For anyone interested in the public presentation of Historic New Bridge Landing, either as an exhibit docent, greeter, or living-history interpreter in period dress, the Bergen County Historical Society will sponsor a School of Historical Interpretation to hone communication skills and provide insight into the material culture of the past. With over 30 years of experience, historian Kevin Wright addresses the Basics of Historical Interpretation. wright@cybernex.net

Experience history in one of the storied places where it was made!
The tour will cover the history of New Bridge Landing featuring Brett Park on the Teaneck side of the Hackensack River. Tour ends at the Campbell-Christie House, where refreshments and gift shop are available.

Meet at "the Bridge that Saved a Nation" by the Steuben House. Rain or shine.

Invitation by the Friends of the Hackensack Greenway Through Teaneck and the BCHS.

Map search: 1201 Main Street, River Edge, NJ.

Rain or shine, tho inside if rain. Focus of tour subject to change.

No charge.

The Steuben House displays a selection of rare and interesting artifacts. The Revolutionary War Charleville musket is on exhibit, was fully cocked and ready to fire when lost (imagine the circumstances!). A nine-year-old boy retrieved it from the Hackensack River in 1903 while fishing from the bridge at New Bridge.

Thousands of these guns were shipped to the colonies, obtained from the French in support of the American Cause.

The Bergen County Historical Society, a non-profit volunteer organization founded in 1902, is currently raising funds to build a Bergen County Museum of History on its property, which forms the core of Historic New Bridge Landing Park.

Naturalization Ceremony is scheduled for Wednesday, September 19, 2012 at 10:30 am at Historic New Bridge Landing.

BCHS makes the Campbell-Christie House available for the orientation. The ceremony takes place in the Steuben House.

For anyone interested in the public presentation of Historic New Bridge Landing, either as an exhibit docent, greeter, or living-history interpreter in period dress, the Bergen County Historical Society will sponsor a School of Historical Interpretation to hone communication skills and provide insight into the material culture of the past. With over 30 years of experience, historian Kevin Wright addresses the Basics of Historical Interpretation. wright@cybernex.net

The Bergen County Historical Society will honor Major-General Friedrich Wilhelm Baron von Steuben at Historic New Bridge Landing. Re-enactors of the Third NJ Regiment (aka Jersey Blues) will demonstrate military dress and skills of the American Revolution. Displaying Jersey artifacts and furnishings, the Steuben and Demarest Houses will be open to visitors. Refreshments and a gift shop are available in the Campbell-Christie House, a restored tavern house dating back to 1774. A Jersey Dutch Out Kitchen will demonstrate culinary arts of the period.

At 4 PM, historian Kevin Wright will speak in the Steuben House on Baron von Steuben and his Jersey Estate, emphasizing his significant contribution to the training and organization of the American army. The suggested donation is $7 for adults, $5 for children, and free for BCHS members.

By donation, Adults $7, Ch $5, BCHS members free.
Takes place at Historic New Bridge Landing, 1201-1209 Main St, River Edge, NJ.

The Zabriskie-Steuben House in River Edge is an important historic memorial to the German immigrant who trained and organized the Continental troops. On December 23, 1783, the NJ Legislature presented the use and income of the confiscated estate of Jan Zabriskie at New Bridge to Baron von Steuben on condition he “hold, occupy and enjoy the said estate in person, and not by tenant.” General Philemon Dickinson wrote the Baron, informing him that he could comply with the terms of the gift “by keeping a bed & Servants there & visiting the premises now & then.” In 1786, Steuben leased the mansion and gristmill to Jan Zabriskie, son of its former Loyalist owner, who operated the store and mill in partnership with Steuben’s aide-de-camp, Captain Benjamin Walker. In 1788, the Baron offered to sell his “large well-built stone house, thoroughly rebuilt lately … situated on the bank of the river by which produce can be conveyed to New York in a few hours, and sloops of 40 tons burden may load and discharge along side of the mill.” Ever since, this landmark of Bergen Dutch sandstone architecture has carried the name of the Prussian Inspector-General of the Continental troops.

Established in Elizabeth, NJ, under Col. Elias Dayton in 1776, the Third NJ Regiment saw action at Scotch Plains, Brandywine, and Germantown. Wintering at Valley Forge in 1778, Lt. Col. Francis, of the Third NJ, assisted General von Steuben in drilling the troops. The Regiment fought at Monmouth and Springfield before joining the siege and final victory at Yorktown in 1781.

