Upcoming events

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• Joseph Bonaparte Exhibit (including hours of operation)

  • Start
    01/25/2025
  •  
    11:00 AM
  • End
    12/31/2025
  •  
    4:00 PM
  • Location
    302 Farnsworth Ave

  Meeting House  and Joseph Bonaparte Exhibit Open Hours for  November and December 2025

  
  

  November 1st, Saturday from 11am to 4pm

  November 8th, Saturday from 11am-4pm  (This is the day of the House Tour)

  November 15th, Saturday from 11am -4pm

  December 6th, Saturday from 11am to 4pm

  For groups of 5 or more we can be open by appointment - call the BHS at 609-298-1740

  

  

  Our latest addition to the Bonaparte Exhibit - portrait of Annie Mailliard, wife of Adolphe Mailliard, painted by noted portrait painter (and also a Bordentonian), Samuel Bell Waugh!

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• Hessian Invasion of Bordentown 1776 - A Lecture by Dr. Mike Skelly

  • When
    12/06/2025
  •  
    3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
  • Location
    BHS Meeting House - 302 Farnsworth Ave

  Register

  A 1776 Tale: The Hessian Invasion of Bordentown

  Host: Bordentown Historical Society

  Presenter: Dr. Michael Skelly

  Date/Time: Saturday, December 6, 2025, at 3:00 PM

  Location - 1740 Meetinghouse, 302 Farnsworth Avenue, Bordentown, NJ 08505

  Admission: $10 Donation / $5 Members

  Join Dr. Michael Skelly, respected historian and preservationist, and BHS Director, for a fascinating talk about peaceful colonial life in Bordentown in 1775 and how it was shattered by the American Revolution. Discover the dramatic story of the Hessian Invasion and occupation by 2,000 foreign troops in December 1776. Learn how this local event played a pivotal role in the lead-up to the Battle of Trenton, and hear the incredible true account of one young Bordentown woman who outsmarted the invaders and exposed a crime during the occupation.

  Don't miss this incredible chapter of local history!

  Dr. Michael Skelly, is Bordentown Historian; a past Board Member of Crossroads of American Revolution Association; and has led historic preservation projects including 1740 Friends Meetinghouse, Bordentown, NJ and 1773 Isaac Pearson Mansion House, Hamilton, NJ

  
  

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• Clara Barton's 204th Birthday Celebration

  • When
    12/20/2025
  •  
    1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
  • Location
    The Clara Barton Schoolhouse - 142 Crosswicks St

  Register

  Please join us as we celebrate American Icon Clara Barton's 204th birthday at the historic Schoolhouse in which she taught in 1852, establishing the first public school in New Jersey. We will be serving cupcakes and cookies and the American Red Cross (which Clara founded in 1881) will also be joining us and will be handing out hot chocolate, emergency preparedness info, coloring books and other kid friendly items. Pedro the Penguin will be there too, offering free "Prepare with Pedro" activity books.  The event is free and starts at 1pm and ends at 3pm. 

  Also please note that we are working hard to finish renovations to the Schoolhouse - HVAC, lighting, a bathroom. etc. This will cost ~$180,000!!! So donations will be greatly appreciated!

  

  
  

  
  

  
  

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• Colonial Artisans & Arms: Makers of the Nation – an outdoor festival celebrating colonial life around the time of the War for Independence

  • When
    05/02/2026
  •  
    10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
  • Location
    Point Breeze

  The BHS is kicking off our celebration of RevWar 250 - the 250th anniversary of the War for Independence with an outdoor event presenting tradespersons and their crafts during the 1770’s – 1800 time period, including armaments and colonial militia involved in the War for Independence. The event will present an opportunity for attendees of all ages to learn about how goods necessary for everyday life were made and acquired. We are partnering with various practitioners of traditional crafting methods such as a blacksmith, spinner/weaver/knotter, cooper, candle maker, gardener/farmer, herbalist, fisherman, leather worker, and glass blower to demonstrate their craft and art in an engaging and educational manner. A regiment from the Colonial Line will set up an encampment and demonstrate camping skills and armaments used during the War for Independence. Artisans will be encouraged to offer their wares for sale and books and maps related to the local colonial settlements will be presented as well. A craft tent for children will offer a creative craft reminiscent of colonial times and present a fun educational experience for very young learners. Period music will be played by musicians who specialize in the music and music history of the time.

   A Lenni Lenape historian and story teller, in conjunction with the Discovery Center at Point Breeze, will present a brief history of the Lenape tribes in Bordentown and the surrounding area in the early colonial days and depict their lifestyle, culture, and relationship with colonial settlers.

  You will not want to miss this very exciting and educational event!!!!

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