Restoring History & Honoring Humanity
Eighth grade students from Timberlane Middle School worked with the Witness Stones Project and the Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum to memorialize three enslaved people from Central New Jersey: Friday Truehart, Frost Blackwell and a woman named Nance. This exhibition of student artwork reflects on these individuals’ lives, history and humanity.
Sponsored by the Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum.
Learn more at SSAAM.org.
Programs will include live theatrical performances, a birthday celebration for Frederick Douglass, and a student art and history exhibit.
“Meet Hannah Till” – Live Performance, Friday, Feb. 7 at 7 p.m., Mt. Zion AME Church, 189 Hollow Road, Skillman, NJ 08558 – Educator and historical reenactor Leslie Bramlett will portray Hannah Archer Till, George Washington’s personal cook during the Revolutionary War, in an original one-woman show.
The daughter of an enslaved African American woman and an Oneida Indian man, Hannah Till was born into slavery in 1721. In 1777, she was leased to General George Washington as his cook and servant.
She and her husband purchased their freedom the next year but continued to work for Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette until the end of the war. She was present at every battle Washington fought during the Revolution.
Tickets are available for $5/person and can be purchased at:
https://www.ssaamuseum.org/
“Meet Hannah Till” – Museum Open Hours, Saturday, Feb. 8 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Mt. Zion AME Church, 189 Hollow Road, Skillman, NJ 08558.
Re-enactor Leslie Bramlett will be present in costume during this interactive museum open house day. She will answer questions and share hands-on activities celebrating African American women of the Revolutionary Period. Free to the public.
Douglass Day at SSAAM, Friday, Feb. 14 from noon-3 p.m., Historic Reasoner-True House, 183 Hollow Road, Skillman, NJ 08558,
In honor of abolitionist and activist Frederick Douglass’s chosen birthday, SSAAM staff will guide visitors on a transcribe-a-thon of historical documents from the Library of Congress.
Docents will provide tours of the museum and special exhibits inside Mt. Zion AME Church. Make history with SSAAM and contribute to the Library of Congress’s digital archives. Birthday cake will be provided.
Participation is free but pre-registration is required. Sign up your student group or as an individual at the following link: https://www.ssaamuseum.org/
“Art of the Witness Stones Project” – Special Exhibit, Feb. 1-28, Princeton Public Library
The Princeton Public Library will display a special art and history exhibit from SSAAM throughout the month of February in their second-floor Reading Room.
This exhibit will share the artwork of Timberlane Middle School’s 8th grade students who researched the lives of Friday Truehart, Frost Blackwell, and Nance, three individuals who were enslaved in Central New Jersey during the 18th and 19th centuries. In collaboration with SSAAM and the Witness Stones Project, students created touching artwork reflecting on the lives of these enslaved people and the legacy of slavery in New Jersey. Free to the public.
For more information about these special events or to learn more about SSAAM, visit SSAAM.org
By Alexis Tarrazi on Patch on June 13, 2024
SOMERVILLE, NJ — Somerset County honored the winners of the Somerset County Historic Preservation and History Awards for their excellence in preserving local history.
The awards recognize individuals and organizations that support the preservation of Somerset County’s history and historic resources through preservation or restoration projects, publications, leadership efforts, or education.
“The extensive history of Somerset County is not just a list of names, places, and events,” said Commissioner Director Shanel Y. Robinson. “We must remember that those names have legacies, these places tell stories, and those events offer insights. That’s why we honor and celebrate these great people and organizations that work to preserve Somerset County’s history.”
The awards are sponsored by the Somerset County Board of County Commissioners and Somerset County Cultural and Heritage Commission.
The program is administered by an awards committee appointed by the County’s Cultural & Heritage Commission including Cultural & Heritage Commission board members and Advisory Committee members.
2024 Historic Preservation and History Awards:
History Education Award Winners – Friends of The Abraham Staats House & Robert Morris School (South Bound Brook School District), Witness Stones Project.
This category recognizes specific programs, educational institutions, groups, or individuals, displaying excellence in increasing public awareness and knowledge of Somerset County history.
History Publication Award Winner – Davie-Lyn Jones-Evans.
This category recognizes publications that can include books, journals, articles, brochures, or pamphlets which increase public awareness and knowledge of Somerset County history.
For more information, contact the Cultural & Heritage Commission at 908-231-7021 or email CulturalHeritage@co.somerset.nj.us.
