On April 18 between 1 and 4 p.m., the Historic Village at Allaire will be holding a demonstration of the beehive oven and the techniques used for baking in a 19th-century village. Discover the bakery of the 1830s Howell Works and the role it played in sustaining an entire community.
Come join the workers as they prepare the dough and slide it into the oven, and then smell the aroma of freshly baked bread.
In the 1830s, the communal bakery was essential to the workers and their families. Since the majority of homes did not have ovens, it was necessary for villagers to have the means of purchasing fresh bread.
James P. Allaire, owner and founder of the Howell Works, now known as the Historic Village at Allaire, foresaw the need for a bakery able to produce enough bread for a community of, at times, 400 people. He had the bakery constructed near the site of the grist mill and saw to it that all necessary ingredients were readily available at the general store. This was an essential part of his plan for a self-contained community.
Visit the village as people prepare for the upcoming spring festival, and discuss the passing of Allaire’s first wife. The young ladies of the village will be busy practicing their needlework, but rest assured, none of the villagers is too busy with her daily chores to stop and chat for a while.
Allaire Village Inc. is licensed by the state of New Jersey to operate the 40-acre Historic Village at Allaire, the site of James P. Allaire’s Howell Iron Works Company in the 1830s.
The Historic Village at Allaire is in Allaire State Park on Route 524 (4265 Atlantic Ave., Wall Township), just outside Howell. For more information, contact the office during business hours, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at 732-919-3500 or visit www.allairevillage.org.