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East Jersey Old Town Village

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A Collection of 16 Historic Buildings From the Revolutionary War and Beyond

This special historic village has delighted visitors with a glimpse into the past since its opening in 1978.

East Jersey Old Town Aerial (2)

The Village features historic structures from the 1700s and 1800s, reloca­ted to its site within Johnson Pa­rk. They represent different architecture styles found throughout Middlesex County’s Rarita­n Valley. The Village’s founder, Dr. Joseph Kler, and a group of local residents saved most of the buildings from demolition and transported them to the Village where they were reassembled and restored to reflect how they would have looked way back when.

Now you can explore these buildings of early residents and the archaeological discoveries from the long-vanished port community of Raritan Landing, which was located in the same area as East Jersey Old Town Village, on the Raritan River.

Check out our calendar of upcoming special events, programs, and exhibits.

An Outing Adults, Kids, and History Buffs Will Love

EJOT_MapWander through time with indoor and outdoor experiences. Visit a tavern, traditional schoolhouse, chapel, blacksmith shop, and more. See a stone carver, printer, Revolutionary War soldiers, and other historical interpreters in action. The kids can relax in our children’s room with crafts and movies, too. Then enjoy the lovely nature in Johnson Park, including picnic tables for lunch.

Explore a gateway site for the Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area, situated along the Washington-Rochambeau National Historic Trail, where Continental, British, French, and Hessian troops, passed through and encamped. Stop by the General Store and purchase postcards, books, t-shirts, teas, and honey from our beehives.

 

Liberty Base Ball

The Village grounds also host the Liberty Base Ball Club, an amateur team that plays in the style of the original Liberty Base Ball Club of New Brunswick, founded in 1857. The current team uses replica uniforms, equipment, and rules from the 1850s!

Mad Hatters: Stories of New Jersey’s Industrial Toxins

  • Date: 04/16/2023 7:00 PM  
  • Location: Virtual

Mad Hatters, The Radium Girls, and The Asbestos Hotel: Stories of New Jersey’s Industrial Toxins with Dr. Sandra Moss
April 16 at 7 pm

Virtual Zoom Program:

https://middlesexcountynj-gov.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0td-2vrDkrEtFY_zNS08BYfuHmS3olfI4-

Join Dr. Sandra Moss to learn about how industrial toxins are an inescapable part of the history of the industrial State of New Jersey. Historically, three New Jersey industrial toxins – mercury, radium, and asbestos – have their own harrowing stories to tell. The hatting industry, which thrived in dozens of small shops in Essex County including in Orange, South Orange, and Millburn in the latter decades of the nineteenth century, exposed workers to toxic mercury fumes, causing mental and physical disabilities. In the interwar years, dozens of radium dial painters at a factory in Orange – all young women – suffered and died from radiation-induced bone cancer and bone degeneration. In the mid-century, workers at Manville, the “asbestos city,” fell ill with damaged lungs and a rare tumor called mesothelioma, as did workers who installed the insulation products produced at the Manville plant. In recent decades, New Jersey has been home to over 140 EPA-administered Superfund cleanup sites. But protection for workers and compensation for those suffering and sometimes dying from industrial exposures have been relatively recent developments – join us to hear about the cases that paved the way for protecting the health of workers throughout the state.

Return to full list >>

Liberty BBC teamLiberty BBC hit

The History of East Jersey Old Town Village

In the 1970s, Dr. Joseph Kler saved historic buildings from demolition and relocated them to Johnson Park. East Jersey Old Town Village would grow to become a center where the public could learn about the important history of central New Jersey. The family continued to remain active in the village for many years and contributed financially to the growth of the reading room.

East Jersey Old Town Aerial

East Jersey Old Town Village Events

Mad Hatters: Stories of New Jersey’s Industrial Toxins

  • Date: 04/16/2023 7:00 PM  
  • Location: Virtual

Mad Hatters, The Radium Girls, and The Asbestos Hotel: Stories of New Jersey’s Industrial Toxins with Dr. Sandra Moss
April 16 at 7 pm

Virtual Zoom Program:

https://middlesexcountynj-gov.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0td-2vrDkrEtFY_zNS08BYfuHmS3olfI4-

Join Dr. Sandra Moss to learn about how industrial toxins are an inescapable part of the history of the industrial State of New Jersey. Historically, three New Jersey industrial toxins – mercury, radium, and asbestos – have their own harrowing stories to tell. The hatting industry, which thrived in dozens of small shops in Essex County including in Orange, South Orange, and Millburn in the latter decades of the nineteenth century, exposed workers to toxic mercury fumes, causing mental and physical disabilities. In the interwar years, dozens of radium dial painters at a factory in Orange – all young women – suffered and died from radiation-induced bone cancer and bone degeneration. In the mid-century, workers at Manville, the “asbestos city,” fell ill with damaged lungs and a rare tumor called mesothelioma, as did workers who installed the insulation products produced at the Manville plant. In recent decades, New Jersey has been home to over 140 EPA-administered Superfund cleanup sites. But protection for workers and compensation for those suffering and sometimes dying from industrial exposures have been relatively recent developments – join us to hear about the cases that paved the way for protecting the health of workers throughout the state.

Return to full list >>

American Revolution Watch a “battle” between the American patriots and the British redcoats. Historical Figures Visit the tavern and stand in the spot where George Washington was honored after the Revolution. Augmented Reality “Meet” the first president in our augmented reality tour. Architecture Check out different architectural styles of the Raritan Valley. Historic Technology Watch a colonial printing press in action. Liberty Base Ball Take in all the action at a vintage baseball game, 1857 style.