Miners worked under a lake, and iron from the furnace made its way into kettles, cannon shot, chevaux de frise, and the great chain at
West Point. Doc Bayne, former environmental educator at Sterling Forest State Park, in Orange County, N.Y., will relate the eventful history of Sterling Forest.

Where are meetings held?  The Iron Horse Restaurant, 20 Washington Ave, Westwood, N.J.   Open to the public?  Yes, definitely.   What  time?  Come between 6:00 and  6:30 pm for conversation and fellowship.  Meal?  Optional buffet dinner starting at 6:30 pm and costing $22, including gratuity.   Advance reservations?  Not required.   Admission charges or dues?  None. Questions?  Contact Chairman David Whieldon at 201-967-7692.

Joseph G. Bilby received his BA and MA degrees in history from Seton Hall University and served as a lieutenant in the First Infantry Division in Vietnam in 1966-1967. He is retired from his position as Supervising Investigator for the New Jersey Department of Labor and is currently part time Assistant Curator of the New Jersey National Guard and Militia Museum in Sea Girt, New Jersey and a free lance writer and historical consultant. He is the author, editor or co-author of fifteen books and over 400 articles on New Jersey history and folklore, military history and Outdoor subjects in both Internet and print venues, has lectured widely on those subjects and is a columnist for The Civil War News and New Jersey Sportsmen News, as well as publications editor for the official New Jersey Civil War Sesquicentennial Committee. He is currently working on a military history of New Jersey.
Mr. Bilby’s most recent work, Freedom To All, is a history of the 3,000 African-American New Jerseyans who served in the Union army during the Civil War. These men did not served in state-designated units, but in the federally organized United States Colored Troops regiments trained in Philadelphia, and contributed significantly to the Union victory in the siege of Petersburg and other fights in the final two years of the war. An epilogue chapter in the book details the role of black soldiers in the state’s military up through 1948, when Governor Alfred E. Driscoll, disregarding objections from the Department of Defense, desegregated the New Jersey National Guard.

LECTURE PROGRAM LOCATION MAP: Unless otherwise noted, all lecture programs are held at the Second Reformed Church, corner of Anderson and Union Streets, Hackensack, NJ on the third Thursday of the month at 7:30 pm. The public is invited to attend. No fee. Second Reformed Church, 436 Union Street, Hackensack, NJ 07601. Enter door from parking lot, up one flight of stairs, turn right, proceed down long hall, lecture room on right.

Bill Marsch began his quest for an advanced degree in US History from The American University in 1960. Marriage and a family brought a choice: being a husband/parent or being a student. He made the right choice and began a successful career in fundraising, marketing and management with major non-profits such as The Salvation Army, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and Juvenile Diabetes Foundation. In the early 1980s he started his own consulting business to benefit non-profits and still serves this vital community. Always a lover of American History, he decided to renew his quest for an MA degree at Monmouth University and received his degree in 2011 with honors as the highest ranking Master’s Degree recipient in History.

His thesis challenged the reasons historians proposed why New Jersey, the only Northern state, voted against Abraham Lincoln in 1860 and 1864. By tackling the two accepted core reasons – it was uniquely a pro-South and pro-slavery state – he develops the position that New Jersey was not unique among most northern states in 1860, but yet our state was the only one to vote against Lincoln. And then, four years later, with victory on the horizon and economic benefits of a wartime economy, we stood alone and voted against him again. Why? Marsch examines the geographic location and limitations of the state as well as its history since the days of East and West Jersey to formulate a mindset, what he refers to as a “New Jersey mentalité,” to explain our reactions to federal power, the growth of this power during the Civil War, and, ultimately, our vote against Abraham Lincoln. As a new interpretation of the state’s 1860 and 1864 vote, Marsch offers new insights and encourages reaction and discussion.

LECTURE PROGRAM LOCATION MAP: Unless otherwise noted, all lecture programs are held at the Second Reformed Church, corner of Anderson and Union Streets, Hackensack, NJ on the third Thursday of the month at 7:30 pm. The public is invited to attend. No fee. Second Reformed Church, 436 Union Street, Hackensack, NJ 07601. Enter door from parking lot, up one flight of stairs, turn right, proceed down long hall, lecture room on right.

The Battle of Monmouth climaxed the British retreat from Philadelphia, and rebels performed well. But it’s spurred controversy ever since. Joe Bilby, a curator at New Jersey’s National Guard Militia Museum in Sea Girt, gives his view of Washington’s tactics in this pivotal engagement.
The author will sell and sign copies of books and/or booklets.

