Rockingham helped George Washington celebrate his 281st birthday on Sunday, February 24, 2013. Tours were full (reservations were required) and visitors enjoyed learning more about our Founding Father and testing what they already knew. A member of the Montgomery Township High School Live Historians club helped with the tours and gave a wonderful presentation, even though this was her first time giving tours.

While period dress was not required for admittance, we had one gentleman, a reenactor celebrating the 300th anniversary of the Palatine German immigration to New Jersey (descendants of these immigrants mostly fought on the American side during the Revolutionary War), attend in 18th-century attire to liven things up.

Ice cream punch and cakes were served after each tour so that visitors could toast His Excellency on another historic year passed and for the year ahead.

The Candlelight Holiday House Tours program has come Montgomery High School

and gone for 2012. Our visitors learned about etiquette and civility in the 18th century society: how one should not undress in front of others, that it isn't polite in the presence of others to hum or drum your fingers, how to eat and act properly at the dinner table, how to greet one's superiors or inferiors, how not to turn your back as you speak to someone, nor put your elbows on the table when eating. Many of these rules are still very acceptable today, but forgotten by many. Hopefully, our visitors and the Live Historians from Montgomery Township High School who instructed them found wisdom in some of what was said.

The rules that were read were a number of the 110 that young George Washington copied down to learn how to act appropriately as he would soon be entering into Virginia society as the son of gentry. These rules came originally from a 16th-century French manual, which was translated into English in the 17th century. While social standing was emphasized in many of them, the basic decorum is still known to many today--what is proper in public and what is considered rude and unsociable.

Visitor turnout on the rainy, chilly day was very good and kept everyone busy. Visitor feedback was quite positive and enjoyment and enthusiasm high. Cookies were eaten; cider was drunk; holiday shopping was supplemented; 18th-century dance music, courtesy of John Burkhalter, was listened to; lessons were learned--it was a very enriching day for all of us.

Thank you to all of our volunteers from the Rockingham Association who staffed the store, watched candles and refreshments and checked people in, the Stony Brook Garden Club who decorated in 18th-century style, the Live Historians who in period dress spoke of and acted out the rules and led tours, to George Luck, who courteously greeted visitors and directed them to where they needed to be. Rockingham staff could never do such a wonderful program on their own and we are very honored to have such polite and enthusiastic supporters! Thank you also to all the visitors who came out to enjoy the tours and goodies and supported us as well.

We wish everyone a historical and merry holiday season, with hopes for a prosperous, peaceful and polite 2013!

On Saturday, September 22, 2012, Outwater's Militia was camped at Rockingham. While only a small contingent of the reenactment group was present, they delighted visitors of all ages with information and demonstrations on camp life in the 18th century. There was musket drilling and discussions on warfare and weaponry, fiber arts and cooking (as families often joined the militia men in camp when they were in the field) and the chance to get a glimpse into life for a militia man (the National Guard of the early American period) during the American Revolution.

Our thanks to George and Viola Prevete and Alex Pena from Outwaters, as well as to George Luck, who enlightened visitors while they were waiting for tours of the historic house. And a special thank you to those cookie bakers who provided the tasty treats for one and all!

After spending 2011 at Allaire State Park near Farmingdale, NJ, the Spirit of the Jersey's State History Fair returned to its old haunts at Washington Crossing State Park in Titusville, NJ on May 12, 2012.

New Jersey history was represented through the centuries, from American Indian period through the 20th century. There were be military encampments, music, dance, crafts, period games, famous historic figures to meet, machinery, period dress from many eras, a chance to try your hand at plowing, dog carts, an appraisal tent, a NJ history game show and a vast amount of information about wonderful, fascinating, enriching places to visit in NJ to learn more about our past and even our future.

On Saturday, May 19, 2012, the grounds of Rockingham was once again ringing with the sound of laughter and music. Our annual Children's Day was held that day, with many interesting activities including crafts, games and toys to try, militia men to talk to and drill with, quill and ink writing, country dance demos and lessons, mini-tours of the house and kitchen garden with period music.

Rockingham and guests celebrated George Washington's 280^th birthday on Sunday, February 19, 2012. The day was well attended and guests of all ages learned details about the General and President's life. Where he was born, what his first job was, how many children he had and accomplishments during his presidency were all discussed. Many guest must have been brushing up on their knowledge before the tour and jumped right in with answers to the trivia questions. Afterwards, everyone was rewarded with cakes and ice cream punch.

