The corner of West Main Street (Route 537) and Wemrock Road in Freehold Township has changed a great deal since the 1800s when the Levi Solomon farmhouse and barn sat close to the road. The property now houses retail stores in the quaint Mount’s Corner shopping center, but in a courtyard at the rear corner of the retail complex, visitors can experience a blast from the past.
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The 19th-century house and cattle and hay barn originally owned by the Levi Solomon family have been moved to stand in their current locations in the courtyard. The house and lower level of the barn are being used for retail establishments. The 3,000-square-foot upper level of the barn has been renovated and transformed into the Jewish Heritage Museum of Monmouth County.
According to the museum’s Internet Web site, "The Jewish Heritage Museum of Monmouth County is dedicated to the promotion of public awareness of the county’s Jewish heritage for the education and enjoyment of children and adults."
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To celebrate the completion of the transformation of the historic barn into a modern museum, complete with a performance stage and exhibit area, modern plumbing and lighting, and a motorized lift for handicapped persons, the Jewish Heritage Museum of Monmouth County will host an open house 2-8 p.m. Aug. 21. All are welcome to attend.
Museum Director Jean Klerman of Fair Haven said, "It was so fortuitous that we were offered this once-in-alifetime opportunity to house the museum in a building that has a connection to one of the earliest Jewish residents in Monmouth County, merchant and tavernkeeper Jonas Solomon. He died before the War for Independence, and the British burned his house in 1778. His oldest son, Levi Solomon, was 10 during the Revolutionary War when his house was burned down. In 1800, Levi bought the property that this barn was built on.
"The building itself is a wonderful exhibit with all the improvements that have been made to the infrastructure and the history," she continued. "We welcome all people of all ages and all faiths to come to our museum to learn about this particular group. Everyone is welcome. Our open house is Aug. 21, but all are welcome anytime."
All of the people who are involved with the museum are volunteers.
Georgine Eberight of Marlboro is a volunteer docent who helps out by showing people around.
"I’ve always been interested in history," Eberight said. "I stopped by to see what the museum was like and they asked if I would be willing to volunteer a couple of hours a week and I said yes."
Barbara Michaels is the chairwoman of public relations.
"I got involved through the National Council of Jewish Women," she said. "When I heard about the museum, I thought we could get involved as an organization. Now I’m very involved."
Adam Klemon, 16, of Colts Neck, did all the plantings outside the museum as part of his Eagle Scout project. He is spearheading a Buy a Brick campaign and will create a memorial walkway in the back of the building.
According to Freehold Township’s Internet Web site, the Levi Solomon farm was the first Jewish settlement in Monmouth County.
The current owner of the property and the developer of Mount’s Corner shopping center, Bernard Hochberg, designated the upper level of the barn to house the Jewish Heritage Museum of Monmouth County. The Jewish Federation of Greater Monmouth County provided support for the project.
Artifacts from Hochberg’s family collection are currently on display in the museum, including antique scales, photographs and many other items. The Hochberg family has a long history in the Freehold area.
Plans are in the making for a permanent exhibit that will include a timeline of the Jewish population of Monmouth County, and an oral history supplied by past and present Jewish residents and business owners.
"We are very interested in people’s stories," said Michael Berman, president of the Jewish Heritage Museum of Monmouth County. "We feel the museum should tell the stories of the Jewish residents of Monmouth County over the last almost 300 years. The history begins with a tavernkeeper from 1760 and continues to today."
According to literature at the museum, Monmouth County attracted Jewish settlers as early as 1720 due to its proximity to New York and Philadelphia.
"From the Freehold peddler to the Long Branch department store magnate, from the Howell Township chicken farmer to the Jersey Homesteads industrial and agricultural cooperative, from the Millstone Zionist Pioneer camp to the ‘Jewish Newport on the Jersey Shore,’ the story of the Monmouth County Jewish community is the story of American Jewish Life," according to literature at the museum.
Berman explained that Ronardi Enterprises, of which Hochberg is a principal, purchased the barn and farmhouse in 1986 for the purpose of building a commercial development on the site. Part of the project was to move the colonial house and cattle and hay barn to expand the intersection of Route 537 and Wemrock Road.
As part of the project, half of the barn was dedicated to museum space as a way of giving back to the community. It was originally going to be an agricultural museum with farming equipment on display, but because of the property’s connection to an early Jewish tavern owner and his descendants, it became the Jewish Heritage Museum of Monmouth County. The museum officially opened several weeks ago.
"The barn had been designated a landmark by the Freehold Township Historic Preservation Commission," said Berman, "so the developer was required to expose and feature as many architectural elements as possible."
The original cedar shake roof and ceiling are visible upon entering the museum’s loft space. There is a hayfork hanging from the ceiling, which was pulled across a track to the hay door at the end of the barn. The hayfork would slide down beyond the barn to the hay wagon in order to feed the livestock below.
The barn also features an original water tank, which is believed to have been attached to a windmill and provided water for the livestock. The water tank is currently visible above the museum’s new interactive multimedia exhibit and performance area, where enlarged photos of western Monmouth County chicken farmers from the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s are currently on display.
"We know that Levi Solomon was involved with wagon making and fixing in the 1800s because his journal was found in the walls of the building," said Klerman.
She added, "Our mission is to celebrate the story and the accomplishments of the Jewish residents of Monmouth County, to educate the public of all ages and all backgrounds to the history and contributions of this particular ethnic group."
Performances, children’s crafts and activities, and an interactive space are also being planned for the museum. Several plasma television sets are on the walls for future video presentations.
A collection of mezuzahs decorated by children are also on display.
The first major art exhibit at the museum, featuring the works of Jacob Landau, is slated to open Sept. 14. Landau was a resident of the small western Monmouth County community of Roosevelt. The opening on that day will be by invitation only. After that, the public is welcome to view the Landau display during the museum’s regular fall hours (beginning in September), Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The museum’s first performance of a theatrical event, "The Immigrant," directed by area resident David Sorin, is planned for November.
The officers and docents of the museum are planning a "Create Your Own Menorah" activity for sometime in December, as well as a menorah appraisal event.
"The museum celebrates the Jewish people and tells the story of the American experience from the point of view of one particular cultural group. It’s not a religious institution, even though we are very respectful of holidays, cultures, religious traditions and food traditions of the Jewish people. For example, any foods and refreshments served for special events will be kosher and the museum is closed on the Jewish Sabbath, Saturdays, but we welcome everyone, from the very observant to the nonobservant," Klerman said.
For museum hours and further information about the Jewish Heritage Museum of Monmouth County, or to become a member and/or volunteer, call 732-252- 6990 or visit www.Jhmomc.org.
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