PISCATAWAY, N.J.--The Fellowship for Metlar House is hosting a significant fund raising event on April 7, 2018 for The Metlar-Bodine House Museum in Piscataway, NJ and YOU are invited!!! Leigh Keno, one of Public Television Networks foremost antique experts and appraisers, will be the guest of honor!
The benefit, Cocktails with Keno, announced by June Sadlowski, the executive director of The Metlar-Bodine House Museum, will be a fast paced evening which will include open wine, beer & cocktail bars, a unique hors D’oeuvres menu, live and silent auctions, and music by Joyride for guests’ listening and dancing pleasure, is not to be missed!
June Sadlowski and the associate director, Hara Durkin, met with reporters from www.njnewjersey.com, and are extremely excited and enthusiastic about the latest project at the museum. Ms. Sadlowski gave us a quick history about the mid 1970’s purchase of the Metlar-Bodine House. The house was actually a part of the continuation of the Route 18 Project. Located in one of the nation’s busiest transportation corridors the State and National Registered historic site was actually included in a huge cloverleaf intersection which along with park land, was supposed to be taken for the project. Because of its historical and environmental worth, in 1979 the Piscataway Historical and Heritage Society convinced the town to save and lease the house from the state of New Jersey. Within two years the decision was made to make the house a collecting museum, its first piece a 1860s clock that sits on the mantle in the front parlor. The collection, now with over 1500 artifacts that have links to area history, uses the theme from Indian Trail to Interstate to tell how transportation has affected the society and economics of the area.
In 2000, the museum received its most significant artifact, The Ross Hall Wall. After the battle of Monmouth in 1778, on July 3rd, troops were at rest along the Raritan River in Piscataway. George Washington’s headquarters was located close by at Ross Hall on River Road. And he wrote this order to his men. “Tomorrow, the Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, will be celebrated by firing thirteen Pieces of Cannon and a feu de joie [French military expression, literally meaning, Fire of Joy] of the whole line: The Army will be formed on the Brunswick side of the Rariton at five o’Clock in the afternoon on the ground pointed out by the Quarter Master General [Nathaniel Greene] – The Soldiers are to adorn their Hats with Green-Boughs and to make the best appearance possible – The disposition will be given in the orders of tomorrow – Double allowance of rum will be served out”.
Ms. Sadlowski stressed, “Every one of the original thirteen colonies as well as all nationalities, colors and creeds were represented among the patriots and that evening a ball was held at Ross Hall for the officers, including Alexander Hamilton and others such as the Marquis de Lafayette and Baron von Steuben along with their “ladies”. Understanding the importance of national unity, of making one out of many, on July 4, 1778, Washington created a national celebration to evoke the signing of the Declaration of Independence. He wisely crafted a holiday for all Americans to share. So we can honestly say, Piscataway was the place the NATIONAL celebration of July 4th was born. Ross Hall was the epicenter of that singular moment in time.”
Almost two hundred years later, in the 1960’s, the house was deteriorating badly and a fire eventually severely damaged Ross Hall. Rutgers University, the owner of the house by this time, chose to demolish the property. At that time Richard McCormick, a well-known New Jersey historian and Rutgers professor, insisted that the wall be saved. It was moved to the New Jersey Historical Society in Newark. In 2000, the NJ Historical Society asked the township of Piscataway if they would like to have it returned and the wall was moved back to Piscataway. In the process, the artifact was hurriedly taken apart and now requires restoration.
Ms. Sadlowski told us, “It is really a relic, an American Treasure! When you touch it, the feeling is there! You can imagine Washington, Hamilton, Lafayette, Von Stuben toasting their victory at Ross Hall and hear the cannons and rifle fire, so loud the British could hear it as they fled Sandy Hook. Psychologically this is the closest you can get to that day in American history! The day America was taught by Washington how to celebrate the 4th of July.” The wall, once it is restored, will be the flagship piece of the museum. The Our plan is Revolutionary campaign will provide the initial funds needed to send the wall to Tom Heller, well known furniture and artifacts conservator in Nashville, TN where it will be properly restored, returned to Piscataway and installed correctly in a new wing at The Metlar-Bodine House Museum.
Once again, The Fellowship for the Metlar House is hosting Cocktails with Keno a fund raising event in support of the Our Plan is Revolutionary campaign at which, Leigh Keno, Public Televisions well-known antiques expert, will be the star auctioneer. It will be held on April 7th at the Rutgers Busch Dining Hall in the faculty staff dining room. Tickets are $100per person $125 after March 30. To register and pay go to: Metlar-Bodine House Museum and on home page click Cocktails with Keno.
To see the museums video about the First 4th of July go to: https://vimeo.com/179123837/3b825e490c
By Brian Milton News Reporter
&
David-Douglas Brown News Reporter
Written by
Leah Brown Klein