While reservations were required, we tried to accommodate as many guests as possible and we apologize to those who were unable to join us for the trivia and refreshments. Please remember, especially for special events and programs, that reservations are usually required due to limits on the number of people per tour and number of tours due to staff availability. So, please check this website or call the site to see what is required when planning to attend a special event.

"Christmas Day, which was a pleasant Day, But the Snow was Deep and I Two Hundred miles or more from home."

This excerpt, taken from a diary of Captain William Yarrington in 1775, was one of several Revolutionary War-era readings that were given during the 2011 Holiday Candlelight Tours at Rockingham on Sunday, December 11. Many of the readings were bleak and contrasted with the bounty (yes, bounty) and freedom that we enjoy in our present era.

The Live Historians of Montgomery Township High School were dressed in the finest 18th-century garb as they led groups of eager visitors around the house, spoke the historic readings from within the rooms, served refreshments of home-made cookies and warm cider and assisted in the Museum Store. George Luck greeted the visitors outside and imparted knowledge of the history of the house and the area. The Rockingham Association cheerily checked people in, kept an eye on the candles, made sure the refreshments were stocked and staffed the Museum Store.

Due to some problems with a reservation phone line number, things were not looking good for attendance the week before, but people persevered and signed up and, with some last-minute walk-ins, we had a great day and a good time for all. The weather cooperated this year and, while a bit brisk, the sun shone brightly and the grounds were dry.

It was a good beginning to the holiday season. We hope that all of our members and visitors had a very merry and happy holiday season. We wish all of you a Healthy, Prosperous and Historic 2012!

Margaret Berrien, widow of Judge John Berrien and owner of Rockingham while it was rented out for General Washington, died in 1819 and, according to church records, was laid to rest in St. Mary's Episcopal Church burial ground in Burlington, New Jersey. She had sold Rockingham in 1802 and, some records suggest, may have been living with a granddaughter in Burlington when she passed away at the approximate age of 86 (she is believed to have been born in 1733, but no record has been found to verify this).

There is no marker to show where Margaret Berrien was buried--either the stone was lost over the years or none was ever provided--and it is only speculated that it was close to the old church building (a newer, larger church is also on the grounds, now).

Several years ago, while researching family genealogy, Berrien descendent and Rockingham Association board member, Linda Hollywood, found the information on where Margaret was buried. She hoped to remember her ancestor with a marker, so that she would not be forgotten. Linda, a member of the General David Forman-Penelope Hart Chapter of the DAR in Mercer County, got the heritage organization involved in sponsoring a headstone to commemorate Margaret's resting place. It took many years, extra research and just the right wording, but finally, on November 12, 2011, a chilly, but clear morning, the stone was unveiled at a ceremony in the churchyard (where, incidentally, Elias Boudinot, president of Congress at the time of Washington's stay at Rockingham, is also buried). Conducted by members of the sponsoring chapter and St. Mary's priest, the stone was dedicated and consecrated as a lasting tribute to the wife of a New Jersey Superior Court justice, mother of a Continental Army officer and grandmother of a United States Senator and Attorney General. She allowed use of her home by General George

Washington, during a time when Princeton, nearby, was the de-facto nation's capital with the occupancy of our Congress.

Check out the church at www.stmarysburlington.org. If you get some time, drive down to 145 West Broad Street in Burlington where St. Mary's is located, or take the NJ River Line train, which stops on Broad Street and visit the church and graveyard and pay your respects to Margaret Berrien and the others buried in this historic graveyard. And if you want to give a little something to the church in her memory, to keep up these historic and hallowed, but deteriorating grounds, I'm sure it would be an appreciated and respectful gesture.

On Saturday, September 10, 2011, Rockingham hosted Outwater's Militia Encampment and Trade Fair. Despite Mother Nature's throwing monkey wrenches into the mix, with flooding north of us causing road closures and a torrential downpour later in the afternoon, the day turned out very well.

There were many things to see. An 18th-century medical display included period booklets, tooth-pulling instruments, bloodletting bowl and other ghoulish tools of the trade. There was an herb display and demonstrations of spinning and carding wool. A meal was prepared over a charcoal fire and the sharp crack of a musket firing broke the air every now and then. Children could drill with wooden muskets and cartridge cases and some other period weapons could be examined up close. ouse tours were bustling and the Rockingham Association, who also helped staff the museum store, provided tasty refreshments.

We thank the visitors who expressed their support and interest by making their way past the daunting road barriers to get to us and we thank the members of Outwater's Militia who shared and demonstrated excellent and engaging information to those visitors. And a big THANK YOU to our volunteers who make such programming possible in many ways!

