Projects of the South River Historical & Preservation Society, Inc.

South River Museum, 2005

Major Projects of the SRH&PS

South River Historical & Preservation Society Inc.

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2010 - 2012	Photographic Survey of Washington Monumental Cemetery -- A continuation of the project carried out between 1992 and 2005, the new survey began with a review and update of the existing database, and expanded to include a photograph of each stone in the six surveyed sections of the cemetery. The photographs have been systematically linked from the existing database so that visitors to the museum can read the information and click on a link to view the related photo.

2006 - (ongoing)	Conservation of the Old School Baptist Church Cemetery -- Private donations have thus far provided only partial funding for this ongoing project to rescue the Old School Baptist Church Cemetery from the effects of time. The Borough of South River provided assistance early on with landscaping work and replacement of the existing fence, and conservation work on 11 stones was completed in fall 2007. Additional funding is needed before work can resume.

2001 - (ongoing)	Cataloging, digitizing, and organizing the collections at the South River Museum -- With partial funding from a series of grants from the New Jersey Historical Commission (2003-2005) and the Middlesex County Cultural and Heritage Commission (2006-2007, 2007-2008, 2009-2010, and 2011_2012) the efforts to catalog the Museum collections continue. The grants have provided the funds to hire a dedicated cataloger as well as for much-needed supplies such as preservation boxes and acid-free folders. As of January 2012 more than 8,300 individual items have been cataloged. Although the majority of the work is focused on the backlog of material collected since the inception of the Historical Society, new material is also being cataloged, digitized, and preserved as it's received.

1992 - 2005	Survey of Washington Monumental Cemetery -- Begun as a Society project in the early 1990s, the intent was to inventory and document the gravestones in the older sections of the cemetery in order to preserve the information contained there. The project was finally completed in 2005 with the help of two Girl Scouts and a Boy Scout. The Girl Scouts each earned their Gold Award and the Boy Scout his Eagle Scout Award for their participation in the project.

2003 - 2004	Restoration of the War Memorials -- Both the World War I "doughboy" Memorial and the World War II, Korean Conflict, and Vietnam Conflict Memorial located in front of the Museum were restored with funds collected from private donations.

2000 - 2001	Development of a "Historical Hunt" for the South River Museum -- Designed as an activity for Museum visitors, the "hunt" is a series of trivia questions based on items in and around the museum. Bookmarks, magnets, and a video about the Museum were also produced. The project was funded with a grant from the Middlesex County Cultural and Heritage Commission.

2000 - 2001	Creation of a virtual Historical Tour of South River -- Comparing photos from the late 1800s and early 1900s with contemporary photos, the project was undertaken by the South River High School Community Problem Solvers in conjunction with the South River Historical & Preservation Society and the South River School District. The project was funded with a grant from Verizon.

1997 - 2000	Conservation of R. Van Dyke Reid's 1851 map of South River -- The earliest known map to depict only South River, the conservation project was funded with money from a private donation.

1994 - 1999	Restoration of the Old School Baptist Church and the Frazee Urn, and opening of the Museum -- Upon the initiative of the South River Historical & Preservation Society, the South River Borough Council applied for and received a grant for restoration of the building. The grant, approved in June 1995, was funded by the Historic Preservation Bond Program and administered by the New Jersey Historic Trust. The restoration was completed and the Museum opened in 1999.

1995 - 1996	Publication of a Commemorative Book in Celebration of South River's 275th Anniversary -- Created to mark the occasion of the 275th anniversary, the 92 page book details the activities of the year, as well as the history of the Borough, the schools, and the churches, with historical photos and other features.

1994 - 1995	Organization of the parade and celebration for the 275th anniversary of South River -- A year-long series of events celebrating the history of the borough, the highlight of the year was the parade on October 22, 1995, one of the largest and most spectacular in Borough history.

1991 - 1992	Placement of the Old School Baptist Church and Cemetery on the National Register of Historic Places -- Following the placement of the building on the New Jersey Register of Historic Places, application was made to have it added to the National Register. The placement became official on January 7, 1992.

1990 - 1991	Placement of the Old School Baptist Church and Cemetery on the New Jersey Register of Historic Places -- A historic preservation consultant was hired to research and prepare the paperwork necessary to have the property recognized for placement on the Register. The placement became official on November 19, 1991.

1988 - 1989	Purchase of the Willett Sisters Portraits -- The Society's first major project, funded with money from private donations.

Last revised Friday, 06-Apr-2012 06:26:35 MDT.

Site created and maintained by Stephanie Bartz with assistance from
Marilyn Anastasio, Dick Meyers, Donna Rafano, and Ken Roginski