You’ve got to love New Jersey.  What other state in the union would have a building shaped like and elephant and a ship made out of concrete?  Brilliant.

On Wednesday, May 22, at 7:30 PM at the Cranford Community Center at 220 Walnut Avenue, The Friends of the Cranford Library will host regional historian and photographer Kevin Woyce.  There is no charge for attendance, and attendees are sure to learn some fun facts about the jersey shore – just in time for summer and visits to our local beaches!

Woyce will offer a colorful tour, complete with original photography and vintage maps, of the interesting and unique history of the jersey shore.  Learn about things of historical significance, such as storms, pirates, and shipwrecks.  See points of interest and learn their stories, such as lighthouses, boardwalks, hotels, resorts, and amusement parks.  You can even find out how various seaside communities got their names.  Many things which very well may have been a regular part of your summer beach experience may have stories behind them you weren’t aware of.

Why not check it out and be entertained?  You might already know all of the interesting stories about the Jersey coast, but come anyway, just to be “shore.”

On Sunday, May 19th, from 2:00- 4:00 PM at the Crane-Phillips House Museum at 124 North Union Avenue in Cranford, The Cranford Historical Society will host an afternoon of their “Meet the Local Author” program. Present will be local author and Cranford resident John Shubeck, who will present a discussion of his recently published work, Sour Cream, Blueberries, and You:  A Memoir, and offer book signings.  Author, photographer, and local existentialist,  John Shubeck has compiled more than one hundred short stories, poems, observations, and photographs recording everyday happenings. Shubeck uses experiences gleaned from his everyday life with family, business, society, and nature, and he explores how each change in life brings with it new experiences and new doors to open.  He will also discuss his experiences through the entire process of actually publishing his book.

Amazon.com posts the following description of his latest book – “Sour Cream, Blueberries, and You”  offers a new look at life and how we live as described by author and photographer John Shubeck through more than one hundred short stories, poems, observations, and photographs recording everyday happenings. What you now see as mundane can be revealed with hidden opportunities and humor, providing new insights through his observations. An occasional bit of reality presents food for thought and opens doors to what could be. From the emotion of “A Woman in Love” to the vicarious sadness expressed in “Today I Saw a Friend,” Shubeck’s writing considers friendship or love in a new light. He uses the experiences he has gleaned from his family, business, and society; even nature is exposed and seen differently. By opening wonderful new worlds, new experiences have come his way with each life change. He has not only become more aware of the world around him, but he also revels in the new and exciting relationships that have come with each new start in his life.”

In the Introduction of his book, Shubeck himself writes, “I hope my curiosity gave some insights that I will use to tickle your fancy and have you saying, ‘Yes, I never thought of that, but now I see.’  While recuperating from a heart attack in 2004, I walked the streets of Cranford, New Jersey, and as a resident photographer, I recorded it’s lifegiving beauty and atmosphere.”

Admission to this event is free, and everyone is welcome to attend. Perhaps we could all use a bit of a spotlight on Cranford’s “lifegiving beauty and atmosphere,” and the chance to appreciate what has been all around us all along.  A visit with John Shubert may offer just the feel-good perspective we need.

Cranford NJ’s Crane-Phillips House Museum

There’s something truly special about finding an antique or vintage gem.  It holds a story.  It boasts a history, even if it is a silent or secret one.  It gains new life, while adding a unique new flavor, to your home or in your possession.  It’s something only YOU will have, because it’s not something readily available off of a current day assembly line.  It is a prize at the end of a hunt.

On Saturday, May 18^th, from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM, head out to the Cranford United Methodist Church parking lot, at 201 Lincoln Avenue East (at the corner of Walnut), to find some timeless gems at the annual Cranford Antique Show and Sale.

Dealers will be set up, ready to show, talk about, and sell their fine antiques and vintage treasures.  Virtually all varieties of antiques will be available . . . . including dolls, postcards, tools, books, linens, textiles, pottery, porcelain,  jewelry, toys, decorative items, and period furniture.  Truly, something for every type of collector or interest holder.