Attaining the rank of Eagle Scout takes a lot of dedication, organization and perseverance. Many Boy Scouts don't stick with it long enough to achieve this special designation. Part of the long process involves a service project. Two local scouts received their Eagle Scout award by doing projects at Rockingham, adding important and much appreciated features to the site.

Sheel Sanghvi, a recent graduate of South Brunswick High School who will be attending Rutgers Engineering in the fall, designed and laid paths to the kitchen garden and house. There had been an earlier path that had become overgrown and no longer visible. With Sheel's oversight, his group of fellow scouts dug the paths out, laid gray stone and then plastic tarp to impede weed growth. On top they put down small red stones, resembling material used in the colonial era for walkways.

Now, even when the grass is not freshly mowed, visitors can get easily to the garden and house from the sand path that bring them from the parking lot. It looks neat and orderly as it would have in the 18th century. Sheel also built three donation boxes that are appropriate to the State specifications, for use in the house, museum store and for special events. And finally, he built a box for the outside of the house that can be used for storage.

Alex Savadelis, a student at Montgomery Township High School, built and installed shelving in the basement for collection pieces that are in storage. Many items are still in cardboard boxes from the time of the house's moving in 2001. These pieces would more appropriately be stored on padded shelves. While the site owned several metal shelves, there was not an adequate number for the whole collection. Alex and crew built fine, sturdy pieces that will enable us to unpack a great deal more for proper professional storage. Much of the shelving was built off-site and then installed in one afternoon with the help of several other scouts and parents, under the guidance of Alex.

Both scouts did a wonderful job, working with the site director to get specifications and materials just right, adding their own craftsmanship and attention to detail. The completed projects are great assets to the site and will be beneficial for many years to come. We wish Sheel and Alex much success in future endeavors!

Rockingham's Annual Children's Day was held on Saturday, May 22, 2010.

Rockingham, with support and participation from the Montgomery High School Live Historians Club, the Rockingham Association and the Stony Brook Garden Club, offered activities and demonstrations of 18th century life. Children played the Game of Goose, tried toys such as buzzsaw, dressed in 18th century style clothing, learned to write with quill and ink, to marble paper, make paper tri-corn hats and lace pinners, they toured the kitchen garden and house and watched 18th century activities. A great day was had by all!

Premiere Viewing of New Rockingham DVD was held April 22, 2010 at Princeton University. Peter Field and Darren Staloff, two of the James Madison Program's 2009-10 Visiting Fellows, acted as Discussants after the screening.

Porch Repair Begins
Anyone who visited Rockingham in the latter part of 2009 would have noticed the underside of the long two-story porch on the front (south side) of the house. There was a gaping hole and boards hanging down. The wood of the porch was rotting and needed repair. Luckily, State monies were available and repair work began on Tuesday, January 19.

Most of the wood of the porch has been taken down and will be reconstructed over the next several weeks. Dave Larkin Builders, Inc. from Avon-by-the-Sea, NJ is doing the work. There will also be

some repairs to the interior stairs and various other spots as well, which may cause disruption to second-story access during the house tours, so be prepared when visiting.

The original porch was added in the first half of the 19th century, by the Cruser family. It later was removed, but after the house was first relocated and opened to the public at the end of the 19th century by the Washington Headquarters Association, it was restored to the house. The earliest known depiction of the house came from a book on the Revolutionary War, written in the 1850s. It was therefore erroneously thought that this was how the house appeared when General Washington used it as his final wartime headquarters in 1783. Over the years, the porch has become part of the shifting of the house structure and cannot be removed completely without damage to the front of the house itself.

So, if you come by, we are still open for tours, though we will be using the kitchen door for entrance to the house. Please be careful of the construction area for your own safety.

2009 Holiday Candlelight Tours
Despite the cats and dogs (and sheep and pigs) raining outside and icy conditions earlier in the day, the 2009 Candlelight Holiday Tours at Rockingham on December 13 were quite successful. Over 150 visitors attended to see the modest 18th-century decorations, supplemented by a Christmas feast, eggnog fixings, a kissing ball, refreshments, a wool spinning demonstration, candlelight and an 18th-century country dance. The decorations were courtesy of the Stony Brook Garden Club and the Montgomery Township High School Live Historians club provided personnel for leading tours, giving information on colonial Christmas in the rooms, the dancing and cookies. The Rockingham Association provided the hot cider and support in the museum store and the house to make sure all ran smoothly.

James Kurzenberger of Wallace House/Old Dutch Parsonage in Somerville taught the 18th-century country dance, "The Morning Gazette," to the history club. The students picked up the steps quickly and did an admirable job in a small space of bringing the past to life. John Burkhalter of Practitioners of Musick accompanied them on English flute.

