Curator Beverly A. Weidl: "There is an incredible amount of history in this building."
By Olivia Tattory
This month, the Hopewell Museum, 28 E. Broad St., is displaying pictures of the building in which it is housed.
Once a residence, it was built in 1877 for Mr. and Mrs. Randolph Stout, whose lumberyard business was located behind the house.
The museum itself is over 80 years old and is home to many items of local historical interest.
Antique china, weaponry, Southwestern American Indian artifacts and early needlework pieces all originating from Hopewell and dating back well over 100 years are just a few of the items one can find at the Hopewell Museum.
"There is an incredible amount of history in this building," said Curator Beverly A. Weidl. "I never know what to expect when I come to open the museum. People leave things for us all the time."
Ms. Weidl, who has worked at the museum since 1969 and been curator since the mid-1970s, said the donations and items in the museum are what keeps the traditions and history of Hopewell alive.
Originally named The Hopewell Free Public Library and Museum Funding and Building Association, it was formed after Sarah D. Stout needed to raise funds for a building to house a collection of antiques that had been donated to the community. The collection that Ms. Stout acquired over the years became the beginning of what is now the nucleus of Hopewell, said Ms. Weidl. The museum was incorporated in 1922 under the laws of the State of New Jersey.
The museum originally was housed in the red brick bank building, now the Hopewell Borough Library, until 1924 when the present property was purchased. This new property held both the museum and the library for many years until the mid-1950s when the library moved to its current site at 13 E. Broad St. In 1967, a two-story addition was added to the museum building.
Eleanor and Susan Weart worked diligently during the museum’s early years by searching endlessly for items they felt were worth preserving, said Ms. Weidl. Some of the earliest pieces in the museum date back to the 1800s, and include iron pots and pans and a wedding dress from the 1890s.
The museum’s mission reads: "to preserve and display what is most typical and interesting of village life in America from its colonial beginnings to the present." And that it does. The museum’s multiple rooms are filled with antiques and memorabilia all donated from past and present Hopewell residents.
Old business signs including, Eagle Bakery, the Hopewell Presbyterian Church and Herald Printing Co. (once located at 5 Railroad Place the home of the former Hopewell Herald and the birthplace of the Hopewell Valley News) are mounted on a wall. Postcards, candy boxes, milk jars, small toys made in Hopewell and works of local artists also are displayed throughout the museum. The back room of the museum is complete with local Jersey and Southwestern Indian artifacts. Political campaign and reunion pins and buttons also are on display for all to see.
Other exhibits include Colonial and Victorian parlors, antique china and glass and early kitchen utensils. One of the newest exhibits is the Glass Collection, donated by Robert Hunt.
A glass display case in one of the rooms shows gifts the museum has received over the years, thanking them for their efforts in preserving the community and history of Hopewell. Past visitors even wrote a song for the museum. "Why don’t you come and see ’em at the local Hopewell Museum," chanted Ms. Weidl.
The Hopewell Elementary School’s kindergarten students visit the museum every year and third-graders also have the opportunity to experience centuries of history.
Ms. Weidl is thankful for what the museum has brought her over the years.
"It’s put me in contact with the local history and makes me appreciate what the people of Hopewell before us have done," she said. "You have a connection with everyone and everything that comes into the museum."
The museum holds multiple events throughout the year, including the annual traditional Christmas Tea, which was first held in 1924. This event is held on the first Sunday of December. Ms. Weidl already is excited about this year’s party, even if it is four months away.
"We pick up on it and have been eating cookies ever since," she said.
Books on local history and maps may be purchased at the museum, which is located at 28 E. Broad St., and is open Monday, Wednesday and Saturday from 2-5 p.m. Admission is free.