Do you have a suggestion for a history topic, issue or speaker for a future Historical Society meeting?
Please send you ideas to
Gerald Weaber or Phyllis Rodgers
POB 112 Riverton, New Jersey 08077-0112
rivertonhistory@usa.com
2009-10 LOCAL HISTORY PROGRAMS
Historical Society of Riverton
Founded 1970
Historical Society
Meetings & Programs 2009-10
Saturday November 7th
Tea with Mrs. Lincoln
featuring actress & historian
Joann Tufo
New Leaf Tea Room
& Gift Shoppe
606 Main Street
Riverton, NJ
856.786.0323
The Historical Society sposnsored it's first annual Trolley Ghost Tour on Saturday October 28th, 2006 and it featured trolley rides of
haunted locations within
historic Riverton.
Kudos to the committee led by Pat Brunker, Priscilla Taylor, and Bob Bednarek. Volunteers Paul Daly, Joann DiNoia, Rob Hoag, Aggie & Bob Kennedy, Charlotte Lippincott, John McCormick, Phyllis Rodgers, Elsie Waters, Gerald Weaber, and others. Our appreciation to Jason Cioci & Riverton Health & Fitness for the donation of space for the tours.
The Historical Society at the Riverton continued its public education and advocacy efforts with the community and the Riverton Borough Council to strengthen local zoning ordinances
to preserve historic Riverton.
Click the link for a copy of proposed zoning proposal advocated during 2006-07.
Riverton's Second Annual Victorian Day
was held on Saturday June 2nd 2007 and provided the community with an opportunity to visit the Historical Society Museum set-up for the day at 408 Main Street.
Thank you to historical society board members Pat & Richard Brunker, Bob Bednarek. Volunteers Paul Daly, Joann DiNoia, Rob Hoag, Aggie & Bob Kennedy, John McCormick, Phyllis Rodgers, Priscilla Taylor, Elsie Waters, Gerald Weaber.
We appreciate the use of the former clinic of Dr. Alexander Marcy, Jr. as our museum for the day at 408 Main Street by Dr. Anthony Cerico & Family.
Weappreciate the efforts of Phyllis Rodgers, The New Leaf, Riverton Civic and Business Association and the Economic Development Committee for sponsoring Riverton's Second Annual Victorian Day.
The Society's March 2007 general meeting featured traditional Irish music by McDermott's Handy made possible by a generous contribution from the
Robert & Agnes Kennedy program fund.
Farewell to John Farr
The Historical Society of Riverton bids a fond farewell to board member and Program Chairman John Farr who recently moved to Moorestown, New Jersey. John Farr will be remembered for the significant contribution he made to preserving New Jersey history while Chairman of the Program Committee.
A list of his programs appear on this page.
Exhibition Curator Pat Brunker
Thanks to Bob Bednarek, Pat Brunker,
Betty Hahle Aggie Kennedy, Bob Moccia ,
Priscilla Taylor, Nancy Washington
and Elsie Waters
Weappreciate the efforts of Phyllis Rodgers, The New Leaf, Riverton Civic and Business Association and the Economic Development Committee for sponsoringRiverton's First Victorian Day on June 17th, 2006
Historical Society Programs
Explore our history programs from 2000-2008 by clicking the button below:
Past Historical Society Programs
Newsletter Articles Available
Send Us an E-mail
October 9th, 2008
Kathleen P. Galop, Esq
How to Gain Historic Register Recognition for Your Home
January 28th, 2008
Historic Riverton Images
John McCormick
Riverton Educator, Historian and Historic Image Collector
March 17th, 2008
at the Porch Club
traditional Irish music by McDermott's Handy
May 12th, 2008
Program to be Announced
The Friends of the Riverton Library held it's successful bi-annual
fund-raiser last December 8th, 2007 known as the
Candlelight House Tour
The Historical Society of Riverton exhibited many local artifacts and the recent gift to the Society of Hannah Biddle's Wedding Dress circa 1863.
