Hopewell Valley History Project
Preserving Our History
Rev. 3/7/26 – Add another local Tom Thumb wedding What kind of fundraiser can you run for elementary school kids? There’s selling candy or books, or school hats or shirts, or discount cards for local businesses, or simply holding a raffle. Instead, it really would be better to have some kind of event involving the … Continue reading Tom Thumb Wedding in 1941 Hopewell
Since we’ve been having so much fun with snow and ice and sub-freezing weather, you’ll really appreciate these scenes from a couple decades ago: the blizzard of February 17, 2003. These are scrapbook pages kindly donated by Edie and Roger Labaw, that show chilly views around their home on Columbia Avenue near Seminary Avenue. The … Continue reading More Snow: The Blizzard of February 2003
The January 2026 updates to the History Project were focused on more late1800s Hopewell trade cards that provide new information on Hopewell businesses, and in packing up the story of the Hopewell Elementary School for this Centennial year. There were also significant additions of materials to the Image Gallery and the Pamphlet Collection. (See Site … Continue reading January 2026 Update – Trade Cards / Hopewell Elementary Centennial
The Hopewell Elementary School at 35 Princeton Avenue is celebrating its centennial in 2026, one hundred years after it opened in 1926 as the Hopewell Grammar School. The Grammar School originally held classes for kindergarten through 8th grade, but has changed over the years with the introduction of a separate middle school between elementary school … Continue reading Hopewell Elementary School Centennial
Trade cards provide fascinating views of local Hopewell businesses in the late 1800s. These cards with their colorful artwork were a popular method of promotion to clients and customers. And they are helpful historical artifacts for us, as they provide information including the owner’s name, descriptions of the business, and listings of important products. Thanks … Continue reading 1880s Hopewell Trade Cards
by Douglas Dixon This document reports end of year highlights from the 2026 additions to the History Project site, with links to more information, plus associated documents, maps, photos, and videos. Thanks to assistance from many families and other contributors, major research projects this year included the Ferrante Dress Factory, 4 Mercer Street (Franco’s Pizza … Continue reading Hopewell History Project – 2025 Highlights
The December 2025 updates to the History Project were focused on the Pete Hurley story with polio, and on sleigh races in 1894 Hopewell. There also were several updates of new briefs. (See Site Updates for more.) Pete Hurley Mouth Paintings Pete Hurley was a Hopewell resident who contracted polio in 1952 and was paralyzed … Continue reading December 2025 Update – Sleigh Ride
The people of Hopewell Borough must have been going stir crazy by the last weekend of 1894, slogging through the long, cold, dark, snowy winter. And then came another “combination snow, rain and hail storm” on Thursday morning. But the “storm-king spent his fury,” and the Hopewell Herald newspaper gleefully reported that by the afternoon … Continue reading Sleigh Races in Snowy Hopewell – 1894
These paintings were done using a mouthstick by Pete Hurley, a Hopewell resident who contracted polio in 1952, and was paralyzed below his neck, losing the use of his arms and legs. The community of Hopewell responded deeply, volunteering and raising money to help support the family – wife Betty and three young children – … Continue reading Pete Hurley Mouth Paintings
The November 2025 updates to the History Project were focused on the Ferrante Dress Factory, with the talk and video, presentation notes, and full History Brief report. There also was an update to the history of the Chocolate Factory building. (See Site Updates for more.) The Ferrante Dress Factory The unexpected Italianate villa that stands … Continue reading November 2025 Update – Ferrante Dress Factory
