Text Box: WINTER 2007 Text Box:   Text Box: FREEHOLD TWP HERITAGE SOCIETY 189B WEMROCK RD., FREEHOLD TWP., NJ 07728 PH 732-577-9766-WEBSITE  FTHERITAGE.ORG  EMAIL FTHERITAGE1686@YAHOO.COM Text Box: with us.   Finally—Our “My Lady’s Heritage Tea” was a huge success.  Profit from this was $600.00.  We served 24 guests who were served tea by Judi Cox (as Mary Todd Lincoln) and Jan Astalos (as Mary’s sister).  Carolyn Heuser was our resident Tea Maker and we had a great time.  Thanks again to all of you for helping make this a success.  We had 2 people as guests who were Tea Experts and they gave us an A+ for the event.  We will try to make this an annual or bi-annual event.  Hopefully we can have one this summer at Mike Berman’s house (The JFT Forman Home).   Many Thanks to Michelle Belluscio of Freehold Township for completing the digitization of files for the Historic Preservation Commission.  This ensures that all information we have acquired on our 39 Historic Properties are save forever.  Anyone wanting information about this properties can call us and we will  go into the Township Clerk’s office to help you look up information on the sites.  These are all located within Freehold Township and save for the 3 properties that the society/commission takes care of are all privately owned.  We have information on most of them which tells when they were built, what type of architecture is used and the historic significance of each site.   PROJECTS STILL REMAINING FOR VOLUNTEERS   ELECTRICITY UPGRADE IN BARN FOR ART SHOWS—ALSO RESTORATION OF ELECTRICITY IN GARAGE FOR SMOKEHOUSE EXHIBIT WELL REBUILT AT WEST FREEHOLD SCHOOLHOUSE   WE ARE ALSO LOOKING FOR SPEAKERS FOR OUR MONTHLY MEETINGS-SUBJECTS TO INCLUDE HISTORY, GENEALOGY, GARDENING, COLONIAL CRAFTS, ETC.   IF YOU HAVE IDEAS FOR FUNDRAISERS PLEASE LET US KNOW VIA EMAIL OR PHONE.  WE WOULD LIKE TO GET SOME CORPORATE SPONSORS ALSO IF ANYONE KNOWS OF ONE THAT MIGHT HELP US WITH OUR RESTORATION PROJECTS. Text Box: CONRAGTULATIONS TO ALL FOR 6 FABULOUS YEARS Text Box: RECAP OF 2007— A very successful year once again—Thanks to all your hard work!   Our Spring Festival in may netted us a profit of $1,000.00 and our Fall Festival profit was $500.00.    Many thanks to the 3rd Nj Civil War volunteers for all their help throughout the year.   We are finished with implementation of our W.H.I.P. (Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program).  We now have beautiful areas on the grounds that will help bring the small wildlife, birds, rabbits, etc. back to the farm.  However, we still need to maintain these areas so if anyone is interested in helping with this let us know.   Nano Mardones our resident bird expert has been tracking what is happening and has identified more than 25 species at the farm.  The bluebirds nested in the warm season grass field this year and next year we hope to have the Purple Martin house up for them to nest in.    The wildflower fields did produce some flowers this year and will hopefully do much better in 2008.   Danny Crawford has earned his Eagle Scout award for the work he did on the garage/smokehouse.  The garage is behind the house and was the original smokehouse for the property.  Danny has made a display that hangs in the garage that explains how smokehouses were an integral part of colonial life.   Text Box: Also Patrick Cardone finished his Eagle Project this fall by putting up signs around all fields explaining the types of plants that are there.  He also put up an information board on the side of the Carriage Barn that has a map of the property showing where certain WHIP projects are located.  Check it out next time you are there.  This will help people to know what kind of plants are Native to the area for their own planting purposes.    The 3rd NJ volunteers will be making the Feed House their Field HQ Museum and hopefully have it open for the Spring Festival.  It will be a great addition to our tours/festivals.   Please let us know if you have ideas for crafters/artisans to help do demonstrations at our festivals.  We have been given the honor to be involved in “A WEEKEND IN OLDE MONMOUTH” program being sponsored by Monmouth County Historical Commission.  This event will take place the weekend of May 3 & 4, 2008.  Times will be 10-5 on May 3 and 12-5 on May 4.    The County will handle all publicity, etc. for the event and will post on their website all places that are participating.  This will include directions, maps, etc.  This will be our SpringFest for this year.    We are planning on opening both the West Freehold Schoolhouse and the Oakley Farm for both days.  So PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS and plan to help in whatever way you can.  We will need the help of as many people as possible.  We are planning on Tours, 3rd NJ volunteers encampment, Art Show,  Bake Sale, Colonial Demos such as Weaving, Spinning, Butter Churning, etc.  Please try to come out and help or just enjoy Text Box: FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP HERITAGE SOCIETY NEWSLETTER