The Pequannock Township Historical Society (PTHS) started out in 2014 as an audience for a presentation about the Martin Berry House given by Pequannock’s town historian, Ed Engelbart.
We learned that the house was the second-oldest house in the Township (circa 1720); that it predated not just Pequannock Township, but the United States itself; that it was the only pre-Revolutionary ‘substantially unaltered’ building in town; and that the owner, Eleanor Bogert was determined to see the house preserved as a community gathering place and a living museum — as she and her late husband had intended since they purchased it in 1951.
That evening ended with several of us forming the “Friends of the Martin Berry House” and meeting regularly. In 2015, we incorporated as a nonprofit. We’re here to preserve, interpret, and promote the history and diverse heritage of Pequannock Township, NJ.
The Society, working with the Township Council, was able to secure grants and funding to enable the Township to purchase the house in 2017. The next step — an ambitious, multi-year plan to rehab and restore the house for use by the public — is being achieved in stages over several years (thanks, Covid), being guided by the Preservation Plan prepared by the prestigious HMR Architects of Princeton NJ. We anticipate that the house will be open to the public sometime in 2023.
You can learn more about the Martin Berry House at its dedicated website.
We need to stress, here, that the Pequannock Township Historical Society receives no government funding for day-to-day activities. We are dependent upon donations and memberships from individuals and businesses. Grants from the town and county Open Space Trust Fund, as well as the Morris County Historic Preservation Trust Fund, will help us to rehab the house to meet today’s building and safety codes.
Interested in joining? Everyone is welcome! You can download the membership flier here and mail it to us. If you prefer, you can join online (you don’t need to have a PayPal account). We’re in need of enthusiastic volunteers who are willing to spend some time helping in a variety of ways large and small.
Already a member and want to renew your Society membership? Or just want to join “old school”? Here’s the form to do so.
We also welcome any tax-deductible donation to the Society. Our IRS tax-exempt EIN is 47-3718703.
Your questions, comments, and suggestions may be directed to our central email address.
The officers for 2022-2023 are:
Chair: Paul Havemann
Treasurer: Joanne Doyle
Secretary: Bob Friedman
The Trustees for 2023 are:
- Nina Angelucci
- Lou Hebert
- Lorraine Klein
- Colleen Saar
- Elaine Stapp
- Gail Trappe
- Jay Wanczyk
- Martin Williams
- Brianna Winning
- Cathy Winterfield
Did we mention? Our Society doesn’t receive any funding from the Township; we raise funds from donors and patrons — and membership dues. It would help us a lot if you could make a donation on our website.
We’re a type of 501(c)(3) non-profit organization classified as a 509(a)(2) (our IRS tax-exempt EIN is 47-3718703), so your donation would be tax-deductible in the United States. Of course, we would also love to have join the society!