At the very least, it promises to be a fun and enlightening stroll through time.  And you may  just walk out with an item whose story you are destined to continue.

Cranford NJ’s Crane-Phillips House Museum

            On Saturday, May 18^th, from 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM, at 216 Holly Street, The Cranford Historical Society will host a fundraising garage sale, to raise funds for a barn.  That’s right – a barn.  The plan is to purchase a miniature barn, to be placed on the grounds at the Crane-Phillips House Museum at 124 North Union Avenue, just as it was in the late 1800’s.  This is a much anticipated addition to the popular town museum, which offers residents an opportunity to step back in time to Cranford’s early roots. 

            The Crane-Phillips House Museum is on the National and State Register of Historic Places and was named an “American Treasure” by the White House Millennium Council and the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 1999.  The house is a charming Victorian cottage , offering visitors glimpse of what life was like for a modest family in the Victorian era. It illustrates the late 19th century as the “era of invention” and highlights inventions that changed everyday life for the average person. (Owner Henry Phillips, himself, was one of the first inventors of the modern kitchen range hood,  and his brother, Dr. Charles H. Phillips, was the inventor of Phillips Milk of Magnesia.)

            The Cranes were the first settlers to come to the area in the early 18th century (1715), build mills on the river and establish a farm on the west side of the Rahway River. This house was first built circa 1840 by Josiah Crane for his son, Josiah Jr., when he married.  Josiah Crane Jr. later sold the property in 1867 to Henry and Cecelia Phillips, who lived there until Henry’s death in 1911. It was Mr. and Mrs. Phillips who built most of the cottage in the Downing style.

            Today, the Crane-Phillips House features an outstanding collection of artifacts from area Native Americans, Revolutionary and Civil War eras, and 19^th century farm and town life.  Changing exhibits include major displays from the Society’s extensive antique clothing collection. It is hoped that the addition of the barn will further illustrate the true conditions and day to day life of times past, for the families, school groups, and others who visit the museum.

            The barn will be purchased in memory of Donald Widdows, a member and former trustee of the Cranford Historical Society, which preserves and perpetuates the history of Cranford.  So if you make a purchase at the garage sale, you will be able to say that you are partially responsible for that barn-raising.  Plus, you may come home with a few treasures of your own.  For questions about the Garage Sale, please call 908-447-6994.

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People in comfy clothes and carrying water bottles and rolled up mats can constantly be seen walking in and out of Alleum Yoga. It’s a great place to relieve stress and get in a good workout. It helps that the setting is one of a serene, wooded area, with the gentle sights and sounds of running water as a backdrop. That’s because Alleum Yoga is located in the Cranford building known affectionately as “The Mill,” at 347 Lincoln Avenue East. Proof that mills still stand as an important piece of the historical puzzle of our area.
Droescher’s Mill is situated directly on the banks of the Rahway River, and finds itself proudly featured on an enormous number of postcards, pictures, book covers, and artwork representing Cranford. It is a town icon.
Originally built in 1740, it was then known as the Williams Mill. Powered directly by the river current, it produced grain and lumber, as well a countless other supplies. Because this area was such a vital hub during the Revolutionary War, there is some speculation that both the Williams Mill and Cranes Mill, (built about 20 years prior to the Williams Mill), provided grain for Washington’s troops during the Revolution. It was easily accessed by Old York Road, which linked Philadelphia and New York and ran right across the ford, and later by the stagecoach road now known as Lincoln Avenue.
When Severin R. Droescher bought the old mill in the early 1900’s, he used it to manufacture barber supplies. He also installed the floodgates on the damn and built fieldstone retaining walls along the banks of the surrounding river, as part of his development efforts in and around the area of Lincoln Park.
Now used as an office building, it has the distinction of being the oldest continuously operated commercial building in New Jersey. Its cast-iron water turbine is still in place. Droescher’s Mill still stands beautifully and proudly on the Rahway, and is one of quite a few buildings in the area proudly included in the National Registry. For area residents, it is an icon of home. And it provides a beautiful backdrop for yoga, or for a pleasant walk or hike along the Rahway River trail. Doesn’t make for a bad postcard picture, either.