Where are meetings held?  The Iron Horse Restaurant, 20 Washington Ave, Westwood, N.J.   Open to the public?  Yes, definitely.   What  time?  Come between 6:00 and  6:30 pm for conversation and fellowship.  Meal?  Optional buffet dinner starting at 6:30 pm and costing $22, including gratuity.   Advance reservations?  Not required.   Admission charges or dues?  None. Questions?  Contact Chairman David Whieldon at 201-967-7692.

Due to storm predications and preparations it was decided to cancel this event.

Walking tour to the Old French Burying Ground, New Milford.

This All Hallow’s Eve event will feature a walking tour of the Old French Burying Ground and Lutheran Church cemetery, New Milford (part of neighborhood called New Bridge. Meet at the Steuben House. Donation, Adults $7, Ch $5, BCHS members free.

Pictured here is the tombstone of John Zabriskie, Jr. who died in 1793, at 25 years of age.

Family tradition laments he was crushed trying to free the tidemill wheel at the Zabriskie's Mill at New Bridge Landing.

Click here to see more information about the French Burying Ground including survey of who is buried here.

The cemetery is behind New Milford Boro Hall, 930 River Road, New Milford, NJ. Turn onto Patrolman Ray Woods Drive. The gate to the cemetery is normally locked.

Help remove trash and invasive vegetation at Historic New Bridge Landing on UJA Federation’s 14th annual Mitzvah Day. The goal of Mitzvah Day is to involve people in a variety of community service activities throughout northern New Jersey thus enabling them to understand and experience, first hand, the vast network of social service agencies and organizations. Last year, over 1,400 people participated in this wonderful event..

Pre-register online at www.ujannj.org/mitzvahday or walk-ins must sign up at Solomon Schechter Day School, New Milford. Questions? Contact Alice Blass at 201-820-3948 or aliceb@ujannj.org.

To commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War, the Bergen County Historical Society proudly presents “Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation” from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, November 4, 2012, at Historic New Bridge Landing, 1201-1209 Main Street, River Edge, NJ, 07661. Suggested donation: $7 adult, $5 children, BCHS members free.

Starting at 1 p.m., the Second Rhode Island Volunteers, a Civil War re-enactment troop, will interpret the life of Union soldiers. Visitors may tour the Zabriskie-Steuben House, which survived more of the American Revolution than any other home in America. Refreshments will be served in the Campbell-Christie House, a restored 18th-century tavern, where there is also a Gift Shop. The Demarest House displays Jersey Dutch furnishings and demonstrations of open-hearth cooking will be offered in the authentic Jersey Dutch Out-Kitchen. Bob Costello, portraying Abraham Lincoln, will read speak on the Emancipation Proclamation at 2:30 pm at the Steuben House. There will be a ceremony honoring fallen heroes.
NOTE: The event date has changed from the 11th to Nov 4.

Where did Frank Sinatra, Mickey Mantle, Sugar Ray Robinson, Ava Gardner and hundreds of other A-listers--along with mobsters like Frank Costello and Meyer Lansky--eat, drink and enjoy fabulous entertainment? It wasn't in Hollywood but at Bill Miller's Riviera in Fort Lee, New Jersey. The Riviera's breathtaking views of the George Washington Bridge, its stunning showgirls and its secret gambling casino drew the famous and the infamous to its tables. Bill Miller's Riviera was perched on the edge of the Palisades and attracted the most sought-after performers of the day when nightclubs were the only place they could be seen. Relive the days of the Riviera and experience Bill Miller's special touch.

LECTURE PROGRAM LOCATION MAP: Unless otherwise noted, all lecture programs are held at the Second Reformed Church, corner of Anderson and Union Streets, Hackensack, NJ on the third Thursday of the month at 7:30 pm. The public is invited to attend. No fee. Second Reformed Church, 436 Union Street, Hackensack, NJ 07601. Enter door from parking lot, up one flight of stairs, turn right, proceed down long hall, lecture room on right.

The Bergen County Historical Society will proudly commemorate the 236th Anniversary of the British invasion of New Jersey with a weekend of living history and scholarly presentations at the site of the Bridge that saved a Nation.

