New Jersey Historical Society
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The New Jersey Historical Society is a historical society and museum located in Newark, New Jersey, United States. It was founded in 1845 at Trenton by intellectual and business leaders of New Jersey, most prominently Joseph C. Hornblower, Peter D. Vroom and William Whitehead.
The Society was first located on Market Street in Newark. In 1931 it left downtown for a large colonial-style building partially paid for by Louis Bamberger in Broadway, east of Branch Brook Park.
In 1997 the Historical Society moved back downtown, to 52 Park Place, on Military Park. The new home was a Georgian building vacated by the defunct Essex Club designed by Guilbert & Betelle. In its first year in the downtown location visits increased almost five-fold.
The Historical Society's library is housed in the old squash courts of the Essex Club. It has two floors of exhibition space, a gift shop, and a hall for lectures. The NJHS offers occasional Newark walking tours. The Society publishes the academic journal, New Jersey History.
The third floor is a permanent exhibition on New Jersey's natural resources. The second floor has rotating exhibits.
Admission is free, but a donation is requested. The current president and CEO is Linda Epps.
