Hopewell Valley History Project
Preserving Our History
Why does a 1900 Hopewell National Bank check have what looks like a postage stamp on it, and why is it cut through in the middle? These checks from 1886 and 1900 help us take a look into banking in this area around the turn of the century. The two 1886 checks are drawn on … Continue reading 1900s Hopewell Bank Checks
This fun photo is annotated as “Mrs. Scharringhausen & Miss Scott, my 7th & 8th grade teachers.” The note was written by Edna B. Moore, who graduated from the Hopewell Grammar School on Model Avenue in 1923 (after 8th grade), and the Hopewell High School (in Pennington) in 1927. Mrs. Scharring-Hausen (as usually spelled) and … Continue reading 1920s Hopewell Teachers – Scott & Scharring-Hausen
How soon they grow up! Here are three photos of the Hopewell Elementary School class of 1956, kindly shared by Rich Anderson. The photos also are annotated with the names of many of the students. The final photo is the 8th grade graduation, and the two earlier photos probably are the Kindergarten and 2nd grade … Continue reading Hopewell Elementary School Class of 1956
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
The October 2024 updates to the History Project include the presentation video on Smith / Rockwell / “Hopewell 57” plus a Q&A and additional materials, new photos of the Tomato Factory, and mementos of Hopewell High School in 1927. (See Site Updates for more.) By the numbers, we finished the month with 332 files in … Continue reading October 2024 Update – Rockwell, Tomato Factory, High School
— The 2024 Harvest Fair is Saturday, September 21 — The 36th Annual Hopewell Harvest Fair is Saturday, September 21, 2024, from 9:45 am to 4 pm, back at the Hopewell Elementary School, 35 Princeton Avenue, Hopewell, NJ. The rain date is Saturday, September 28. This volunteer community event has been providing fun and entertainment … Continue reading Hopewell Harvest Fair – 2024
Train service arrived in Pennington and Hopewell in the mid 1870s, through the center of the Hopewell Valley. The arrival of the railroads helped drive the development of the towns that we know today. But after World War II service went through a slow decline, reducing the number of trains, dropping local stations, and eliminating … Continue reading Hopewell Reading Line Railroad Timetable Collection
So what changed in the Hopewell Valley landscape in the 1960s? One answer comes from comparing these 1962 and 1972 Hopewell Township road maps that continue the story of the development of the Hopewell Valley road network (see links below). Much of the Valley is still shown as open land, but these maps also show … Continue reading Hopewell Valley Changes – 1962 & 1972 Road Maps
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
