The June 2024 updates to the History Project focused on the Straube Center and the Cointreau Distillery in Pennington, plus more on the St. Michael’s Orphanage farm, the Hopewell Township Police 50th, and tips on using the History Project resources to explore Hopewell Valley. (See Site Updates for more.)
By the numbers, we finished the month with 326 files in the Archives, including 164 documents and 162 maps and aerials. The Image Gallery now has 4179 files, and the Panoramas Collection has 50 images. The Pamphlet Collection has 281 documents, and the Property Reports Collection has 89 documents. The interactive History Map includes 775 addresses with 103 historic places in Hopewell Borough. The History Project YouTube Channel is hosting 34 videos, plus 22 external local history videos, including 9 videos of History Project presentations. Please keep the materials coming!
The Straube Center and Cointreau Distillery
The Cointreau Distillery at what is now the Straube Center in Pennington operated in 1942 through 1967.
We now have images of colorful liqueur labels, collections of mini-bottles, and 1960s site photos, thanks to the Jamieson family.
The site now today is the Straube Center office complex, which was founded in 1976 by Win Straube. The site itself goes back to 1900, and was previously variously used by a foundry and heater company, wire and cable company, candy company, and a cosmetics company.
The Straube story and the site history are detailed in two pamphlets kindly shared by Straube.
St. Michael’s 1914 Farm Report
Continuing our coverage of the St. Michael’s Orphanage, we have the St. Michael’s Farm Report from 1914. This five-page document summarizes the quantities and value of the stock on the farm, and the products produced.
The report lists different numbers of animals between the full-year accounting and the end of year census. And it uses different measurements for different produce produced, including tons, bushels, bunches, baskets, and individual plants.
Thanks again to the Sisters of St. Francis (the order that operated and staffed St. Michael’s) for finding and sharing this report from their archives.
Memorial Hopewell Township Police – 50th Anniversary
The Hopewell Township Police Department is celebrating its 50th anniversary (1994-2024) as a full-time police department this summer – and has kindly shared the Hopewell Township Police 50th Anniversary Brochure, plus department patches and other materials to memorialize the event. We also have the previous 25th anniversary brochure and associated calendar from 1999 that list then-current department members and past officers, with photos.
The department was started as a part-time operation in the 1920’s or early 1930’s. The full-time department then began around the clock patrols on July 1, 1974 (instead of passing calls after midnight to the State Police barracks).
Explore Historic Hopewell Valley – House Tours
Another post describes how you can choose your own history tour from the collection of some 30 Historic House Tour Brochures on the Hopewell Valley History Project site.
These include 15 tours around Hopewell Township, plus 6 walking tours in Pennington Borough and 9 in Hopewell Borough..
Please contact us if you have – or know of – other images and materials that we can share to help illuminate the history of our Hopewell Valley.
