Post on 01-Apr-2018
Volume 37, Issue Two June 2012
Independence Day Celebration in
Village Park
Bring your blanket, chairs and a picnic supper and come to
Village Park at 6:30 p.m. on July 5 for a concert by the Mercer
County Symphonic Band, followed by fireworks at dusk. The
concert is always wonderful and the fireworks are spectacular!
This year, CHPS is sponsoring the band.
Float wins 1st Prize
Thank you to Rob Diamond who provided and drove the tractor
that pulled the CHPS float in the Memorial Day Parade. The
float was put together in Jennifer and Rob Diamond’s barn by
high school students who rode on it dressed as people from Cran-
bury’s history who were part of the book, Cranbury, A New
Jersey Town from the Colonial Era to the Present by John
Chambers. Congratulations and thanks also to Lisa Beach who
worked with the students to create this float that was awarded
first prize!
President’s Message
Thank you for supporting CHPS through your membership
and by attending the events that we hold throughout the year.
I am pleased to say that we have an active membership!
Members serve on the Executive Board, help as docents, are
on committees, help with special events and fundraisers, pre-
sent walking tours and programs, set up exhibits, work at the
History Center, help at Cranbury Day and attend our two pot
luck meetings each year.
In this newsletter, you will read about some events that have
already taken place and others that are planned for the next
few months. You will see a list of coming events so you can
mark your calendar now and plan to attend as many as you
can.
If you would like to become more involved in CHPS, please
let me know. I would love to hear from you!
My best wishes for a safe and happy summer!
Audrey Smith aud123abc@aol.com; 609-655-5361
John Chambers Honored by
Cranbury Township
Society member John Chambers was honored by
Cranbury Township with a resolution that recognized his
contribution to Cranbury Township by researching and
writing the book, Cranbury, A New Jersey Town from the
Colonial Era to the Present. The resolution was read and
adopted at the Township Committee meeting on June 11,
2012. See related article on page 2.
John Chambers signed copies of his book on
Memorial Day.
Rob Diamond drove the tractor that pulled
our award-wining float.
Cranbury Day
The Society will once again have a membership, plant sale
and sales table on Cranbury Day, Saturday, September 8.
Popular Cranbury gift items will be featured, along with a
few new items that we think you will love! The Museum
will also be open that day.
A New Book About Cranbury
Cranbury, A New Jersey Town from the Colonial Era
to the Present, a hardcover book with 272 pages and 50
illustrations, is available for $29.95 at the Cranbury His-
tory Center, Cranbury Museum and at the Society’s ta-
ble on Cranbury Day. A project of Cranbury Land-
marks, Inc., the book was written by Cranbury resident
John Whiteclay Chambers II who is a Rutgers Univer-
sity history professor. If you do not live in the Cranbury
area, you can have the book sent to you for the cost of
$35.00 per book, including shipping. To order a book,
please contact the Society at 609-655-5361. Checks
should be made payable to Cranbury Landmarks, Inc.
Historic Cranbury Walking Tours Summer Dates Announced
Thank you to Don Davidson and Richard Moody who have
been giving walking tours of historic Cranbury. Don, who
is also a Museum docent, gave tours of the Museum earlier
in the school year to the fourth and eighth grade classes
and, with Richard Moody’s help, gave walking tours to the
same classes in the spring.
They will give a tour to a group of adults from a neighbor-
ing community early this summer. Richard Moody is in his
second year of providing walking tours to those who sign
up at cranburywalkingtours@gmail.com or call 609-651-
0693. Tours begin at Cranbury Museum and are available
on Thursday, June 28; Tuesday, July 24; Thursday, August
2 and Tuesday, August 14 at 11 a.m. Please check the
CHPS website, cranburyhistory.org for additional dates as
they become available.
History Center News
A new computer, software and printer were
purchased with the grant that the Society received last
fall from Princeton Area Community Foundation. CHPS
member Raymond White handled purchase and set up.
Matt Hartman, a Rutgers University student, is
working as an intern at the History Center 25 hours a
week until early July. He is organizing and cataloguing
the map collection. We are pleased to have Matt work on
this important project for us.
A group of Society members have been taking
turns working at the History Center under the direction of
Ginny Swanagan. If you would like to join the group,
please contact Ginny at historycenter@comcast.net or
call her on Tuesday at 609-860-1889. Teams of two
work Tuesdays, 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Cranbury History Program at the Parsonage Barn
If you have wanted to take a walking tour of Cranbury and
have not had a chance to do it or do not want to do as much
walking as it may require, the program at the Parsonage
Barn at the Cranbury Barn Park on Cranbury Neck Road on
Saturday, August 4 at 10 a.m. will be perfect for you. For
about an hour, guide, Richard Moody will give an armchair
version of his walking tour.
