History Museum Has a History All Its Own

Sometimes, history makes history.

That's the case with the Jefferson Historical Museum, which is overseen by the Jefferson Township Historical Society, and which 2009 has been on the National Registry of Historical Places.

It's listed as the George Chamberlain House, said Christine Williams, president of the historical society, and it's the second house in the township to make the list. The first? Ringling Manor, a home of the Ringling Brothers of circus fame.

"We do have artifacts from Ringling," Williams said, noting that she occasionally makes presentations about the manor.

The current incarnation of the museum came into being after the initial attempt to preserve a small portion of the township's past, the Headley homestead on Weldon Road near , failed. The homestead was bulldozed for a bus parking lot. Once the opened nearby, a group of intrepid historians turned their attention to the former Violet Riker Library.

The tiny, mansard-roofed house on Dover-Milton Road was built by one of the early families in the township. Amos Chamberlain built the house for his son, George, upon George's marriage to Ruth Elizabeth Speaker of West Milford in 1874. George and Elizabeth had three sons, two of whom, Raymond and Archie, attended school in Milton Village and lived to adulthood, according to Williams.

Occupied by the Chamberlain family until 1890, the house was home to tenants of the Chamberlains until it was purchased by the Friends of the Library in 1960 and converted into a library, according to the historical society Web site.

It operated for 19 years as the Riker library, until a new, larger library was constructed, and the township bought the Chamberlain house.

Resident Emily Panek supervised the renovation into a local museum, according to the Web site. The work was done with a $15,000 grant and $27,000 from fund raisers. It took two years to convert it into a museum.

While the museum is central to the historical society's mission, the busy group has many other projects.

Jefferson's ghosts were the subject of a program Williams offered for the township recreation program. Some of the prominent "ghosts," included Ruth Elizabeth Chamberlain and Violet Riker, as well as an innkeeper from Route 15 who is a well-known ghost in the township, Williams said.

Holiday events included an open house and a special event for the township's teachers. Williams said it was the first time the teachers were invited specially, but the historical society has built up a good rapport with the school over the years, making presentations to classes and hosting visits from the children. Brownies, Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts also tour the facility.

She also mentioned the efforts of the township's garden club, which landscaped the museum.

Artifacts in the museum represent many eras of the township's history, Williams said, as do genealogical records kept by Jana-Lee Bair.

"We have many of the old families, Chamberlains, Headleys, Riggses, Felters," Williams said.

The many active members of the society come from all over the municipality, Williams said, and the group has an excellent rapport with the Lake Hopatcong Historical Society, which operates a museum in Hoptacong State Park, Williams said.

The society operates Miss Elizabeth's Shoppe, which sells items from local crafters as well as donated items, both new and antique. The shop is open on the first Sunday of each month.

In addition, the society offers genealogy research for a nominal fee.

For more information, visit the museum at 315 Dover-Milton Road, Jefferson Township Oak Ridge, NJ 07438, call 973-697-0258 or e- mail: info@jthistoricalsociety.org.