Coins for a Cause- November 19, 2011

by Jackie on November 3, 2011 · 1 comment

The Meadowlands Museum is located at 91 Crane Avenue, Rutherford and is housed in a 200-year-old farmhouse that is listed on the National Register of Historic Sites, the State of NJ Register of Historic Sites, the Bergen County Stone House Survey and the Historic American Buildings Survey.   We are in desperate need of a new roof.

Museum Roof

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Although we have received grant money, we still need to raise more money to help with the extensive building repairs that are a result of extensive water damage. The damage at the Museum is a result of both the age of the building, a long term leaky roof, and the rains from Hurricane Irene.

Abandoned Office

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Boiling Springs Savings Bank has begun a new program called “Coins for a Cause”. We are asking area residents to save the coins left over in their pockets each day, and to put them in a container.

On Saturday, November 19,2011 you can bring your container of coins to Boiling Springs Savings Bank branch office at 280 Union Avenue in Rutherford between 9 AM and 1PM.  The bank will use their new coin counter to count your coins and that money will then be deposited in the Museum’s Preservation Account.

This is an easy way to make a donation to help to preserve one of South Bergen’s valuable historic buildings so that we can continue to preserve area history and to provide programs for area community members.

For further information or for questions, please contact the Museum at 201-935-1175 or by e-mail at meadowlandsmuseum at verizon.net.

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Upcoming Program

by Jackie on October 31, 2011 · 0 comments

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.

Dressed and fully equipped as an infantryman who has just come from the battlefields of the 1860s.  Tim will capture your imagination as he describes his authentic uniform complete with wood-pegged shoes.  You’ll actually touch the rations of the 19th century soldier including hardtack and hear the stories of great battles, life in camp, and famous generals.  You will understand as never before the workings of a musket and the tactics of early warfare.
Please join us for a fascinating and FREE program.



 

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Museum Temporarily Closed

by Jackie on August 29, 2011 · 0 comments

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

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End of August Schedule

by Jackie on August 19, 2011 · 0 comments

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!

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

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Summer Children’s Programs

by Jackie on June 1, 2011 · 0 comments

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A Concert to Raise the Roof- “Come Together”

by Jackie on May 11, 2011 · 0 comments

The Beatles Faux Sale

Come together for an evening of fun and great music, all for a good cause.  Two groups “The Beatles Faux Sale”, a Beatles tribute band, and The Glimmer Twins, a Rolling Stones tribute band, will “Come Together” to play a benefit/awareness concert for the Meadowlands Museum.

The Glimmer Twins

 

As a way to bring attention and to raise some funds for the Meadowlands Museum Preservation Project, we are thrilled to be part of this benefit concert to be held at the Williams Center for the Arts on May 21, 2011 at 8PM.  Prices are, $40VIP,  $35 Preferred, $25 Patron. You can view the entire seating chart on the Williams Center website: www.williamscenter.org.  Tickets are available through the Museum.  To purchase tickets you can call 201-935-1175 or send an e-mail to meadowlandsmuseum at verizon.net.

Those of you who have visited or driven by the Museum, know that our historic home desperately needs a new roof in addition to general exterior preservation!  Thanks to a grant from the Bergen County Historic Preservation Trust Fund, the Museum was able to have a Preservation Plan prepared by our Preservation Architects at Farewell Mills Gatsch.  This is a required first step, that then allows us to apply for grant money to get the necessary preservation work done and to get it done properly.  Our historic house still has an original cedar shake roof, a standing seam metal roof and several layers of very old asphalt shingles on top of that.

We have applied for both NJ State Historic Trust Funds as well as for Bergen County Historic Trust Funds, to begin to do the restoration work on our nationally recognized historic house,  but we must raise our own portion of funds for the project.

So join us on May 21st and bring your friends.  The music will be great and it also gives you a chance to help preserve an important old house and the organization that not only cares for this building, but also shares and preserves our area’s history.

 

 

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Victorian Tea 2011

by Jackie on April 20, 2011 · 0 comments

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Passaic River – 81 Miles of History

by Jackie on March 28, 2011 · 2 comments

On Wednesday, April 6, 2011 at 2 PM the Meadowlands Museum will again present one of its history partnership programs at the NJ Meadowlands Commission Environmental Center.  Historian, Phil Jaeger’s presentation will follow the 81 mile long Passaic River through its seven NJ Counties, from its source in Mendham to its end at Newark Bay with an emphasis on historic activities and structures along the river in past centuries.

This program will have an emphasis on historic activities and structures along the river, in past centuries.  The program will focus on topics such as: early mills, Glacial Lake Passaic, the first successful test of a submarine, extant Native American art and constructions, the country’s first industrial city and the heroic exploits of the “great descender” Sam Patch.

Phil Jaeger is a retired math teacher from Cedar Grove.  Upon his retirement he had the time to explore the river from top to bottom which has enriched his  presentation about the history of our local river.

