Hopewell Valley History Project
Preserving Our History
What is “Hopewell 57” – that big brick building complex at the corner of Hamilton Avenue and Somerset Street in Hopewell Borough, which was earlier known as Rockwell and then Kooltronic? That block along Hamilton actually has an agglomeration of buildings that developed over time as part of a quintessential Hopewell story – as an … Continue reading Talk: Smith to Rockwell to “Hopewell 57”
Mike Thomsen has kindly contributed some 75 photographs of Pennington from around 1958, up to when he completed high school. These include scenes of the buildings and businesses along Main Street and Delaware Avenue, views of the train station and other area bridges, and fun views of the local schools, Memorial Day parades, family, and … Continue reading 1950s Memories of Pennington
The interactive Hopewell History Map has been updated to display over 100 new property information summaries as you click to view local addresses. It brings together other materials from the History Project site, displaying over 1700 photos of local properties from the Image Gallery, and providing links to now some 100 detailed History Briefs and … Continue reading New Property Info in the Hopewell History Map
Every now and then we can get a glimpse back in time to what life in Hopewell was like 50 or 100 years ago. Sometimes these come from newly-discovered photos or writing. And sometimes they come from names and numbers on a page, as with two newly-discovered sets of St. Michael’s Mission and School annual … Continue reading St. Michael’s School & Mission Annual Reports, 1940s-1973
Yes, there was a cemetery at St. Michael’s Orphanage in Hopewell. And no, we do not know much about it, except from a few brief references and a few memories. So please do contact us if you have additional information about the cemetery. The St. Michael’s cemetery was located in a tree-lined lane set back … Continue reading The St. Michael’s Cemetery – and Celtic Cross
Our Hopewell Valley and towns are seeped in history – deep in the names and landscape and buildings around us. One fun way to get out and around and explore this past is with a history tour – driving around the area and walking in the towns. You also can explore virtually online to learn … Continue reading Explore Historic Hopewell Valley – House and Street Tours
What would a large farm operation be like in Hopewell in the early 1900s? What kinds of animals did they raise – livestock and poultry? What variety of produce did they grow – vegetables and fruit? How much product did they generate – hay and grain, dairy products, eggs? And how did the finances work … Continue reading St. Michael’s Farm Report – 1914
Here are four short video clips of local parades and events from the early 1990s, plus photos of the 1990 Pennington Memorial Day parade. The videos include the 1992 Pennington Memorial Day parade, two Titusville Fourth of July parades from 1992 and 1994, and a May Day celebration (with maypole) at Toll Gate Grammar School … Continue reading 1990s Pennington & Titusville Parade Videos
What was life really like for our ancestors in Hopewell a century ago? We have some of their writings (see post on Hopewell Booklets), and we continue to do oral history interviews to capture memories – even back to the 1930s (see post on Hopewell Grammar School Kids). And now we can hear the songs … Continue reading Songs and Prayers of St. Michael’s Children
History, Presentation Video, Media, and References St. Michael’s was a major local institution that operated just outside of Hopewell Borough for three quarters of a century (1898 to 1973), to provide support and education for abandoned and neglected children. St. Michael’s was home over the years to thousands of children, over a hundred Sisters of … Continue reading St. Michael’s Orphanage