You’ll learn about important landmarks in Cranbury’s
history that are scattered throughout the Historic District.
Richard is an experienced, engaging guide who has been
well received by those who have been on his tours in the
past. Each participant will receive a Cranbury Walking
Tour booklet. For questions about the program, please call
Audrey Smith at 609-655-5361.
High school students represented
important individuals in Cranbury
history and rode the float at the
Town’s Memorial Day Parade.
Pictured, center, is Dr. John W.
Chambers II, whose history of
Cranbury provided inspiration for
the award-winning float.
Name:_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Address:___________________________________________________________________________________________________
City,State,Zip:_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Phone:________________________________Email Address:________________________________________________________
Individual-$15.00 Family- $25.00 Sponsor - $35.00 Patron - $50.00
Corporate- $150.00 or more Other $______
CHPS is a non-profit, self-supporting organization. Your contribution is fully tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Matching
gifts are a significant source of support for the Society. If you work for, or have retired from, one of the many companies that match
employee donations, please ask your personnel office for a matching gift form.
Volunteer Opportunities:
Museum Docent_______ House Tour_______ Educational Programs_______ Fundraising_______ Publicity_______
2012 Membership Form — Mail with payment to CHPS, 6 So. Main St, Cranbury, NJ 08512
Please support our Cranbury Business Partners:
A.S. Cole Son & Company
Allen & Stults Co., Inc.
Brainerd Communications
Chip Trucking Inc.
Cranbury Bagel Barn
Cranbury Comfort Systems
The Elms of Cranbury
Gil and Bert’s Ice Cream
Golisano General Contracting, LLC
Richard Grubb & Associates, Inc.
Head to Tails Grooming & Doggie Daycare
Herr’s Plumbing
McDonald Construction Corp.
Meyer & Meyer Painting
Montessori Preschool Academy
Optimal Exercise
Princeton Ballet School
Sweetwater Construction Corp.
West Pattern Works
Dr. Dennis J. White
Member News
Members are the backbone of any organization and CHPS has the best! We currently have 328 active member families
and businesses. We are grateful not only for your financial support but also for the countless volunteer hours that enable
us to provide the many programs described in this newsletter. More than 20% of our membership is reading this news-
letter online. This environmentally friendly option allows for the timely dissemination of information on the latest
CHPS projects. Ruth Jost (ruthjost@comcast.net); Karen Fiorentini, (kmfiorentini@gmail.com), Co-Chairs
Parsonage Barn News
Seven participants attended the Rain Barrel Workshop held by the Township at the Parsonage Barn in April.
An Open House was held at the Parsonage Barn on Saturday, May 5. More than 25 people visited to see the barn
and the attractively arranged farm tools and other items donated by Joan and Scott Parry of West Windsor, as well as
those from the Society’s collection. The 20 wooden folding chairs provided a comfortable place to rest for those
who chose to sit and enjoy our beautiful barn. Thank you to Tom and Chris Ingegneri who shared the history of the
barn with visitors. Those attending the Open House made suggestion for programs to be held at the barn. One of
them, the Cranbury History program, will take place on August 4 at 10 a.m.
Members of the Hightstown Grange visited the Parsonage Barn on Saturday, June 9 and were presented with a pro-
gram on the history of the barn by Bill Bunting.
If you would like to visit the Parsonage Barn with a group or hold an event there, please contact Audrey Smith at
aud123abc@aol.com or 609-655-5361.
Cranbury Historical and Preservation Society
6 South Main Street
Cranbury, NJ 08512
Dates to Remember
June 28, 11 a.m. - Historic Cranbury Walking Tour
leaves from the Museum
July 24, 11 a.m. - Historic Cranbury Walking Tour
leaves from the Museum
July 5, 6:30 p.m. - Concert and Fireworks at Vil-
lage Park
August 2, 11 a.m. - Historic Cranbury Walking
Tour leaves from the Museum
August 4, 10 a.m. – Historic Cranbury Program at
the Parsonage Barn
August 14, 11 a.m. Historic Cranbury Walking
Tour leaves from the Museum
September 8, Cranbury Day– Visit the Society’s
table on N. Main St.
November 2, 6:30 p.m.- Pot Luck Supper Annual
Meeting
December 8, 7 p.m. - Cranbury Wassail
Cranbury Lions Club Exhibit at the Museum
This year, Cranbury Lions Club is celebrating 80 years of ser-
vice to the Cranbury Community and beyond. In honor of the
anniversary, the club has an interesting, informative and color-
ful exhibit of memorabilia, awards, photos, scrapbooks and
booklets that illustrate the history of the club. A reception for
its members was held on Sunday, June 3.
The exhibit will run through Cranbury Day and all are encour-
aged to see it and learn about the history of the Cranbury Li-
ons Club, the Club’s annual events and its charitable projects.