Click HERE to read about Hopewell history in text form.

Some Historic briefs and sites include...

   

 
    John Hart House
John Hart's house, the 18th century stone, brick and frame house where Hopewell's "signer" lived and died,
is currently a private residence but can be seen from the avenue which bears Hart's name.

Hart Monument in Cemetery Yard
Hopewell's illustrious citizen and patriot, John Hart, lies reburied in land he donated to the Old School Baptist Churchyard.



   
The Old School Baptist Church and Cemetery
The Old School Baptist Church and Cemetery on West Broad Street stand on the site of the original Hopewell Baptist Meeting House.
Built in 1822, the current brick structure is also known as the First Baptist Church of Hopewell and the Old School Baptist Church. T
he Baptist Meeting constituted the center of the community in Hopewell's early history.


Misc. Pictures


                           
Allen's Bakery - corner of East Broad &                               Hopewell Fire Company - Seminary Avenue
Seminary Ave.                                            1911.


 
Lindbergh Baby

Making the town world-famous, it is the place from which aviator Charles Lindbergh’s baby was kidnapped in 1932.

Baby Charlie was suffering from a cold during the last weekend in February, 1932.  On Tuesday, March 1, Charles and Anne
were spending a quiet evening at home in Hopewell, New Jersey.  Betty Gow, Charlie's nurse, rubbed medication on the baby's chest
to relieve congestion.  At about 7:30, Betty and Anne put Charlie Jr. to bed.  Betty and the Lindberghs went on about their
separate chores that night.  At 10 p.m., Betty Gow made a horrible discovery -- baby Charlie was gone.

A badly written ransom note was found. (below)

Dear Sir,
Have 50,000$ redy 25000$ in 20$ bills 15000$ in 10$ bills and 10000$ in 5$ bills.
After 2-4 days will inform you were to deliver the Mony.
We warn you for making anyding public or for notify the Polise the child is in gut care.
Indication for all letters are singnature and 3 holds.

72 days after the kidnapping, the body of a baby was found in the woods.  It was identified as baby Charles.

September 19, 1934 police arrested Bruno Richard Hauptmann, a German-born carpenter.
January 2, 1935 The "Trial of the Century" got underway in the small town of Flemington, New Jersey.
April 3, 1936, Bruno Richard Hauptmann was put to death in the electric chair.
April 3, 1936 at 8:44 p.m., Bruno Richard Hauptmann was put to death in the electric chair - right up to that moment doubts about Hauptmann's guilt existed.
Appeals were made all the way to the Supreme Court. None were successful.

 
Hopewell House (currently Hopewell House Wines & Liquors)
Hopewell House, originally the tavern owned by the Stout and then the Blackwell families in the early 19th Century, is located on the north side of Broad Street.
This building later became a hotel, which stayed in business through the 1950s. Today it serves the town as a liquor store and is now known as the Historic Hopewell House.



      
West Broad Street early 1900's                                                        West Broad Street 2008           
                (note woman on steps lower left - old car, lower right)                                                                                                   

                                                                                        
                          
                            
  
Hopewell Train Station early 1900's                           Taken from top of the bridge, 2008

      
            Privately owned, being slowly rebuilt early 1990's                                    Today 2008                                   



    
Hopewell Chocolate Factory (currently apartment rentals)           St. Michaels Orphanage (currently open space)                               Hopewell High School (currently Hopewell Firehouse)   



   

HOPEWELL MUSEUM
28 East Broad Street
Hopewell, NJ 08525
466-0103

The Hopewell Museum was incorporated in 1922 as the Hopewell Free Public Library and Museum Funding and Building Association.
It was formed to raise funds for a building to house a collection of antiques offered to the community by Miss Sarah D. Stout.
This collection became the nucleus of the present museum which bears the much simpler name of The Hopewell Museum.

Originally the Museum and Public Library were housed in a large, brownstone structure that was built by Randolph Stout in 1877.
In 1965 the Library moved to its present location and in 1967 a two-story addition was made to the Museum building through the generosity of Dr. David H. Hill.
The additional space enabled the Museum to display its many fine collections to greater advantage as well as house Dr. Hill's superb collection of Southwestern Native American crafts.

The aim of the Museum is to display and preserve what is most typical and interesting of American village life from colonial days to the present.
Most of its treasures have been given by residents of the community and surrounding area with many of the items having been used by ancestors of the donors.
In 1998, more than 500 children from area schools visited the Museum on class trips while studying their town and region. Visitors will often see people engaged in research,
quietly pouring over the many books in the Museum's genealogical collection.

Photographs, maps, quilts, furniture, costumes, tools, utensils, toys, signs, weapons, deeds, charters and many other items relating to the history of this quiet,
industrious community and its people are presented in revue.

The Museum is governed by a Board of Trustees and staffed by two curators who are present during the time the Museum is open on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday from 2:00- 5:00 pm. Admission is free and rotating exhibits make repeat visits worthwhile.