History on tap for Cranbury Day

   The Cranbury Historical and Preservation Society is hoping to deliver a blast of the past to this year’s Cranbury Day.

By: Michelle McGuinness
   The Cranbury Historical and Preservation Society is hoping to deliver a blast of the past to this year’s Cranbury Day.
   The group plans to set up three tables at the event on Sept. 8, according to the group’s former historian and Cranbury Township’s Historian Betty Wagner. Ms. Wagner said table assignments currently are being distributed so she isn’t sure where the historical society’s tables will be yet.
   One of the tables will be used to sign up new members. Another will be used to sell flowers for the group’s historic house tours as a fundraiser for the historic society’s events. The flowers sold will be the same ones on display during the house tours.
   The third table will be used to sell historic memorabilia. Ms. Wagner said the memorabilia will feature items from Cranbury’s history including afghans, totes, glassware, books and prints.
   "If you want information on Cranbury’s history, this is where you should come," Ms. Wagner said.
   Additionally, the Cranbury Museum, on Park Place East, will be open for Cranbury Day.
   Co-curator Jerry Pevahouse said the museum will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mr. Pevahouse said a new exhibit, "Heart of the Home, An American Kitchen of the 1930s and 1940s," is planned for Cranbury Day.
   "The title explains the exhibit pretty well," he said via e-mail. "It will feature kitchen items from the 1930s and 1940s, some from the Historical Society collection, other items loaned."
   Mr. Pevahouse said the exhibit was organized by Karen Kelly, a member of the historical society’s board. He said the exhibit starts on Cranbury Day and will run for about three months.
   "She’s quite good in that area," Mr. Pevahouse said. "The exhibits she’s done in the past have been very popular."
   He said Ms. Kelly’s personal collection includes pressed and Depression glass, as well as decorative tableware. He said she will contribute some of these items to the exhibit.
   "We actually have an old stove from that period," Mr. Pevahouse said.
   However, he said he isn’t sure that there will be any special activities at the museum this year because he isn’t aware that anyone has volunteered to do any yet.
   "Past years we’ve had a Civil War re-enactment group, a lady who cuts silhouette portraits and occasionally a living history event," Mr. Pevahouse said.
   He said he hasn’t heard anything from the Civil War re-enactors and doesn’t expect that they’ll be coming this year. However, Mr. Pevahouse said it is possible that the silhouette portrait event will happen again this year.
   If silhouette portraits were being made on Cranbury Day, the event would take place outside the museum on Main Street.
   Mr. Pevahouse also said he might contribute to Cranbury Day by making homemade ice cream and giving it out for free.
   He said he’s been sick lately and hasn’t been able to make ice cream, but hopes to find time to do so before Sept. 8.
   Mr. Pevahouse said if people are interested in hosting a special event for Cranbury Day, there is still time to do so by contacting the museum or historical society.
   "I think we probably have less going on this year than we have in the past at the museum," he said.
   Lorraine Sedor, Historical and Preservation Society historian, said she’s looking forward to Cranbury Day, particularly because it seems like most of the town comes out to celebrate it.
   "It seems like everybody passes by at some point," Ms. Sedor said.
   Ms. Wagner agreed, saying she’d hoping to see people she hasn’t seen in a long time.
   "It’s a great day," she said. "Most people look forward to it."
   Those interested in hosting a special event at the museum can contact the Cranbury Museum at (609) 655-2611.