers” will highlight the experiences of local soldiers and their families, using original sources provided by the re-enactors and the Cranbury History Center. For more information, contact Jerry Pevahouse.

In May, the Society will conduct a membership drive and sponsor special events to raise awareness of the importance of local history and preservation and introduce new residents to the Society’s work. Look for more information about specific activities in the newspaper.

To become a Member and volunteer to help with the Society’s ongoing activities and programs, visit the History Center on Mondays and Thursdays between 10 am and 1 pm for a Membership Form, phone 860-1889, or email historycenter@comcast.net.