There was a new DVD and Rockingham t-shirts available in the museum store. The DVD is called "Rockingham: The Road to Peace" and is hot off the presses. The t-shirt is a new design using an old etching of Rockingham and is available in blue or buff, General Washington's uniform colors.

We wish to thank everyone who gave of their time that day and everyone who braved the elements to visit and join in the holiday festivities! Have a great New Year!

Eagle Scout Completes Project for Rockingham

Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouts of America. To earn the Eagle Scout rank, a Boy Scout must fulfill requirements in the areas of leadership, service, and outdoor skills including an extensive service project that the Scout plans, organizes, leads and manages.

Boy Scout Patrick Bluem, an 11th grader at South Brunswick High School, became an Eagle Scout in 2008. He chose to do his service project at Rockingham. Patrick designed, organized and sought supplies for an enclosure fence to be built around the dumpster at the historic site. The dumpster, though a necessary fixture, detracted from the historic atmosphere. The new wooden fence with period hardware completely hides the 21st century dumpster, adding fine craftsmanship as well. Supplies were provided by local merchants and other scouts provided assistance in the construction. Younger scouts completed a beautification project in the parking area with the addition of native-species plants around the flagpole and information kiosk and made an improvement to the kiosk as well.

We wish Patrick much success in his future endeavors and thank him for the wonderful addition to Rockingham Historic Site!

In celebration of the 225th Anniversary of Washington's Residence at Rockingham in 1783, the following events took place:

August through November 2008
Representatives from the Kingston and Rocky Hill Post Offices attended four of the events to hand cancel mail containing commemorative stamps.

November 2008 - "The Curtain of Separation Will Soon be Drawn" General George Washington

The General Takes His Leave, Rockingham 1783 the weekend of November 8 & 9

Von Heer's Marechausee encamped once more, guarding General Washington in his final days at Rockingham. On Sunday, the General took his leave of those assembled with a review of the major events during his tenure at the site, including the official word of the signing of the Treaty of Paris to formally end the American Revolution and the Farewell Orders to the Armies, penned during his stay.

Princeton 1783
In addition to Rockingham's 2008 celebration, many other events were planned for the Princeton area. Further information can be found at www.revolutionaryprinceton.org, the Princeton 1783 web site.

New Jersey State Archives
November 3, 2008
In celebration of the 225th Anniversary of Congress in Princeton, the State Archives placed New Jersey's original Treaty of Paris (preliminary articles, ratified by the Continental Congress), online. The date marks the news arriving in Princeton 225 years ago signifying the end of the Revolutionary War.

October 2008 - The Practitioners of Musick performed Music for the Washingtons. Practitioners of Musick are not just musicians, they are scholars who meticulously research the music and the instruments they play. During this performance, they presented music played and listened to by General and Mrs. Washington, using instruments of the 18th century, including harpsichord, violin, cello, English flute (recorder) and voice.

September 2008 - George Luck, local resident, portrayed the Rev. John Witherspoon in a program titled "Never Rise to Speak Till You Have Something to Say" Meet Rev. John Witherspoon. The Reverend Doctor John Witherspoon was a delegate to the Continental Congress from New Jersey and signer of the Declaration of Independence. George Luck recited excerpts from one of Rev. Witherspoon's sermons and talked about his life as a Church of Scotland (Presbyterian) minister, president of the College of New Jersey (Princeton University) and NJ legislator.

September 2008 - Pat Jordan, of the American Historical Theatre presented a program titled "In Whatever Situation I May Be" Martha Washington, General's Wife at Rockingham. Martha Washington, wife of the General, accompanied him throughout much of the Revolutionary War and came with him to Rockingham. Pat Jordan portrayed Mrs. Washington, the General's closest confidant and helpmate and talked about being the wife of the Commander-in-Chief.

August 2008 - "Receiving the Commander in Chief"
General Washington Arrives "Near Rocky Hill," 1783 was held over a two day period at Rockingham Historic Site, Kingston, NJ
General George Washington and entourage arrived at Rockingham on Saturday, August 24, the 225th anniversary of the day he originally arrived, and was greeted by Mrs. Berrien, owner of the property, and local citizens in a formal arrival ceremony. His accompanying guard of dragoons, von Heers' Marechausee encamped for the weekend while the General was in residence at the house.

Arrival Ceremony - General Washington along with von Heer mounted escorts arrived at Rockingham house, greeted by Mrs. Berrien. The General greeted the public and made brief remarks outside the house.
Demonstration by von Heer's dragoons
Reenactment of an officers' dinner under the marquee (tent). Discussion of current affairs engaged the public.
General Washington was in residence in the upstairs study.

