Macculloch Hall Historical Museum Celebrates National Public Gardens Day

Macculloch Hall Historical Museum (MHHM) is pleased to announce its participation in National Public Gardens Day on Friday, May 6, from 2:00-5:00pm.

Now in its seventh year, National Public Gardens Day promotes awareness of over 500 gardens throughout North America as vibrant educational community resources.

MMHM invites friends and families to enjoy an afternoon in the Museum’s historic gardens, which will literally be buzzing with a delightful range of free children’s activities and presentations. Visitors can meet a beekeeper and watch honeybees at work in their hive; get the dirt on dirt with a soil scientist; create art; explore the garden in a scavenger hunt; and listen to stories under MMHM’s renowned beech tree.

Highlights of the program include presentations at 2:00pm and 3:00pm by Debbie Demmer, New Jersey Beekeeper member. Ms. Demmer will discuss beekeeping, demonstrate the clothing and tools used by beekeepers, and show an observational hive complete with a queen bee. Throughout the afternoon, Fred Schoenagel III, a research scientist with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, will lead activities in a soil pit. Participants will learn about the importance of and the nurturing of good soil. At 4:00pm, Dr. Patricia Pongracz, Executive Director of MMHM, will lead a garden tour, which will highlight the various uses of the Museum’s historic gardens over the last 200 years.

Most important, there is no admission fee for visitors, but pre-registration is required. Please contact Cynthia Winslow, Museum Educator: (973)538-2404, ext. 16 or cwinslow@maccullochhall.org. This event will be held rain or shine.

National Public Gardens Day at MHHM is supported, in part, by the F.M. Kirby Foundation. Macculloch Hall Historical Museum is a nonprofit educational affiliate of the W. Parsons Todd Foundation and received an operating support grant from the New Jersey Historical Commission, a division of the New Jersey Department of State.

MMHM Garden History and Highlights

The gardens at Macculloch Hall were planted in 1810 by the first residents, George and Louisa Macculloch (1775-1858, 1785-1863, respectively), and have been in continuous cultivation for more than 200 years. Cultivars in the historic gardens include the wisteria trellised along the rear porch, which was given to the Macculloch family by Commodore Matthew Perry in 1857; the sassafras tree at the far end of the lawn, believed to be the second oldest and largest sassafras tree in New Jersey; and heirloom roses, with cultivars dated before 1920. One rose, known only as the “Old Macculloch Hall Rose,” likely dates to the earliest part of the gardens’ history.

Today, the landscaped grounds are planted for seasonal bloom: daffodils, tulips, and other bulbs welcome spring, followed by the historic wisteria in May, roses in June, dahlias in August, and a selection of perennials throughout the summer and fall. The grounds also feature a large kitchen garden, comprising four beds, which serves as an outdoor classroom. Planted with herbs and tomatoes, this garden is a fitting tribute to George Macculloch, who is believed to have grown the first tomato recorded in New Jersey in 1829.

Macculloch Hall Historical Museum preserves the history of the Macculloch-Miller families, the Morris area community, and the legacy of its founder W. Parsons Todd through its historic site, collections, exhibitions, gardens, and educational and cultural programs. The gardens are open daily, free to the public from 9:00am-5:00pm.

MHHM is open Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays from 1:00-4:00pm. Group tours may be scheduled Sunday-Friday by appointment. Admission is $8, Adults; $6, Seniors and Students; $4, Children 6-12; and free for Members and children under 5.

Macculloch Hall Historical Museum

45 Macculloch Ave.

Morristown, NJ 07960

973.538.2404

www.maccullochhall.org

Image courtesy of Stan Freeny