Read the January issue of the Gaslight News for more information by using the link to the newsletter link on this page.
the exhibit was curated by:
Aggie Kennedy, Archive Chair
and Pat Brunker. Vice President,
Historical Society of Riverton
An historic marker commemorating the history of Riverton was purchased by the Historical Society and donated to the Borough of Riverton.
Photograph by John McCormick
The historic marker was permanently installed on the brick walk in front of Zena's bakery on Broad Street and was unveiled on the last Victorian Day celebration in Riverton.
Betty Hahle, town historian, Pat Brunker HSR vice president, Bob and Aggie Kennedy, HSR board members.
Founder of Victorian Day, Phyllis Rodgers and Priscilla Taylor, HSR president.
Monday May 5th, 2008
Mark Lewis
Riverton resident and phonograph collector
1895-1945
Historical Society Programs
Monday March 5th, 2007
Traditional Irish Music Program
McDermott's Handy
This performance underwritten by a generous donation by
Robert & Agnes Kennedy.
January 29th, 2007
Historic Images of Riverton
Postcards & Photographs
John McCormick
Riverton School educator &
HSR Board Member
May 7th, 2007
Betty B. Hahle
Riverton Historian
Groups, Organizations, and Corporations of Early Riverton
October 1st, 2007
Riverton Country Club
Bruce E. Bean
and Craig Ammerman
November 19th, 2007
History of the Welsbach Street Lighting Company
Presented by
Jeff Cole and John McCormick
featuring the history of the gas lamps of Riverton, New Jersey
Gaslight News
May Issue 2008
featuring
Genealogy and
Internet Searching:
A Beginner’s Guide:
Part Two
by Patricia Solin
Riverton, New Jersey
Websites for Your Internet Geneaology Research
Google at www.google.com
Centennial Register,
Roll of Ancestors
www.amrev.org
The Church of Jesus
Christ of the Latter Day Saints
www.familysearch.org
DVRB: The Delaware
Valley Rhythm & Blues Society, Inc.
www.dvrbs.com
Ellis Island, Free Post of New York Passenger Records
www.ellisisland.org
The Genealogical Society
of New Jersey
www.gsnj.org
New Jersey Archives & Records Management NJARM,
Archives Collection Guides
www.njarchives.org
The New York Times www.nytimes.com
Roots Web:
Finding our Roots Together
www.rootsweb.com
President's Message
A View from the Tree House
Greetings from the Tree House! Wasn’t this past summer just spectacular? We were blessed with unusually pleasant weather and spared the typical hot and humid NJ heat. I hope you had an enjoyable summer.
The Historical Society Board is well rested, and we’ve made a few
changes going forward for our 2008-2009 program year.
Our programs will now be held on
Thursday evenings instead of Mondays. We’re hoping to attract more people to our events and thought that meeting later in the week would be more convenient for
our members and prospective members.
We’ll still meet at Riverton School, in the Media Center, and our programs will still begin at 7:30 pm.
So, mark your calendars for our new
schedule, seen at right.
Thursday, November 13
Colonial Cooking: A Peek Inside a 1770’s Burlington, NJ Cookbook
Thursday, January 29
Riverton and Other Local Views by John McCormick
Thursday, March 26
Theatrical Performance:
A Visit With Abigail Adams
Happy Fall,
Priscilla
Priscilla Taylor, President
Gaslight News
October Issue 2008
John McCormick
Editor
featuring
Preview of the October 9th talk by Kathleen P. Galop, Esq. on the national historic register nomination process and how to gain recognition for your home.
Article on the Philadelphia Watch Case Company in Riverside, N.J.
T.J. Zurbrugg, President
...Zurbrugg created huge profits
but tactics angered labor,
ruined competitors...
Step Back in Time: A Program on the History of the Phonograph"
article on the May 2008 program featuring, Mark Lewis, local 1895-1945 phonograph collector from Riverton, N.J.