On November 20th, 1776, 5,000 British, Hessian and Loyalist troops under the command of Lt. Gen. Lord Cornwallis ascended the Palisades at the Lower Closter Dock and commenced their march to capture Fort Lee, the principal remaining fortification on the Hudson of the fledgling United States. After receiving a warning from an alert officer that the British were crossing the river, Major General Nathanael Greene quickly evacuated the fort and quickly made for the only escape route available to him, New Bridge. Reaching the bridge ahead of the British enabled Washington’s Army to secure their retreat across New Jersey and live to fight another day.

At 7:00 PM on Saturday Night in the Steuben House, military researcher and historian Todd W. Braisted, a Bergen County Historical Society Past President, will present a lecture. Afterwards, visitors may enjoy light refreshments at the Campbell Christie House, along with living history members portraying the soldiers and followers who took part in the Revolutionary struggle from that time.

On Sunday, between 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM, Members of various living history groups representing both sides of the conflict performing military demonstrations during the course of the day, showing the life and times of the common soldier of the American Revolution. Cooking and Baking demonstrations will likewise take place in the Out-kitchen behind the Campbell Christie House, and visitors may tour the historic homes on the site.

At 1:00 PM in the Steuben House, Todd Braisted will speak. Some of the Society’s treasure of Revolutionary War artifacts will likewise be on display over the weekend. This event is being sponsored by the Bergen County Historical Society along with the 3rd New Jersey Regiment and 4th Battalion, New Jersey Volunteers reenactment groups.

British and rebel views of servitude differed widely, as did their treatment of blacks during and after the war. Bergen County, N.J., serves as a microcosm of long-term American slave history, says Arnold E. Brown, researcher and Internet bookseller specializing in the African-American experience..

Where are meetings held?  The Iron Horse Restaurant, 20 Washington Ave, Westwood, N.J.   Open to the public?  Yes, definitely.   What  time?  Come between 6:00 and  6:30 pm for conversation and fellowship.  Meal?  Optional buffet dinner starting at 6:30 pm and costing $22, including gratuity.   Advance reservations?  Not required.   Admission charges or dues?  None. Questions?  Contact Chairman David Whieldon at 201-967-7692.

Partake of Jersey Dutch holiday treats and refreshments such as Olie Bollen (Dutch donuts), speculaas cookies, hot mulled cider and more (for a small charge) in the adjacent Campbell-Christie House, which operates as a restored 18th century tavern. Whether you’ve been naughty or nice, you will enjoy a visit with Sinter Klaas, a demonstration of open-hearth cooking in an authentic Jersey Dutch Out Kitchen and a tour of the beautifully restored and furnished Demarest House. For that special holiday gift, browse our gift shop in the Campbell-Christie House.

29th Annual Colonial Christmas Concerts tickets will be available for purchase this day.

Takes place in the Steuben House at Historic New Bridge Landing, 1209 Main Street, River Edge, NJ 07661.

TWO CONCERTS each night:

Saturday, Dec 22: 7:00 & 8:30 pm

Sunday, Dec 23: 6:00 & 7:30 pm.

Gift shop, Out-Kitchen & Demarest House OPEN.

Note: The concerts are all sold out.

TAVERN FARE: The Black Horse Tavern in the Campbell-Christie House will be open for light tavern fare. Choose from soup & herb biscuit from the Rolling Pin Cafe in Westwood, poughman plate, bread pudding, hot mulled cider and more. Additional cost.

Saturday, Tavern Open: 6 pm to 9 pm.
Sunday, Tavern Open: 5 pm to 8 pm.
Come before or after your concert for light tavern fare. Seating limited.

Concert: $25 per person (BCHS $20)

Seating limited. See open-hearth cooking in the Dutch Out Kitchen, browse the Gift Shop and tour the Demarest House. Concerts in the Steuben House are a separate admission. No refunds or exchanges. Suggest wearing walking shoes.

Parking in parking area at corner of Main St. & Hackensack Ave., River Edge. New ADA compliant stonedust path connects the 3 houses and parking area! No parking at the Steuben House.

The Black Horse Tavern in the Campbell-Christie House will be open for light tavern fare, before and after concert. This is a separate cost. Cash only.

PayPal link

Info for people who have reservations.

Close out the winter holiday season at Historic New Bridge Landing! Members and guests are invited to bring a favorite food or drink and to share in an afternoon of celebration and New Year cheer.

