By Ruth Luse, Editor Emeritus
Jack Koeppel, lifelong resident of Hopewell Valley and volunteer archivist for the Hopewell Valley Historical Society, will present “Images of Old Hopewell: A Stroll Through Town Now and Then” at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 13, at Hopewell Elementary School, Princeton Avenue.
This is part of the yearlong 125th celebration of Hopewell Borough’s incorporation.
The slide presentation is one in the Hopewell Public Library’s Wednesday Night Out Series and “will focus on the borough’s special 19th-century character by juxtaposing the old with the new,” said Mr. Koeppel.
Images from the collections of the Historical Society, Hopewell Museum and Bill Frenchu are matched with photographs of Hopewell as it looks today. A highlight of the presentation will feature pictures of familiar buildings that slowly transform on-screen into their 19th-century counterparts, said a spokesman.
The presentation will be an imaginary stroll along Broad Street beginning at the intersection of Broad Street and Greenwood Avenue. The walk will proceed east toward Hamilton Avenue before circling back to Greenwood. From there the journey will follow Broad to Louellen Street with some side trips along the way.
Attendees will see today’s streetscape first. Then, some familiar places will morph into the exact scene from the past. For some buildings two earlier versions have been discovered.
