A llaire Village Inc. will present “School Days at the 1830s Howell Works” on July 17. Children of all ages (and curious adults) will get a taste of what it was like to attend school in 1836 at the village’s carriage house. Two separate 45-minute sessions will be conducted. School sessions are at 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Students will be instructed by Schoolmaster Tanser and his able assistant Ms. Johnson in the Lancasterian method. Much to their delight, unruly students will be subjected to the “punishments” of the early 19th century. These, now fun, were once serious repercussions to misbehaving. All students will leave with a small reward, as was custom in the Lancasterian teaching system, and an understanding of New Jersey’s early education history.
Following the lessons of the day, children are invited to participate in an 1836 recess. Ninepins, jacks, graces, stilts and other childhood delights can be enjoyed with the villagers. A period storyteller will share stories of the past, and parents and children are welcome to lend an ear to their tales of a world long past.
From noon to 4 p.m., visitors are encouraged to visit the villagers in their homes and learn about the role of children at the Howell Works in 1836. Assist the ladies in the manager’s house as they prepare school lunches for the children in the village.
Discuss discipline and duties of the 1830s youth with the Allaire housekeepers. Visit the various tradesmen and learn about the life of a young apprentice in the shop, and perhaps even meet a few.
Historic Village at Allaire is in Allaire State Park at 4265 Atlantic Ave. (Route 524), Wall Township. For more information, contact the office during business hours, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at 732-919-3500 or www.allairevillage.org.