June 2008 - Creating Washington Military Reproductions at Rockingham Presenters: Richard & Regina Toone, Living History Shop Craftsmen Dick and Regina Toone discussed how they turned Mount Vernon- and Smithsonian-owned General Washington military equipage originals, including his camp bed, mess kit and shaving box, into useable reproductions for Rockingham display. They showed how their skills were developed to re-create the originals with early American tools and materials, and showed historical reproductions including an up-close look at those created for Rockingham.

On December 9, the Museum Store and Visitor Center opened for the first time. The photo to the right shows a few of the people (Nancy Allen, committee member, Peggi Carlsen, former site director, Lisa Flick, current site director, and Mary Kay Muckenhoupt, committee chairperson) behind the vision for the Visitor Center and Museum Store. Missing from the photo are Jim Farrell, current Association president, Eric Holtermann, site architect and current board member, Gordon Griffin, past Association president, Sharon Wheeden, committee member, and others who saw the possibilities for the sweet little stone building. It opened to rousing praise after more than 10 years of planning.

October 2007 - Renovation and Construction Update - Phase 3 Comes to a Close

The construction at Rockingham, begun in March, is drawing to a close. The stone building that served as a kitchen for hearth-cooking demonstrations at Rockingham's previous site on Rte. 518 will soon open as the Museum Store and Visitor Center. This building has been painted, and new lighting and heating have been added. Also, a section with two bathrooms has been added for the public to use.

The store committee, headed by Rockingham Association member Mary Kay Muckenhoupt, is working on plans for the interior set-up and inventory. The group hopes to open the store on November 11. Its grand opening, however, will be on December 9 during the Holiday Candlelight Tours.

Other additions to the Rockingham property include a new fence along the path from the Museum Store to the main house, with unobtrusive modern lighting for the path at night. Lighting has also been added from the parking lot to the store.

The Children's Museum building, however, is on hold for now, while siding replacement issues are worked out. Its chimney will eventually be relined, so that hearth-cooking demonstrations can resume at the site in the future.

A few minor things need to be completed and the new museum store and visitor center (and public bathrooms) will be declared open for business, hopefully by December.

You never can have too much publicity! An article about Rockingham recently appeared in "From House to Home", a glossy magazine inserted into many newspapers. The article outlines the history of the house and features several lovely pictures of Rockingham.

2008 marks 225 years since George Washington made Rockingham his final war-time headquarters. A committee is already working on activities and programs to be held from August through November 2008, the months Washington was in residence. The committee is also working with representatives from Morven Museum, Princeton University, the Historical Society of Princeton and the Chamber of Commerce to bring first rate artisans and dignitaries to the area for the celebration of Washington's stay and the meeting of the Continental Congress. Watch for more information.

Articles by Dawn Fairchild, former Association Vice President and creator of the Washington replica uniform and most of our reproduction wardrobe, have been printed in the DAR publication, American Spirit (Nov.-Dec. 2006) and the The Mayflower Quarterly (Dec. 2006). The articles document the hundreds of hours of research and hand work required to reproduce the fine replica uniform on display on a likeness of the General.

And congratulations also are in order to former site curator, Peggi Carlsen and Board member, Dr. Mary Rizzo, for the future publication of an article, "Foodways without Fire: Using Food to Teach about Gender and Labor at an Eighteenth Century House Museum", in the AHLFAM (Association for Living History, Farm and Agricultural Museums) Bulletin. The piece discusses the foodways program that Peggi and Mary developed at Rockingham.

After several years of anticipation, construction began in March on several improvements at the site.

The 150-year old stone building is about to be come the Museum Store and Visitor Center. While not original to Rockingham's Colonial period, the charming historic structure was used for open-hearth cooking at the former site and was moved with the Rockingham mansion and Children's Museum in 2001. There will be public bathrooms attached to the building which also will house the Museum Store.

Master craftsman Richard Toone delivered the final pieces to Rockingham's unique collection of reproduction Washington military artifacts. Added to the shaving kit, liquor boxes and other extraordinary pieces is an elaborate mess kit. Mr. Toone was given access to the original at the Smithsonian in order to replicate it in every detail for use in educational programs. Also newly on display are a leather portmanteau, elegant trunks and a charming writing kit.

In addition, the Mount Vernon Ladies Association gave permission to Mr. Toone to replicate, solely for Rockingham, Washington's shaving kit and a heavy wooden crate, which are part of the Mount Vernon collection.