The program is free of charge and will be held at the NJMC Environmental Center, 2 DeKorte Parkway, Lyndhurst, NJ 07071, 201-460-8300.  We hope to see you there.

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Madame Blanche-first woman movie director

by Jackie on March 8, 2011 · 0 comments

On Tuesday, March 15, 2011 at 2PM, the Museum will again present a NJ History Program as part of our partnership with the NJ Meadowlands Commission.
The program will be held at the Environmental Center, 2 DeKorte Park Plaza, Lyndhurst, 201-460-8300.  Tom Meyers of the Fort Lee Film Commission will come to share his knowledge of Madame Blache.  Join us for this free program.

Alice Guy Blache, born in France, was one of the first three filmmakers in France.  She started directing for Gaumont in Paris in the late 1890′s and by the early 1900s she was experimenting in synchronized sound film and color films.  In 1910 she came to Flushing, New York with her husband Herbert Blache and they established Solax Studio.  In 1912, Madame Blache came to the then motion picture capital of the world, Fort Lee, NJ, and built her $100,000 studio Solax on Lemoine Avenue.  Here she produced, wrote and directed hundreds of films in the days before women in this nation had the right to vote.  Madame Blache is the first woman director in cinema history.

Tom Meyers is a life long resident of the Borough of Fort Lee.  His family started in the film industry with his grandmother, born in 1902, she was an extra in movies in Fort Lee as a child and along with her brothers and sisters as an adult worked in the film labs of Fort Lee.  Meyers is the founder and Executive Director of the Fort Lee Film Commission.  The Film Commission is currently working to get Madame Blache entered as a member of the Director’s Guild of America.

 

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A Chocolate Thank You

by Jackie on March 4, 2011 · 0 comments

Thank You

We have so many people to thank for a successful evening of chocolate and fun at last month’s Chocolate Tasting and Tour. Most of all we wish to thank our sponsors and donors and hope that even though Valentine’s Day is over, that you will go buy some chocolate from one of the many wonderful makers of chocolate treats in our area. We list them in alphabetical order.

Chocolate Dreams-307 Hackensack Street, Carlstadt, 201-933-6688-they make great sugar free candy, which our volunteers who are diabetic absolutely love, but that is only the start of the many other great chocolate treats available that you should try. It is a really great store that you will enjoy visiting.

Chocolate Fantasia, 137 Ridge Road, Lyndhurst, 201-935-8723- www.chocolatefantasia.net – they provided us with chocolate covered pretzels this year which were great, but our staff favorites are the chocolate covered potato chips and popcorn! Lots of other great chocolate treats are available.

Elegant Desserts – 275 Warren Street, Lyndhurst, www.elegantdesserts.com Their name says it all – their desserts are indeed elegant. They not only taste great but they are each a work of bakery art. Anytime that you are having a party or event, their desserts will add a very special touch to your event.

Goffin’s Hallmark, 64 Park Avenue, Rutherford, NJ, (201) 438-0265 – they sell a wonderful selection of chocolates, candy as well as Godiva chocolates. Chocolate and raisins, chocolate and pretzels, chocolate and peanut butter…..the list goes on. You could try a different treat each time you visit.

Hanna Krause, Route 17 South, Paramus, 201-843-0337, www.hannakrausecandy.com – Wow – what a selection of chocolate. Each year they donate a large selection of chocolate delights to the Museum’s chocolate tasting. The most difficult thing to do when you walk into their store is to make a decision on what to buy!

Varrelmann’s Bakery, 60 Park Avenue, Rutherford, 201-939-0462, Check them out on YouTube and on Facebook. They make the best chocolate brownies. Varrelmann’s describes themselves as an old-fashioned German bakery and their shop is full of wonderful treats to purchase.

We also wish to thank our business donors:

Boiling Springs Savings Bank, 25 Orient Way, Rutherford, www.bssbank.com This year the bank sponsored our chocolate fountain as well as donated other supplies and food. They have earned a well deserved reputation as being generous supporters of our community groups. Check out their website for information on how to join their Community Action Program – it does not cost you anything, but the support of this program has been a huge help to the Museum and its programs.

Coccia Realty/Bea Goldberg, 11 Park Avenue, Rutherford, 201-939-0001, www.cocciarealty.com – Bea Goldberg again donated the most wonderful chocolate covered oreo-cookie “lollipops”. Thanks Bea for your donation and your support of the Museum.

The South Bergenite, 33 Lincoln Avenue, Rutherford, www.southbergenite.com Our area’s local paper supported the Museum’s Chocolate Tasting by sponsoring our champagne table. We thank them for their constant support of not only the Museum, but of all area nonprofits.

Stop and Shop, 625 Paterson Avenue, Carlstadt – The Stop and Shop donated a gift card to use at their store for anything we needed for this year’s Chocolate Tasting and Tour. Thanks Stop and Shop for helping us out.

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