It's always fun attending a new reenactment or festival. I visited East Jersey Old Town Village -Revolutionary War Encampment in early April on a cool, drizzly Saturday in Piscataway, New Jersey. The drive was easy, only about 1 1/2 hours. What was unexpected was that the site was almost directly across the street from one of the side entrances to Rutgers University's Football SHI Stadium.

From the Middlesex County NJ website

In the 1970s, Dr. Joseph Kler saved historic buildings from demolition and relocated them to Johnson Park. East Jersey Old Town Village would grow to become a center where the public could learn about the important history of central New Jersey. The family continued to remain active in the village for many years and contributed financially to the growth of the reading room.
At most events, I'll meet you folks and learn new things. Because it was sporadically raining throughout my visit, I spent much of my time in the Church of the Three Mile Run, a 1970s replica of a no longer extant 1703 Dutch Reformed church. I met Carle Kopecky, who introduced and described an instrument I'd never heard of, the serpent, an early bass horn. He heard the reenactor demonstration between him conversing with visitors and walked to the front door, gazing outside. That's how I could get this candid portrait. It's a nice, relaxed moment.

The Indian Queen Tavern was located on Albany Street in New Brunswick from the early 1700s until 1971, when it moved to East Jersey Olde Towne Village. Many of its initial parts remain, including the main staircase, floorboards, framing, and stonework; portions of the tavern were rebuilt.

The Inn, is where Benjamin Franklin and John Adams traveled from Philadelphia to Perth Amboy and Staten Island to meet with British General Howe, and they shared a room in August 1776. The story goes-

According to legend, Franklin spent much of the night expounding on keeping the window open. He'd published a theory on the benefits of fresh air, believing that people in closed rooms were more likely to catch cold from each other. On the other hand, Adams feared the night air but eventually fell asleep to the sound of his bed partner.

On the first floor, a colonial-era tavern is displayed. I got low and composed the shot, incorporating the tree in bloom, and church in the background. Later, I converted it to B&W in On1 software. I'm now focusing on shooting more still life, a style of photography that focuses on capturing inanimate objects.

It was an off-and-on rainy day, which is not always suitable for photography. But, when sheltered, I noticed this woman holding this colorful umbrella with two kids walking across the village green. The photo is cute and makes me smile!

Below is the rear view of the reconstructed 1760s house from Piscataway, the Jeremiah Dunn House. What caught my attention at first was how colorful it was with all the shades of brown. But when looking closely, I noticed how disproportional the windows are in the rear section of the house. Why? Were these designed like this on purpose, or were there alterations made later? It's just a fun, colorful older house to appreciate.

Click here for the East Jersey Old Town Village -Revolutionary War Encampment photo gallery.

Thank you for reading! Blog #88 will be posted on June 1, 2025. Be safe & well!

Huzzah,

Ken Bohrer