Howell Living History Farm is being honored for its "excellent historic programming for both children and adults."
The New Jersey Historical Commission, a division of the Department of State, will present its 2003 Awards of Recognition at its annual conference on Dec. 6. The conference, entitled, "Slavery and Abolition in New Jersey," will be held at Princeton University.
The commission will present six Awards of Recognition in acknowledgment of outstanding recent work to promote the study, presentation, preservation, and popularization of New Jersey history.
Award recipients include Howell Living History Farm, Titusville, which is being honored for its "excellent historic programming for both children and adults."
The site opened as part of the Mercer County Park Commission in 1984, and recreates farm life in New Jersey at the turn of the 20th century. Howell Farm had been a working farm for more than 250 years (since 1732), when Joseph Phillips purchased the land. The farm was donated to the county in 1974 by its last private owner, the Charles Howell family.
Through both self-guided and group tours, school groups and the general public can visit the sheep barn, the chicken house, the main barn, the corn crib, the apple house, the ice house, and the farmhouse. The staff of Howell Farm demonstrates historical farm activities through workhorse rides, crafts workshops, wagon tours, hayrides, and sheep shearing. In addition, the staff offers a full schedule of special events concerning ice harvesting, maple syrup making, corn husking, and even horse-drawn plowing matches.
" Howell Living History Farm provides an exceptional hands-on educational experience and is a model for living history presentation in the state."
For additional information about award recipients, or the Historical Commission’s annual conference, contact Marc Mappen at the Commission, P.O. Box 305, Trenton, 08625-0305 or call 292-6062. The fax number is 633-8168 and the e-mail address: [email protected].