Historic Cherry Hill [NY]

Description

Historic Cherry Hill is a 1787 residence, occupied by the Van Rensselaer family until 1963. The site presents the changing culture, decorative arts, economic climate, and social classes of the 176 years in which the home was in use. The structure exists in its 1963 state in order to render social and architectural evolution visible to visitors. The Van Rensselaers were originally considered Hudson River manor lords, members of a group of wealthy local Dutch settlers. However, as early as the 1820s, the family began to face economic pressure which would increase with the formation of the millionaire class and the large numbers of immigrants entering the U.S. Collections include more than 20,000 artifacts—from the most mundane household items to rare examples of decorative arts styles—and 30,000 archival documents.

Cherry Hill offers period rooms; tours; interactive educational programs for students; and educational outreach programs for students. Reservations are required for groups of 10 or more. Listening assistance devices are available. The website offers two teaching units for purchase. Both won awards from the American Association for State and Local History.

Tours and on site educational programs are currently unavailable, as the site undergoes restoration. Outreach programming is still available.

Bishop Hill State Historic Site

Description

Bishop Hill was the site of a utopian religious community founded in 1846 by Swedish pietist Eric Janson (1808–1850) and his followers. A number of historically significant buildings have survived and are scattered throughout the village, four of which are owned by the state and managed as part of the Bishop Hill State Historic Site. The 1848 Colony Church is a two-story frame building. The three-story stuccoed-brick 1850s Colony Hotel served commercial travelers and provided a link to the outside world. The 1850 "Boys' Dormitory" is a small two-story frame structure believed to have provided housing for boys making the transition to working adulthood. An 1850s Colony barn was relocated behind the Hotel to the site of the original Hotel stable. In addition to the historic structures, the state owns the village park with a gazebo and memorials to the town's early settlers and Civil War soldiers. The brick museum building houses a valuable collection of primitivist paintings by colonist Olof Krans (1838–1916).

The site offers exhibits, a short film, and occasional recreational and educational events.

Slater Mill Historic Site [RI] Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 01/08/2008 - 13:36
Description

Slater Mill is a museum complex dedicated to bringing one of the most exciting and significant periods of American history to life. Visitors to the site experience a time when an America of small farmers and craftsmen was poised to become the industrial leader of the world. In the Slater Mill itself, visitors are surrounded by vintage textile machinery bathed in the light of large windows. With expert commentary from costumed interpreters they can imagine the lives of the people—many of them children—who made the early mills come alive.

In the nearby Wilkinson Mill they can feel the throb of the great 16,000-pound mill wheel, a replica of the original wheel that harnessed the power of the Blackstone River to make the era's finest tools. Children get up close and personal with early production processes as they provide the power and operate miniature machinery in the Apprentice Alcove. In the Sylvanus Brown House they can look back to a time when spinning, weaving, cooking, and quilting were the stuff of everyday life.

The site offers a short film, exhibits, tours, demonstrations, workshops, educational programs, and occasional recreational and educational events (including living history events).

Sutter's Fort State Historic Park [CA]

Description

In 1839 a Swiss immigrant named John Sutter received a land grant in the Sacramento Valley from the Mexican government. He used the land to create a flourishing agricultural empire and named it New Helvetia (New Switzerland.) This empire established Sacramento's earliest settlement and the first non-Indian settlement in California's Central Valley. In 1847, Sutter sent aid to the Donner Party, a group of immigrants trapped in a winter storm in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Word spread and Sutter became known for his hospitality and for providing temporary refuge to travelers. This reputation made New Helvetia the destination for early immigrants to California. Less than a decade after they were established, Sutter's properties were overrun by gold seekers and the fort is all that remains of New Helvetia. It has been restored to its former state based on an 1847 map published in Darmstadt, Germany and is open daily for tours.

The park offers exhibits; tours; and recreational and educational events, including living history events.

Weaverville Joss House State Historic Park [CA]

Description

The temple is the oldest continuously used Chinese temple in California. On display are art objects, pictures, mining tools, and weapons used in the 1854 Tong War. This Taoist temple is still a place of worship and a fascinating look into the role played by Chinese immigrants in early California history. The temple was built in 1874 as a replacement for another that had burned. Many of the historical objects have been restored and the structure itself stabilized.

The park offers exhibits, tours, and educational and recreational events.

Lower East Side Tenement Museum

Description

The Museum tells the stories of 97 Orchard Street. Built on Manhattan's Lower East Side in 1863, this tenement apartment building was home to nearly 7,000 working class immigrants. They faced challenges people understand today: making a new life, working for a better future, starting a family with limited means. In recognizing the importance of this seemingly ordinary building, the Tenement Museum has reimagined the role that museums can play in modern lives.

The museum offers exhibits, tours, educational programs, and educational and recreational events.

Daniel Boone Homestead [PA]

Description

The Daniel Boone Homestead is a state historic site which preserves a number of historic structures. Daniel Boone's parents first settled the site in 1730 and the region was populated by many diverse people—English, Welsh, Scots-Irish, Germans, Swedes, Huguenots, and Lenape Indians. Daniel was born here in 1734 and spent his first 16 years here before his family migrated to North Carolina. Today the site tells the story of Daniel's youth and the saga of the region's 18th-century settlers by contrasting their lives and cultures. This region left a lasting impact on Daniel Boone's life, and on the history of Pennsylvania.

The site offers a short film, exhibits, tours, educational programs, and occasional recreational and educational programs (including living history events).

Liberty State Park and Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal

Description

From 1892 through 1954, the CRRNJ Terminal stood with the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island to unfold one of this nation's most dramatic stories: the immigration of northern, southern, and eastern Europeans, among others, into the United States. After being greeted by the Statue of Liberty and processed at Ellis Island, these immigrants purchased tickets and boarded trains at the Terminal to their new homes.

The site offers exhibits, tours, educational programs, workshops, and educational and recreational events.

Matthew Edel Blacksmith Shop [IA]

Description

This uniquely preserved blacksmith shop is exactly as German immigrant Matthew Edel left it the day he died. Edel, a skilled blacksmith and inventor, operated the shop until his death in 1940. Visitors can see his tools and wares and hear stories about blacksmithing during the age before tractors and automobiles.

The site offers tours and demonstrations.

German Village Society [OH]

Description

The German Village Society seeks to preserve and share the history of working class German Village, a historic neighborhood within Columbus, Ohio. Many of the structures, purchased from Revolutionary War veteran John McGowan, belonged to German immigrants. The society operates a visitor's center. Exhibits topics include preservation, immigration, and brewing.

The center offers an introductory video and exhibits. The society also offers guided tours of the neighborhood. Advanced notice is required for tours.