This wonderful 1966-67 Hopewell Boro Community Calendar (PDF) was created by the Hopewell Valley Jaycees in commemoration of Hopewell Borough’s 75th Anniversary of Incorporation (1891-1966).
The calendar features twelve fascinating historic photos from circa 1880 to 1890, calendar listings with community events (and local birthdays!), and a local business directory. The calendar seems to have been an ongoing project for the Jaycees, but this anniversary edition with historic images appears to have been a one-off.
The photos are especially interesting because many do not appear elsewhere (i.e., on postcards). Many are somewhat familiar buildings that are still standing in town, but look very different – both because the images show the original structures before later renovations and additions, and because the buildings are standing on empty lots before later buildings and trees filled in to the scenes we see today.
- December shows the Calvary Baptist Church (3 E Broad) c. 1880, before the current front columned facade, standing alone on East Broad Street and surrounded by orchards. It was built in 1872 as the second church in Hopewell (after the Old School Baptist Church).
- February shows the Miss Boggs Female Seminary (23-27 E Broad) c. 1880, before the current porch additions (and yellow paint). It was operated as a boarding school for young ladies from circa 1875 to the late 1880s.
- August shows the Philips House (86-88 W Broad, now owned by the Presbyterian Church) c. 1880, before major additions to both wings. This is one of the oldest structures in Hopewell.
This copy of the calendar is from the Hopewell Public Library, but does not include any information about credits for the design. Jack Koeppel reports that Christopher Bannister worked on the calendar, and was responsible for preserving these images: “In his search for historical images he realized there were dozens of old photos around Hopewell Valley in the hands of independent people. He made it his mission to discover, borrow and copy as many of these old images as possible.” After Bannister’s death, his wife donated his prints to the Hopewell Valley Historical Society.
See earlier posts for more information, and view the properties on the Hopewell History Map for historic images and the associated Cultural Resource Survey report:
- Calvary Baptist Church (3 E Broad)
- Calvary Baptist Church 95th Anniversary Booklet
- View images and report on History Map
- Miss Boggs Female Seminary (23-27 E Broad)
- View images and report on History Map
- Philips House (86-88 W Broad)
- View images and report on History Map
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