In olden times, festivities surrounding Twelfth Night were the most lavish of the year, featuring a great feast with bonfires, plays, music, dancing and wassailing. The ancient custom of wassailing involved making twelve fires of straw and drinking toasts of cider or ale. A mock king, called the King of Beans, or Lord of Misrule, was elected by lot: The guest who discovered a bean in his or her slice of Twelfth Night Cake was elected sovereign for the revelries. In some places, these kings and queens placed white crosses in the rafters to exclude hobgoblins, witches and bugs for the remainder of the year.

Takes place in Campbell-Christie House, 1201 Main St, River Edge, NJ 07661.

Suggested donation: $7 adult, $5 children, BCHS members free. Bring a favorite food or drink with ingredient to share.

Google map:
1201 Main Street, River Edge, NJ

The Bergen County Historical Society marks the back-to-back midwinter feasts of Brigit’s Day and Candlemas at Historic New Bridge Landing on Sunday, January 27, 2013. 

Candle making will be demonstrated at the Out Kitchen. Accomplished harpist Ardis A. Cavin, an adjunct professor at Bergen Community College, will give a 45-minute performance of Irish ballads on Celtic harp in the Steuben House at 1:30 and 3 p.m. She was recently featured in a Channel 13 program, "Ballads from Britain."

A special exhibit of antique lighting devices, ranging from a 2,000-year-old oil lamp to examples of the earliest light bulbs, will be displayed in the Dwelling Room of the Steuben House. Throughout the afternoon, an à la carte menu of seasonal treats, including crepes, mashed potatoes, soda bread and hot cider will be available in the Campbell-Christie House, a restored 18th-century tavern. The Gift Shop will sell handmade Brigid’s Crosses, which Donal O'Riordain, of County Cork, Ireland, weaves from fresh rushes cut from the lakeshore. He learned this ancient folk craft from his grandmother, who made the Crosses as far back as the 1940s. She passed away in 1994, aged 87 years.

Brigit's Day and Candlemas come midway between the winter solstice and spring equinox, when snowdrops, the first flower of spring, make their appearance, signaling nature’s awakening from winter's sleep. Candlemas is named for the blessing of candles, used to protect homes from lightning, evil spirits, and for procession through farm field and orchard.

As evidenced by Groundhog's Day, weather prognostication was commonly practiced in anticipation of spring sowing. Good weather at Candlemas is taken to indicate severe winter weather later. Hence, the saying, If Candlemas Day is bright and clear, there'll be two winters in the year. Another old English proverb proclaimed, If Candlemas be fair and bright, winter has another flight. If Candlemas brings clouds and rain, winter will not come again.

Rush crosses, woven on Brigid's Eve, were believed to protect the house and livestock from adversity. The feast was celebrated with a supper of pancakes taken from a plate laid on a rush cross.
Historic New Bridge Landing, 1201-1209 Main Street, River Edge, NJ 07661 from 1 to 5 P.M. Suggested donations: $7 per adult, $5 per child, BCHS members, free.

A Country Ball upon the Anniversary of Washington’s Birthday will be held at Historic New Bridge Landing. Eighteenth century dancing will be featured in the Steuben House between 1:30 and 4 PM under Denise Piccino’s direction with Ridley & Anne Enslow providing musical accompaniment on fiddle and hammered dulcimer. Throughout the afternoon, Rodger Yaden will portray General George Washington. Hot cider and crullers will be served in the restored 18th-century tavern in the Campbell-Christie House, where the gift shop is also located. Visitors may also see open-hearth cooking demonstrated in the Out-Kitchen. A tiger-stripe maple bedstead, reputedly used in a local home where George Washington stayed during the 1780 Steenrapie Encampment, is currently on display. General George Washington made his headquarters in the Zabriskie-Steuben House at New Bridge in September 1780, when Continental troops encamped between Van Saun Park in River Edge and Soldier Hill Road in Oradell. Suggested donation: $7 adult, $5 children, BCHS members free.

Jim Smith will be working in the garden (weather permitting) in period clothing, see Jim if you are interested in helping with building and grounds.

Event takes place in Historic New Bridge Landing, 1201 Main St, River Edge, NJ 07661. Suggested donation: $7 adult, $5 children, BCHS members free.

Peggy Norris and Joe Suplicki, historians for the Village of Ridgewood, lead a virtual through Valleau Cemetery, the Old Paramus Reformed Churchyard, with a quick visit to a few other local sites. Learn about fashion in tombstones, different kinds of cemeteries (and some of the interesting people buried in them), as well as threats to our cemeteries.
 

