The 18th-century Georgianstyle Burrowes Mansion in the heart of downtown Matawan will be one of the stops on the county’s third annual “Weekend in Old Monmouth,” a two-day historic-sites tour on Saturday, May 1, and from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, May 2.
A total of 40 historic places throughout Monmouth County will be featured on the tour, according to Randall Gabrielan, executive director of the Monmouth County Historical Commission.
“The outlined tours place what are often widely separated sites in some semblance of order,” he said. “Visitors may see the places in any order or no order at all. While we propose starting points, it’s really a tour designed to fit different history interests.”
The tours also represent several historic themes:
• The Revolutionary War: The Revolution is revisited here, not only the major sites in the Monmouth Battlefield area, but in lesser known places such as the Burrowes Mansion in Matawan, Marlpit Hall and the Murray Farm, both in Middletown.
• Military: Fort Hancock at Sandy Hook, the most heavily fortified installation on the East Coast for much of the 20th century; the National Historic Landmark Monmouth Battlefield in Manalapan; and one of the more fascinating, but lesser known museums, the New Jersey National Guard Militia Museum in Sea Girt with museum exhibits and fighter aircraft on the ground and tanks.
• Preservation: Marlpit Hall in Middletown was the first restored house museum in the region, dating from its 1930s opening.
• Faith: Architectural gems of each of the last three centuries, 18th-century Christ Church in Shrewsbury, 19th-century All Saints Memorial in Middletown, and 20th-century St. Catharine’s in Spring Lake. In addition, Old Tennent Church in Manalapan is closely tied to the Battle of Monmouth, and the Friends Meeting House in Shrewsbury represents one of the oldest worship traditions in Monmouth County.
Historic Walnford in Upper Freehold• Shore: While the tour includes sites on the north (Sandy Hook), central (Ocean Grove) and southern shores (National Guard Militia Museum), the drive along the shore is one of the best ways to feel and appreciate Monmouth County’s relationship to the shore. Other elements on the tour include lighthouses, Victorian homes, agriculture, industry, education and science. All of the sites contribute to the importance of preservation and history throughout Monmouth County. The county supports the preservation movement annually by awarding preservation grants to historic sites. Many of the tour locations have received grants in the past.
Members of the Matawan Historic Sites Commission, including local historians Julius Kish and Al Savolaine, will provide guided tours of the Burrowes Mansion to the public.
A site list and map are available on the county’s website at www.visitmonmouth.com.