People who love history look forward to Weekend in Old Monmouth, coming May 4 and 5. It’s a chance to peek behind the doors of historic homes, churches and farms beloved by their communities, purposefully preserved for future generations.
Throughout the two days, community volunteers will give free tours of 50 historical structures, telling stories and answering questions. Using the county’s suggested tour routes, it’s easy to see several historic sites in a day.
Five sites were added to the 2019 Weekend in Old Monmouth tour this year: T. Thomas Fortune Cultural Center, Red Bank; Allentown Presbyterian Church, Allentown; St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Freehold; Squan Village Histor- ical Society, Manasquan; and Old Brick Reformed Church, Marlboro.
The sites on the tour are generally operated independently. Preview the tour sites at visitmonmouth.com. You can download a tour book with map and links to the virtual tour which uses Geographic Information System (GIS) technology. Residents and visitors can view and learn about each site and access the four suggested self-guided tours on the interactive map.
The hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 4 and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, May 5.
The annual Weekend in Old Monmouth tour is coordinated by the Monmouth County Historical Commission which provides matching grants for municipal and nonprofit historic preservation projects and historic programming, recognizes individuals and groups for efforts to preserve historic sites and resources and offers an essay contest for fifth-grade students.
Here are the four suggested groupings, which may be visited individually, or as part of a tour:
Courtesy Monmouth County
Bayshore Tour (Purple)
Keyport Historical Society, Keyport
Keyport Fire Museum & Education Center, Keyport
Burrowes Mansion Museum, Matawan
Longstreet Farm (Historic), Holmdel
Holmes-Hendrickson House, Holmdel
Dr. Cooke’s Medical Office, Holmdel
Joseph Murray Farmhouse, Middletown
Old First Church, Middletown
Marlpit Hall, Middletown
Taylor-Butler House, Middletown
Seabrook-Wilson House, Middletown
Strauss Mansion Museum, Atlantic Highlands
All Saints Memorial Church, Middletown
Twin Lights Lighthouse, Highlands
Two Rivers Tour (Blue)
Seabright Lawn Tennis & Cricket Club, Rumson
First Presbyterian Church, Rumson
Parker Homestead, Little Silver
Red Bank Woman’s Club, Red Bank
T. Thomas Fortune House, Red Bank
Allen House, Shrewsbury
Friends Meeting House, Shrewsbury
Christ Church, Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury Historical Museum Municipal Complex, Shrews.
Crawford House, Tinton Falls
Eatontown Historical Museum Read House, Eatontown
Township of Ocean Historical Museum, Ocean
Seashore Tour (Green)
Stephen Crane House, Asbury Park
Great Auditorium, Neptune
Ocean Grove Historical Museum, Neptune
Spring Lake Historical Society Museum, Spring Lake
St. Catharine Church, Spring Lake
National Guard Militia Museum, Sea Girt
Squan Village Historical Society, Manasquan
Old Wall Historical Society, Wall
InfoAge Science Center, Wall
Allaire Historic Village, Farmingdale
Western Tour (Orange)
Allentown Presbyterian Church, Allentown
Walnford (Historic), Upper Freehold
Roosevelt Borough Historic District, Roosevelt
Baird House, Millstone
Village Inn, Englishtown
Old Tennent Church, Manalapan
Craig House, Freehold
Oakley Farm, Freehold
Jewish Heritage Museum, Freehold
Covenhoven House, Freehold
Saint Peter’s Church, Freehold
Monmouth County Hist. Association Museum, Freehold
Montrose School House, Colts Neck
Old Brick Reformed Church, Marlboro