LECTURE PROGRAM LOCATION MAP: Unless otherwise noted, all lecture programs are held at the Second Reformed Church, corner of Anderson and Union Streets, Hackensack, NJ on the third Thursday of the month at 7:30 pm. The public is invited to attend. No fee. Second Reformed Church, 436 Union Street, Hackensack, NJ 07601.
Entrance from Anderson St Parking Lot, up one flight of stairs, make right down long hall to meeting room on right.

Suggested donation: $7 adult, $5 children, BCHS members free.  

Takes place at Historic New Bridge Landing,
1201-1209 Main St, River Edge, NJ.

LECTURE PROGRAM LOCATION MAP: Unless otherwise noted, all lecture programs are held at the Second Reformed Church, corner of Anderson and Union Streets, Hackensack, NJ on the third Thursday of the month at 7:30 pm. The public is invited to attend. No fee. Second Reformed Church, 436 Union Street, Hackensack, NJ 07601.
Entrance from Anderson St Parking Lot, up one flight of stairs, make right down long hall to meeting room on right.

BCHS Collections of the Bergen Dutch will be on exhibit.

The program is 1:00 to 4:30 pm.  HNBL, all 3 houses open, exhibits, tavern, gift shop & outkitchen. By donation: $7 adult, $5 children, BCHS members free.  Lecture at 2:00 PM.  For further information, please visit. www.bergencountyhistory.org.

Experience history in one of the storied places where it was made! Visit the Revolutionary War battleground at The Bridge That Saved A Nation and tour the Zabriskie-Steuben House, Demarest House, Campbell-Christie House and Jersey Dutch Out Kitchen. The Bergen County Historical Society, a non-profit volunteer organization, founded in 1902, is currently raising funds to build a Bergen County Museum of History on its property, which forms the core of Historic New Bridge Landing, 1201-1209 Main St, River Edge, NJ

Meet at the Steuben House. Tour ends at the Campbell-Christie House for refreshments and gift shop. Rain or shine.
Donation: $7 adult, $5 children, BCHS members free.

Killing the Poormaster explores the story of Joe Scutellaro, a husband and father accused of killing Harry Barck, the poormaster of Hoboken, while seeking public financial assistance for his family in Depression-era New Jersey. Scutellaro, who had nine cents to his name when he entered the poormaster’s office, was one of ten million unemployed in the U.S. His personal tragedy brought national attention to the suffering of jobless men and women, and provoked fears by politicians that if he went unpunished, the restive poor would be encouraged to rebel.
Celebrated criminal defender Samuel S. Leibowitz (of “Scottsboro Boys” fame) worked to save Scutellaro from the electric chair and in his fiery defense of the starving man transformed the trial into an indictment of a system that had become a tool for imposing social and political control nationwide.

Holly Metz has written about law, culture and social issues for a broad range of newspapers, journals and magazines, including the Progressive, Labor History, Metropolis, and the New York Times.

LECTURE PROGRAM LOCATION MAP: Unless otherwise noted, all lecture programs are held at the Second Reformed Church, corner of Anderson and Union Streets, Hackensack, NJ on the third Thursday of the month at 7:30 pm. The public is invited to attend. No fee. Second Reformed Church, 436 Union Street, Hackensack, NJ 07601.
Entrance from Anderson St Parking Lot, up one flight of stairs, make right down long hall to meeting room on right.

Lift your spirit with a joyous celebration of Pinkster at Historic New Bridge Landing on Sunday, May 19th, and imagine you are back in the days when country folk celebrated greening woodlands and flowering meadows with a dance around the Maypole and sporting contests.

A reading of the Pinkster Ode (Extracts from Ode, Composed on a May Morning by William Wordsworth, May 1826) will be held in the Steuben House at 2:00 pm, followed by a short history of the holiday, presented by historian Kevin Wright.

The Tricorne Ensemble will dance around the Maypole at 2:30 pm. The public is invited to participate to dance at 3:30 pm. Ridley Enslow and Linda Russell on fiddle and hammered dulicmer.

Children may participate in an historical scavenger hunt and drill with the Outwater's Militia, an American Revolutionary War reenactment group.

For visitors of every age, there will be tours of the Demarest House, with its display of Jersey Dutch furnishings, and colonial cooking demonstrations in the Out-Kitchen throughout the day. Pinkster cake, doughnuts, strawberries and cream, and lemonade will be served in the restored eighteenth-century tavern in the Campbell-Christie House.

