Re-enactor Featured at County Historical Association’s Jan. 22 Meeting

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LINCROFT – The Mon­mouth County Histori­cal Association will hold its 114th Annual Meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 22, at the Thompson Park Visitor Center, 805 Newman Springs Road.
Members of the association and the general public are invited to arrive between 6:30 and 7 p.m. At 7 p.m. a brief business meeting will be conducted and will be followed by a program, “Philip Freneau, Poet of the Ameri­can Revo­lution.”  Admission is free.

Joseph Smith portrays poet Philip Freneau.
Joseph Smith portrays
poet Philip Freneau.

Freneau will be portrayed by Joseph Smith, who is a performing artist specializing in living history. Smith has been an actor in New York City since 1995 and his mission is to “create excitement and curiosity about living history by giving voice to stories that celebrate the human spirit.”
Freneau was born in New York City and lived in Matawan. Well versed in the classics under the tutelage of William Tennent, Freneau entered Princeton University as a sophomore in 1768 and was a close friend of James Madison. Though he was a serious student of theology, Freneau found his true calling in literature and soon became the unrivaled “poet of the Revolution” and is still widely regarded as the “Father of American Literature.”
Following the program, Smith as Freneau will make himself available for questions. Refreshments will be served at that time.
Additional information and reservations are available by calling 732-462-1466.
The Monmouth County Historical Association is a private non-profit organization that has been working to preserve history and provide educational opportunities since its founding in 1898.