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Somerset County Historical Society NJ
Somerset County Historical Society NJ
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  • VAN VEGHTEN HOUSE
  • Howe Farmstead Project
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    • HOME
    • VAN VEGHTEN HOUSE
    • Howe Farmstead Project
    • Shop SCHS
    • RESEARCH
    • COLLECTIONS
    • "STREET TALK"
    • MEMBERSHIP
    • CONTACT US

  • HOME
  • VAN VEGHTEN HOUSE
  • Howe Farmstead Project
  • Shop SCHS
  • RESEARCH
  • COLLECTIONS
  • "STREET TALK"
  • MEMBERSHIP
  • CONTACT US

Be part of a dynamic, 140 + year old community of all ages  redefining what history means in the 21st century.  We're finding and celebrating the past  as we create the future and it's all  right in our own  backyard!  


Van Veghten House is a  perfect day trip for you and your family  and we're working to save the Howe Farmstead for you, too.

Visit.  Tour.  Hike.  The Wetlands Mitigation Project was once the Van Veghten pasture.  Use our trail guide to explore in a 45 minute to 75 minute hike.


Keep Learning!

 Periodically we present speakers and set up info tables at local events.  


Make a Difference!  Find your niche!

  • Use Your Skills and Talents for a purpose.  
  • Buy and help us sell tickets for the  50/50 Raffle!  Selling all year.  Drawing at Annual Meeting in November.
  • Check out our wish list. 
  • Come to a work day at our preservation project:  Howe Farmstead.  

 Friends!

  • There's a lot of chatter and laughter at the house when we're open,  not to mention some pretty good coffee.  Pretty soon you'll have a lot of new "old friends"

Support Preservation and Research ! 

  • Time, talent, treasures or funds.  All are welcome!  Wondering what to do with those treasures you know your family won't want when you pass on?  Consider donating locally relevant artifacts, pictures or documents to our archive!  That's how we have acquired our hand tools, spinning wheels, standing case clock, portrait of an early Van Veghten, etc.


Join in  person, by mail or online.  


  • BY MAIL:  Download our membership application below, complete and mail with membership fee to Somerset County Historical Society, 9 Van Veghten Drive,  Bridgewater, NJ, 08807.  
  • ONLINE:  To submit membership application online, scroll down to the "Join Online" button below the application button and submit payment via PayPal or credit/debit card.  Thank You!
  • FEES:   Annual individual membership is $25.00 /Family $40 and includes an email copy  of our quarterly newsletter.  Discount to students.    We also have various categories for businesses.  To receive a print copy of the newsletter there's an additonal $5 charge to cover postage.  Please send an email message to info@somersethistorynj.org with your name, address and request

2025 Membership Form (pdf)

Download

Join Now Online

$25.00
Pay with PayPal or a debit/credit card

 

  • To submit a membership application online, click the "Join Us" button.  Enter amount, note "Membership",  and give us your email in the Notes field.  
  • If you are a new member or have a change of address, be sure to click the box "Share my mailing address."
  • Please consider adding a donation.  These help us meet the matching funds required by one of our grants.
  •  Thank you!

Wish List

Can You Help?


        Like any all-volunteer organization, there are always more things we’d like to do than there are hands or time. We’ve decided to share our wish list to see if other history lovers out there can help.

        Are you looking for something to pass the time/make a contribution/have some fun?  There are many options at the Van Veghten House and Howe Farmstead with the Somerset County Historical Society.  Check out our people skills requests.  Some are one time things, some can be done off site, some are at the headquarters building, some can be done alone, some get you involved with others.  There is no age limit!

        Prefer not to commit your time or talent at this time?  Perhaps you can make a donation or gift in kind for any of the items listed below?  We are a 501 (c) (3) organization and your gift may be tax deductible.  Please call or email us at info@somersethistorynj.org to discuss options.  Use the topic:  donation. 


Outside  

Tree trimming, branch collection

Funds to acquire paint and other supplies.  

Help with mowing,  yard and garden maintenance

Gardens weeded and new plants added

Add/improve walkways around house to meet ADA standards


Inside 

Help with our library acquisitions and indexing

Transcribe original documents on display ((handwritten script is hard to read and children are no longer learning to write script)

Periodic house cleaning--sweeping, vacuuming, bathroom cleaning

Reorganize lawyer cabinet displays and label  all contents with ADA standards

Spruce up hearth in original kitchen. (Add period appropriate period cookware ?)

Wash and wax all floors

Improve internal work space/office in upstairs back room (non- public area)


People With Skills 

-  Landscaper to help create a plan, including improved ADA accessibility from parking lot and around house, improved sight line to river (trim bushes and tree branches) stairway or path down our hill into wetlands on our property, design decorative bridge to span irrigation channel. Suggest garden design (deer resistant, please) 

- Writers to:  

      -Create FAQ handout 

      -Prepare articles for newsletter or coordinate others

       -Help with scripts for talks about 

           1. the house,

           2. the Van Veghten family,

           3. the history of the society, and 

           4. brief bios of visitors to the house  during the Revolution

-  Display artist to regularly suggest Treasures in our collection to be highlighted

-  Marketer/Publicist 

      -Help with Mail Chimp  email distributions, newsletter prep, website and Facebook accounts

-  Artists to create line drawings for assorted publications-- the structures, garden plants, etc

- Consultants

  -  Grant writing assistance

 -  Help with website

 - CPA/Accountant skills

  - Advice about fund raising efforts with businesses and  corporations

  - Identify how to incorporate child oriented features in everything—outreach   materials, displays at house, talks, etc 

-Ordinary folk with time 

  -  Visitor follow-up coordinator to send thankyous to visitors. and welcome letter to  new members.

Assistant in museum to label all items on display (to meet federal ADA guidelines).

  - Volunteers Coordinator – people link specialist

  - Interviewers and transcriptionists to assist with collecting and recording oral histories

  -  Event organizer to help with programming

  -  Investigator to help  research genealogy requests

  - Programming coordinator--work with committee to organize public lectures and speakers

Educator

- Develop a “traveling museum” lend/lease kit for use in schools.  Decide on artifacts; develop curriculum and teaching aids.

- Suggestions for ways to i\engage  youth

Researcher

Help us find and tell the story of enslaved people at Van Veghten House and the county


Office supplies:  Pendeflex folders, copy paper, notebooks, printer ink, etc.

Paper goods:  paper towels, toilet paper, cups, paper plates, garbage bags  

Assorted Furniture for group meetings would also be welcome, like folding chairs, small tables, audio visual equipment, display racks, etc. 

Email us to discuss possibilities.  Go to Contacts tab.

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 Somerset County Historical Society.

 All Rights Reserved.

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