Hopewell Valley History Project
Preserving Our History
The 37th Annual Hopewell Harvest Fair is Saturday, September 20, 2025, from 9:45 am to 4 pm, at the Hopewell Elementary School, 35 Princeton Avenue, Hopewell, NJ. The rain date is Saturday, October 4. This volunteer community event has been providing fun and entertainment for Hopewell Valley families and friends since 1987. Walk the Town … Continue reading Hopewell Harvest Fair – 2025
We know the stories of some of our historical buildings – but who actually designed and built them, and to what specifications? Who designed and built St. Michael’s Orphanage and its additions, or the school buildings on South Main in Pennington, or other town halls and residences, schools and churches, banks and theaters? It turns … Continue reading Builders’ Guide to Hopewell Valley Construction Projects – 1888-1940
This is a Hopewell baby book from 1916, kindly shared by Hope Sudlow, that records the birth of Hope’s mother, Lou Etta Laning, on May 27, 1916. This charming book is written as a love letter from the mother, also Lou Etta [Thatcher] Laning (1888-1968), addressed directly to her new baby daughter, who had the … Continue reading Lou Etta Laning Baby Book from 1916
How did people go about building a house in the 1930s – in the days before cell phones and computers and the Internet? Where would you get the plans? How would you write the contract? How would you specify each of the components, from studs and siding to doors and windows to footings and insulation? … Continue reading Hopewell House Construction in 1938
Do you remember Franco’s / Vincenzo’s Pizza, and the earlier Eagle Bakery on Mercer Street in Hopewell? They occupied a rather interesting building that is built completely over a stream – which became a problem in 2021, when the flooding from hurricanes Henri and then Ida damaged the building so that it had to be … Continue reading Franco’s Pizza and the Eagle Bakery
by Douglas Dixon Here are some highlights of the 2024 additions to the History Project site, with links to more information, plus associated documents, maps, photos, and videos. The purpose of the Hopewell Valley History Project is assemble an archive of reference material in local history, freely shared online in digital and searchable formats for … Continue reading Hopewell History Project – 2024 Highlights
Thanks to Charles Hunt, we have a collection of over 230 images of sites across Hopewell Valley from 2016, plus recollections of them back to 1966. How many of these sites, buildings, and businesses do you remember? These are from a reunion scrapbook prepared for the Hopewell Valley Central High School Class of 1966 at … Continue reading 2016 / 1966 Hopewell Valley Scrapbook and Photos
What do you see in these four photos of the Hopewell Museum building as it evolved over time? There are some obvious changes to the front porch – but what else. To see more of the Museum building and plans for its next phase, drop by 28 East Broad Street on Saturday, December 7 from … Continue reading Seeing the Hopewell Museum Building
Updated 12/4/24 – Sansone & Osif What are the stories of the Hopewell Pharmacy and the two other buildings at the corner of West Broad and South Greenwood in Hopewell? We have some facts and photos of the businesses and people that were there back to the 1890s – but are seeking more information and … Continue reading The Hopewell Drug Store Businesses
Updated 11/24/24 – More on moving the monument You never know what you might find in that old photo album in the attic. So why is this photo interesting? It’s just some kids marching in a parade, with some buildings across the street. OK, so this is an historic 1920s photo, courtesy of Joan Bratsko, … Continue reading The Hopewell American Legion Monument – 1925
