By JF Grodeska
FREEHOLD – Monmouth County is steeped in history and the Monmouth County Historical Association (MCHA) wants to help unpack all of it. The MCHA owns and curates five historic buildings, an extensive archive and library, and a museum that contains a plethora of historic artifacts from Monmouth County’s past.
“MCHA began in 1898, when the founders wisely recognized the importance of collecting and preserving Monmouth County’s amazing history for public education and local pride,” said Dana Howell, MCHA digital education archivist.
“We have one of the finest regional museum collections in the country and our archives house some of the most important and fascinating documents in not only local history, but American history as well. From our most significant event, the Battle of Monmouth, down to the most obscure detail in a Civil War letter, both collections tell endless stories beautifully.”
Howell is passionate about history and historic personalities, as one might expect of someone in her position. “I have always been a lover of history. My B.A. is in psychology with a minor in American Studies, but it was mainly the psychology behind historic figures and events that I was most captured by,” she said. She began her work with MCHA as a library assistant and became an archivist after receiving her archival studies certification.
In addition to the museum, Howell said MCHA’s research library is home to thousands of genealogies with Monmouth County provenance, making the library a great resource for those who are looking to discover their roots here.
“We also have four historic house museums, one of which is now home to our award-winning exhibit, ‘Beneath the Floorboards: Whispers of the Enslaved at Marlpit Hall,’ which reinterprets the residence from the perspective of the enslaved. Our education program is based on this amazing exhibit, both of which have been very well received at the state and local level.” MCHA has been selected to present the program at the National Council for the Social Studies conference later this year.
Howell noted the education pages on the MCHA website are not just for kids. “They are meant to be accessible and interesting for all ages,” she said.
“If you or your children would like to learn about the history of slavery in New Jersey, you can explore the digital companion to the exhibit. Of course, there is nothing better than experiencing the actual place where the history happened, so I highly recommend a visit to Marlpit Hall,” Howell said. Hours of operation are from 1 to 4 p.m. Friday through Sunday.
Public school curriculum is survey-based and generalized. Rarely do students, or the general public, get to study the history of their town or county to discover the uniqueness of the area. MCHA has tackled this challenge head on.
MCHA created its curriculum-based education page so that high school students can feel connected on a local level. “We’re hoping to spark a love of history in those who might feel far removed from it by introducing them to hometown heroes like Johnny Bartek, Lillie Hamm, William B. Ross, Elizabeth Covenhoven and Joshua Huddy, and have them realize that they walk in the footsteps of these people every day,” Howell said. “These things happened here. It makes a difference when history is within their reach and not just in a book or on a website.”
“Kids learn about giants like Abraham Lincoln and Rosa Parks, and certainly admire them,” Howell said. “But it’s sometimes hard to find that personal connection to these figures when they are so far removed from us geographically. We have so much great history right here in Monmouth County that is overshadowed by the main focus on national heroes and events, which are certainly deserved, but I think we can do better by combining national history with local history.”
And “history” doesn’t just mean old, Howell noted. She said when callers want to donate an object or a document, they often say, “I don’t know if this is old enough for you, but…” She tells them to look at an artifact through the lens of researchers a century from now. “It doesn’t have to be earth-shattering; it just needs to reflect the time in which we live. Those details may seem ordinary to us today, but if we don’t document them now, we will be leaving a lot of questions in our wake for future historians.”
Howell hopes a new program in the works will spark even greater curiosity and help bring lesser-known areas of Monmouth County history to the forefront. She and associate curator Joe Zelma recently reviewed MCHA holdings and found the organization did not have a lot of artifacts or information about underrepresented communities.
“Having a well-rounded collection that is useful to the public is our goal,” she said. “We have excellent documentation on the European families who settled Monmouth County, but little on other marginalized populations throughout our history.”
“We thought about what we would like to have as researchers,” she said.
“Who wouldn’t like to hear history being told in the voices of those who lived it?”
Thus began a digital diversity oral history program that will be available on the MCHA website which will document the experiences of marginalized individuals and groups so they are not lost to time.
“Our LGBTQ phase contains stories dating back to the 1950s,” Howell said, “including a lovely couple who were finally able to get married after 60 years together, and an amazing blended family with just the most heartwarming story. We recently moved from our LGBTQ phase to the African American phase, which provides little-known details about Asbury Park when it was segregated and, unfortunately, some of the hidden and not-so-hidden discrimination experienced by the Black community through various decades. We didn’t want people to forget about that.”
The goal for the project, according to Howell, is that it will not only be a resource for future generations, but a resource to learn from today. “There is still discrimination against minority groups such as LGBTQ and African American communities,” she said. “We hope young LGBTQ or African American kids listen to these interviews and find inspiration and hope in the stories.”
The MCHA website offers a wealth of information on the Monmouth County history page, including museum objects, primary source original documents, videos and true stories. Howell said to check the site frequently as they add new items. “It is a work in progress, but we were so excited about it that we wanted to make it available as we continue to build it,” she said.
The Monmouth County Historical Association is located at 70 Court St., Freehold or visit monmouthhistory.org for more information about educational programs, the digital diversity oral history program and its historic buildings.
The article originally appeared in the January 5 – 11, 2022 print edition of The Two River Times.
