At this time of Thanksgiving, our Museum would like to extend our thanks to our community for its support during this past year.  We want to thank those who have financially supported us and our preservation project and those of you who have visited and attended programs and fundraisers.

We are especially thankful for those who came out last Saturday to support our “Coins for a Cause” fundraiser that was sponsored by Boiling Springs Savings Bank.  People came to the bank and brought their bags and jars of coins and thanks to them we raised an extra $902. toward our preservation project.  Additionally some of our neighbors and friends dropped off or mailed in an extra check toward the roof restoration.

Our thanks also to the 1772 Foundation who have given us a $15,000 donation toward our new roof and to Boiling Springs Savings Bank who gave us an extra $1,000 donation and the Community Chest of Rutherford and the Lyndhurst Historical Society who each gave us $500 after hearing about the damage that Hurricane Irene had added to our already leaking roof and now to our water logged basement.  Also this year we received a $750 donation from the Lions Club and a $250 donation from the Boiling Springs Masonic Association toward our restoration project.

We are blessed to live in an area where our community is so supportive and in spite of tough economic times still support our local non-profits.  So, thank you all.  Whether you gave us a few dollars or you gave us a larger donation.  You are all important to us.  We still have a way to go with our restoration fundraising, but thanks to all of our donors this year we are closer to our goal.

Happy Thanksgiving!

On Tuesday, November 1, 2011 at 2:00 PM the Museum will sponsor another in our series of NJ Meadowlands History programs as part of our partnership with the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission. The program is held at the NJ Meadowlands Commission’s Environmental Center, Richard W. DeKorte Park, One DeKorte Park Plaza, Lyndhurst, NJ.  You can reach them by calling 201-460-1700.

Tim Adriance

This year marks the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War, which has been called the gravest war in American history.  Our presenter, Tim Adriance is a popular lecturer and tour guide .  He has been active in historic education, preservation and interpretation since 1983.  He is recognized as a leading authority on early architecture and history in Bergen County and the surrounding region and his knowledge and experience with the unique Dutch houses of this region are widely known.  Since 1991 Tim has owned and operated Bergen County’s only historic restoration and consulting firm.

His much-acclaimed one-man living history program, “A Soldier’s Life: The Life and Times of a Civil War Soldier,” has been performed by Tim for thousands and on November 1st he will help us to understand what life was like for one of our area’s own Civil War fighters.

The Museum will unexpectedly be closed this week while we clean up from the damage caused by water from Hurricane Irene.  We will be working in the Museum and will be answering the phone and returning phone messages.

The Museum will be closed from August 19-27th for staff vacations. We will be open on Sunday August 28th from 2-4 PM and on Monday – Thursday, August 29th – September 1st from 10AM – 3PM.

We have been having great fun with our summer classes. Just wanted to share some of what has been going on. A special thanks to our teachers: Al Lohrenz, Ed Breitkreitz, Jon Cassidy, Ellen Kovarik, Gerry Wilke, Margaret Fallon, Madeline Spies, Elaine Yonke, Sylvia Kleff, Dante Fernandez and our director, Jackie Bunker-Lohrenz
Woodworking for Kids – the children made a variety of wooden toys. They learned how to measure, drill holes using multiple types of hand drills and how to cut shapes in wood using a coping saw.

Brace and Bit Lesson

Teacher and Student

Quilting for Kids – Our quilters made a yo-yo necklace and learned the quilting pattern “Grandma’s Fan”, which some students made into a pillow and others saved for a future quilt.

Grandma's Fan Pattern Pillow

Necklace made from fabric "yo-yo's"

Heritage Crafts for 6-7 year olds

Our youngest students made a Victorian inspired shell picture frame, a sewing kit that helped them to learn basic sewing, as well as sewing on buttons and snaps. Beginning weaving skills were taught when the students made woven felt checkerboards. They also learned beginning printing by making pencil print cards. We celebrated old-fashioned games with a day of hopscotch, pick-up sticks, marbles and jacks and ended the week by dipping small birthday sized candles.

Make pencil print cards

Proud owners of woven checkerboards

Heritage Crafts for 8-9 year olds

Our second group sewed dragon hand puppets, learned how to weave potholders, made Victorian paper bead necklaces, made beginner baskets and dipped candles.

Sewing skills were mastered while making a Dragon Puppet!

Class wearing their paper bead necklaces and holding their hand dipped candles

Heritage Crafts for Older Students

Our oldest group re-purposed a pillowcase into a cute tote bag pocketbook, they made incredible clock,s by remaking a store brought clock into a work of art, they learned basic paper quilling, made baskets and dipped candles.

Quilled Hummingbird with Flowers

A variety of baskets

Beautiful Clock Faces