Hopewell Valley History Project
Preserving Our History
This Memorial Day weekend, Hopewell Valley American Legion Post 339 will conduct cemetery and monument services on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday at multiple locations in Hopewell Township, Hopewell Borough, and Pennington Borough, respectively (i.e., in the mornings before the borough parades). The Hopewell Valley Veterans Association (HVVA) also will conduct an observance at the Veterans … Continue reading Memorial Day Weekend Veterans Services
Over the past couple of years we’ve collected and shared an extensive variety of materials covering the history of the Hopewell Valley – documents and pamphlets, maps and aerials, photos and postcards, and more. So now it’s time to add videos! The new Video Gallery is starting out with a collection of links to videos … Continue reading New Hopewell History Video Gallery
It’s difficult to imagine life in Hopewell Township in 1880 – almost century and a half ago. It was an exciting time, since two train lines had been recently built though the township, accelerating the growth of the region. (See the Hopewell Railroads post.) We are blessed with some maps of the area, including details … Continue reading The Villages of Hopewell Township in 1883
The October updates on the Hopewell Valley History Project site focused on the local Hopewell and Pennington train stations, including a trove of over 40 historical photos by Ralph Curcio. Other posts showed examples of how to use historical maps to learn about local properties, such as the additions to St. Michael’s and Weart’s Market … Continue reading October 2021 Update – Train Stations
History is not only about facts, but also about understanding people and their stories, including their lives, organizations, businesses, and towns. And sometimes our predecessors leave us a window into how they see their lives. One unexpected example of this is The Industrial Directory of New Jersey, which was printed by the N. J. Bureau … Continue reading Hopewell Valley Towns in the Early 1900s
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
The Hopewell Valley is blessed with some wonderful and impressive (and solid) brick buildings. But where did all those bricks came from, especially for construction around 1900, with delivery by horse and wagon? It turns out that the Hopewell Valley area did have some local brickyards, including near Lambertville and in Hopewell Borough. We can … Continue reading Hopewell Valley Brickyards
Who were the people who lived here in the Hopewell Valley around 1875 – some 150 years ago? And what did they do here? The maps of the time show that many ran small businesses, providing supplies and services to the local community. Some of these businesses are still familiar today: druggist, barber, shoemaker, dressmaker, … Continue reading Pennington & Titusville Business Maps c1875
Our local fire companies – Hopewell Fire Department & Emergency Medical Unit, Pennington Fire Company and Pennington First Aid Squad, and Union Fire Company & Rescue Squad in Titusville – all need volunteer firefighters and emergency medical technicians. To learn how you can help, visit http://ProtectHopewellValley.com. We are continuing to celebrate the history of the … Continue reading Hopewell Valley Fire Departments
The Image Gallery has added more than 95 postcards thanks to the continued kindness of local collector Steven Cohen, who is also involved with the Washington Crossing Card Collectors Club (WC4). Steven specializes in Real Photo Postcards (RPPC), which are produced by a photographic process using a camera and photographic paper (i.e., like a photo … Continue reading “Real Photo” Postcards of Titusville, Pennington, and the Valley