Burlington County Freeholders Honor Historic Preservation Efforts
The Courier Post reports that Town Historian Betty B. Hahle and HSR board member John McCormick were among about a dozen of those recognized by the Burlington County Board of Freeholders for their efforts in historic preservation awards this week. Their award was for the restoration of a 1926 film about Riverton entitled, The Romance of Riverton. Betty Hahle led the effort to restore the film and John McCormick made it more accessible to modern audiences by editing the film for DVD.
The Romance of Riverton was a silent film made in 1926 and shown for many years at the Broadway Theater at Broad & Leconey Streets in Palmyra. The theater closed in 1967 and the film was given to the HSR in 1978. Through the efforts of the HSR, the Porch Club, Palmyra-Riverton Rotary Club, and concerned individuals, the silent film was transferred to safety film in 1980 and to videotape in 1989. This latest DVD version adds chapters and titles for faster searching. Various public domain music accompaniments have been added as well. A 16-page booklet explains the story line and gives historical context to the film, and is included inside the illustrated DVD case. It is a remarkable 43 minute trip back to old Riverton with trolley cars and steam engines, fire equipment, locations and businesses that have changed, a much downsized Riverton School and much more.
Copies of The Romance of Riverton are available for $20 at the New Leaf Tea Room and Gift Shoppe in Riverton or by mail from the Historical Society for $22, postpaid. Make check or money order payable to Historical Society of Riverton. Mail to POB 112, Riverton, NJ, 08077.
Burlington County Honors Historic Preservation Efforts
By Carol Comegno, Courier-Post Staff
For more on this story CLICK the LINK
Candlelight House Tour
The Friends of the Riverton Library
December 5th, 2009
Six historic homes in Victorian Riverton, beautifully decorated for the holidays, , will be open for touring on Saturday. The home of Joseph Campbell (the founder of Campbell's Soup), Dr. and Mrs. Alexander Marcy's home, the Parry Estate, the riverbank home of Riverton's first Mayor, Edwin Ogden, as well asChrist Episcopal Church with their original Tiffany rose window.
Attractions include a train exhibit, local shops and galleries, music, a display by the Historical Society of Riverton. Advance ticket purchase $15 at the Riverton Library, The New Leaf Gift Shop, and Roger's News Agency.
For more information please call the Riverton Library at 856-829-2476.
March 26th, 2009
January 29th, 2009
November 13th, 2008
Past Historical Society
Meetings & Programs
May 21st, 2009
“Navigating Burlington County”.
Paul W. Schopp currently holds the position of Senior Historian with AECOM Transportation, an international infrastructure engineering firm. Paul once served as the Executive Drector of the Camden County Historical Society.
October Saturday 24th
Riverton Halloween
Trolley Ghost Tour
HSR Board Meeting
a meeting for business
Monday November 30th
7:30pm
Riverton Public School
R.S.V.P. 856.786.6961
Winner of the Betty B. Hahle Award for 2007 Riverton Local Oral History Project. Jennifer Pacek interviewed Mae Goodwin, who, at 100 years of age, may be Riverton School’s oldest surviving graduate of Riverton Public School.
Mr. John McCormick's Class Project
Tea with Mrs. Lincoln
featuring actress & historian
Joann Tufo
at the
New Leaf Tea Room
Joann Tufo and Phyllis Rodgers,
Vice President, Historical Society of Riverton
On November 7th Riverton welcomed Mrs. Mary Todd Lincoln, wife of President Lincoln, to the New Leaf Tea Room for a special afternoon tea. Guests were treated to an exquisite light lunch tea complete with a Civil War era reenactment by actor Joann Tufo, who portrayed a compelling Mrs. Lincoln.
The historically accurate and emotionally moving performance by Ms. Tufo brought
tears to the eyes of guests upon hearing the tale of personal loss by the President’s wife who outlived three of her four sons and lost her husband to an assassin’s bullet.
The public education program was jointly sponsored by the Historical Society of Riverton and the New Leaf Tea Room and Gift Shoppe. A special note of thanks to Phyllis Rodgers for hosting the program at her tea room in Riverton.
First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln & Pat McDermott with a book about Mary Todd.
