Hopewell Valley History Project
Preserving Our History
Yes, these are real Hopewell dollars – U. S. National Bank notes that were printed as legal tender from 1863 to 1935. The Hopewell National Bank was chartered as a U. S. national bank in 1890, with the right to print its own currency. The first two examples of these Hopewell “Nationals” (or “Hometown”) bank … Continue reading Hopewell National Bank Dollars
How can you begin to investigate the history of your house, or street, or town? When were the buildings built and expanded, and how did the streets develop over time? The best way to get a quick sense of how our towns changed and developed is to look at the maps. And we are blessed … Continue reading Investigating History in Hopewell Maps
Here are two fascinating photos of the Hopewell train station, provided through the kindness of Judy Faherty. The station looks so familiar, but the backgrounds are quite different, especially because of the absence of trees. 1915 – Station in the Snow – with Front Street beyond This 1915 photo of the Hopewell station in the … Continue reading Hopewell Train Station Photos
The September updates on the Hopewell Valley History Project site included an extensive history brief on the Hopewell Inn / Central Hotel, and a collection of Hopewell photos by Gary Saretzky. Other posts showed examples of historical artifacts that still can be found in local homes and attics – and at yard sales, and examined … Continue reading September 2021 Update – Hopewell Inn
The Hopewell Valley Bistro and Inn building at 15 East Broad Street and Seminary Avenue has been in the news, with plans to demolish the structure and rebuild a historically familiar design for use as an upscale restaurant and apartments (see MercerMe article). The building has a nearly 150 year history as a residential home … Continue reading The Hopewell Inn / Central Hotel
It’s Hopewell Borough’s 2021 Annual Town-Wide Yard Sale weekend! So as you clear out the attic and browse the sales, please be on the lookout for historic artifacts that we can preserve and share here on the History Project site. We welcome all types of materials that illustrate and explain our past, including: Printed – … Continue reading Preserving Hopewell Yard Sale Artifacts
Gary Saretzky has kindly shared his collection of black and white photographs of Hopewell Borough from 1978 to 1980, which also conveniently provide a record of the buildings and businesses of the time. UPDATE – 9/15/21 – Added 7 more Hopewell photographs from Gary Saretzky == See the Hopewell Artwork album in the Image Galley … Continue reading Hopewell Photographs by Gary Saretzky
What do you see in this photo from around 1916? What are these two ladies doing? And where is this? The area looks empty – without many houses or trees. We are used to our current tree-lined streets, but this was the state of our towns at the turn of the century – even as … Continue reading Hopewell Trees: 1900s vs. Today
The August updates on the Hopewell Valley History Project site included a new history brief on the forgotten story of Mercer Street – not just the earlier home of the American Legion, but also a major stonecutting operation for the first half of the 1900s. Another post highlighted the registered historic sites of Hopewell Township, … Continue reading August 2021 Update – Historic Sites
Do you know the many historic sites in our Hopewell Valley? The Hopewell Township Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) has helped spread the word by publishing two sets of bookmarks describing local historic properties. The HPC published these in two sets, with sixteen bookmarks done in 2004, and a second set of eight in 2020 (with … Continue reading Hopewell Township Historic Sites
