Historical Society looks to the future

Bordentown Historical Society seeks new members

By: William Wichert
   BORDENTOWN CITY — The Bordentown Historical Society is looking for some fresh faces.
   The 73-year-old society will continue to conduct walking tours throughout the city and open the doors of historic buildings to curious visitors, but the group is bringing some changes to a city that is, well, starting to look different itself.
   "Even the older members realize they have to make changes to attract the younger residents," said Diane Flanigan, the society’s president. "It’s amazing, but we have so many new residents coming to town. We’ve become the hot spot in Burlington County."
   So that the city’s historic value is not lost on a community filled with art galleries and new shops, the Bordentown Historical Society is adding at least two features to its regular agenda: a Web site, which will be located at www.Bordentownhistory.com, and bimonthly public meetings, where historians and other speakers can be heard. The first meeting will be held Nov. 16 at 7:30 p.m. in the Friends Meeting House on Farnsworth Avenue.
   The society already has about 300 dues-paying members and a core group of dedicated workers who lead the group’s year-round activities, but Ms. Flanigan hopes the Web site and new meetings will bring forth more volunteers interested in carrying on the society’s mission.
   With this extra help, the society will be able to keep the Friends Meeting House open on Saturdays, and better maintain the collection at the Gilder House on Crosswicks Street, when the restoration of that 16th-century building is completed in a few years, she said.
   Ellen Wehrman, a society member since 1959, said it is this type of dedication to preserving local history that makes the group such a vital part of the city.
   "You have to have the drive that says we’re going to do it and we’re going to do it right," said Ms. Wehrman.
   There are already people on board who understand just that, Ms. Wehrman said. This new group of young residents is coming to the table with fresh ideas and a willingness to act as an educational guide for their neighbors.
   "It’s doing things like this that keep the history alive," she said.
   For more information on the Bordentown Historical Society, call (609) 298-1740. The society’s first bimonthly meeting will be held Nov. 16 at 7:30 p.m. in the Friends Meeting House, 302 Farnsworth Ave. Judith Krall-Russo, a food historian, will conduct a lecture titled "The New Jersey Cranberry."