18th Century Garden Discussion / Tour is scheduled for the Campbell-Christie House garden.

Experience history in one of the storied places where it was made! Come to Historic New Bridge Landing, 1201-1209 Main Street, River Edge, NJ

Selections from the collections of the Bergen County Historical Society will be on view in the three Jerey-Dutch houses.

Suggested donation: $7 adult, $5 children, BCHS members free.

The 3rd New Jersey, an American Revolutionary War reenactment group, will be at
Historic New Bridge Landing for Pinkster

The name of the holiday derives from the Greek word, Pentecost, meaning “fiftieth day,” which originally signified the ancient Jewish celebration of the first fruits of the harvest, arriving seven weeks after Passover. On the seventh Sunday after Easter, Christians commemorate the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles. The English identified this holiday with the white garments of baptismal candidates, calling it Whitsunday or “White Sunday.” Among the Jersey Dutch, a rose-colored Azalea blossom, known as the “Pinxter blomachee,” was the May bush.

Prior to the American Revolution, feasts, fireworks, music and illuminations honored His Majesty King George III on his natal day in June. The Bergen County Historical Society will celebrate its Revolutionary War Loyalist heritage with the third annual celebration of the King’s Birthday at Historic New Bridge Landing.

Sue Braisted & Niel DeMarino will perform the minuet in the Steuben House each afternoon. At 7:00 PM Saturday Night there will be a presentation by BCHS past president Todd Braisted on the 1781 Battle of Fort Lee, unique in being not only a battle involving only Americans, but the only real battle to occur at that place in the war. On Sunday, Frank McMahon will demonstrate 18th Century beer brewing, the most commonly drunk beverage of the time! Reenactors from the 4th Battalion, New Jersey Volunteers and other groups will be on hand both days to demonstrate the life and times of the common Crown soldiers of the American
Revolution.

The program runs 1:00 to 4:30 each day.  HNBL, all 3 houses open, exhibits, tavern, gift shop & outkitchen. By donation: $7 adult, $5 children, BCHS members free. Covers both days.

Experience history in one of the storied places where it was made! Visit the Revolutionary War battleground at The Bridge That Saved A Nation and tour the Zabriskie-Steuben House, Demarest House, Campbell-Christie House and Jersey Dutch Out Kitchen. The Bergen County Historical Society, a non-profit volunteer organization, founded in 1902, is currently raising funds to build a Bergen County Museum of History on its property, which forms the core of Historic New Bridge Landing, 1201-1209 Main St, River Edge, NJ

BCHS Annual Luncheon & Meeting
June 17, 2013, 6 pm Cocktails (cash bar), 6:30 pm Dinner
BCHS Annual Dinner & Awards Ceremony
Save the Date
'76 House, 110 Main Street, Tappan, NY.

George B. Kirsch, Professor at Manhattan College, will speak on the origins of professional baseball during the middle of the 19th Century. His book, Baseball in Blue and Gray: The National Pastime During the Civil War will be available for purchase.

PDF Reservation Form, seating limited.

PayPal Reservation.

Parking in HNBL parking lot by blue entrance sign. The Steuben House parking lot has been removed.

BCHS EVENTS:
Our events generally take place at Historic New Bridge Landing. The Steuben House and Campbell-Christie House are open for special events. 1201 & 1209 Main St, River Edge, NJ. DIRECTIONS

BCHS LECTURE PROGRAM LOCATION MAP: Unless otherwise noted, all lecture programs are held at the Second Reformed Church, corner of Anderson and Union Streets, Hackensack, NJ on the third Thursday of the month at 7:30 pm. The public is invited to attend. No fee. Second Reformed Church, 436 Union Street, Hackensack, NJ 07601.
Entrance from Anderson St Parking Lot, up one flight of stairs, make right down long hall to meeting room on right.

ROUNDTABLE MEETING:
Where are meetings held?  The Iron Horse Restaurant, Westwood, N.J.  Open to the public?  Yes, definitely.  What time?  Come between 6:30 and 7:00 PM for conversation and fellowship.  Meals?  Optional dinner starting at 7:00 PM and costing $20, including gratuity.  Advance reservations?  Not required.  Admission charges or dues?  None.  Questions?  Contact Chairman David Whieldon at 201-967-7692.
20 Washington Avenue, Westwood. Westbound Washington Avenue just west of Broadway and the railroad tracks.