New Jersey Historical Society facts for kids
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Essex Club
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Essex Club, current location of the NJ Historical Society
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| Location | 52 Park Place Newark, New Jersey |
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| Area | 0.2 acres (0.081 ha) |
| Built | 1926 |
| Architect | Guilbert and Betelle |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival, Georgian Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 91000110 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | February 22, 1991 |
The New Jersey Historical Society is a special place in Newark, New Jersey. It is both a historical society and a museum. Its main goal is to collect, preserve, and share the history of New Jersey.
The Society is located in a building that used to be the Essex Club. Inside, you can explore two floors of exhibits. There is also a gift shop and a large hall for talks and events. Sometimes, the Society even leads fun walking tours around Newark.
You can find exciting exhibits on the second and third floors. If you love to read and learn, the library reading room is on the fifth floor. This floor used to be where the Essex Club had its squash courts!
The New Jersey Historical Society welcomes everyone. Members can visit for free, while others pay a small fee. If you want to use the library, it's a good idea to make an appointment. The current director is Steven Tettamanti.
The Story of the Society
How It All Began
The New Jersey Historical Society started a long time ago, in 1845. It was founded in Trenton by smart leaders and business people from New Jersey. Some of these important founders included Joseph C. Hornblower and William Whitehead.
Just one year later, in 1846, the Society moved to Newark. It has been helping people learn about New Jersey's past there ever since.
Moving to New Homes
When the Society first came to Newark, its headquarters were on Market Street. Later, in 1931, it moved out of Downtown Newark. Its new home was a big building on Broadway, near Branch Brook Park. This building was designed in a classic colonial style. A famous businessman named Louis Bamberger helped pay for it.
In 1997, the Historical Society moved back to downtown Newark. Its new home is at 52 Park Place, right next to Military Park. This building is in the beautiful Georgian style. It was designed by the architects Guilbert & Betelle.
The building itself was built in 1926. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 22, 1991. When the Society moved to this new downtown spot, many more people came to visit. In fact, visits went up almost five times in the first year!
Other Places to Explore
