Cast your ballot at the Election of 1836!

Tomorrow, (Sunday, November 6th) step back in time to the Presidential Elections of 1836 and join the Historic Village at Allaire as they cast their votes! Members of the public are invited to do their patriotic duty and join the residents of James P. Allaire’s Howell Iron Works in deciding the fate of our young nation. Vote wisely however, for things were not as “organized” as they are now; and you may find yourself tugged in different directions by the candidates’ argumentative “representatives”!

What were the “current events” of the 1830′s? Our foundling country was on the brink of turmoil in 1836. Andrew Jackson, the current president, had vetoed the charter for the Bank of the United States two years earlier and the country was on the verge of a depression (known as the Panic of 1837). Abolitionists were gaining a strong foothold in the National Political scene. Immigrants were pouring into the country while “native-born” Americans feared losing their employment. Other hot topics included the War with Mexico, National Currency, Texas’ wish to annex, the Fall of the Alamo, women’s right to vote, and more! The Villagers will be debating these issues and will be more than happy to discuss (and argue!) them with visitors!

Who were the candidates? Democrat Martin Van Buren offered himself as the heir to Andrew Jackson, candidate of the people, primising a continuation of the Jacksonian policies. Many of the nation’s voters who loved “Old Hickory” were quite content to vote for Van Buren. Van Buren also had the benefit of a well-organized and disciplined Democratic Party inw hich he himself had helped to build. The oppositional Whig Party, however, was still in its infancy and lacked the maturity, ideology, and organization of the Democrats.

Who will YOU be voting for?

Without the unity to hold a national convention, or even to settle on a single candidate, the Whigs ran three regional contenders: Daniel Webster of Massachusetts int he East, Hugh White, the senator from Tennessee in the South, and the party forefrunner, William Henry Harrison of Ohio in the West. Despite its shortcomings, however, the Whigs did offer stiff competition to the Democratic Van Buren. A party of the elite, the Whigs regarded their opposition as little more than a party stooge and warned that his election would only continue the flawed policies of, what they deemed, the monarchical Jackson.

The polls will open at 1:00pm under the tent at the Carpenter’s Shop and will close at 3:30pm. After the polls are closed the votes will be counted, and the results will be announced soon after!

In addition to the voting, our women visitors will be rallying for their own right to vote. Visitors are encouraged to join them in their cause! There will also be a special eulogy for former President James Madison, who had passed away in June of 1836 at 1:00 & 2:30pm.

Program researched & written by Ralph Cretella, Intern; and Derek Cardinale, Volunteer Coordinator

Hope to see you out there!

-Hannah

Volunteer Open House

Salutations,

Allaire Village, Inc.’s Museum Program and Education Coordinator here with a special invite just for you! No, not you, you’re weird looking…you, the person reading this blog. This Saturday, May 22, there will be an open house volunteer orientation in the Visitor’s Center at 1:00 p.m. We are going to meet in the back amphitheater.  If you have friends, bring them along too! If you don’t, well, keep reading and play close attention to Number Three. If you’ve never been to our Village before, never fear! I have included a picture of the Visitor’s Center for your benefit.

You should go to the second door at the other end.

Hmm, so now you’re thinking, “Why should I volunteer at Allaire Village?” or maybe you’re thinking it’s time for a bathroom break, but semantics can be discussed on other blogs I’m sure. Regardless, let’s answer that pending question, shall we?

In no particular order: WHY YOU SHOULD VOLUNTEER AT ALLAIRE VILLAGE, INC.

1) Because who wouldn’t want to live the same year over and over again until it was absolutely perfect? Bill Murray did it and, now, you can too!

2) Want to know what happened in 1836? Nothing. Yeah, that’s right. No depression, no war, no iconic musician’s deaths. How’s that for a great time? Okay, granted the Alamo fell, but news travels so slow, we only find out months later. Talk about a relaxing time!

3) You can make friends here. There is something bonding about dressing entirely different from everyone around you. You find someone else in a day cap or fall front trousers and you’ve already got a kindred spirit. Friendship is sure to follow. It’s practically inevitable.

4) Are you trying to get into college? Need to make your confirmation? Want to share your love of history with others? Clearing your criminal background through community service? If you answered yes to the first three, this is a great way to enhance your resume, collect volunteer hours, and teach others about New Jersey’s history. Sorry, we can’t help you with that last one.

5) Ever dream of time traveling? Well, can’t get much closer than this.

6) Did I mention the discount in the General Store and Bakery? Or the fact that we sell cookies roughly the size of your head?

7) Is your son, daughter, grandchild, etc. spoiled rotten? Demanding a new Xbox, texting at the table, racking up the electric bill? Well, they can’t do any of that stuff here! It doesn’t exist. Why not punish them by making them live in the 1800′s for 6 hours a day?

8) In 1836, do you know what all middle class people had in common? They weren’t fat. That’s right. Can’t afford a gym? Come on out and volunteer! Haul some water, pump some bellows, drill with the militia, and join the gardening guild. If you work, the inches will disappear! (that’s a personal guarantee…the gardening exercise plan did wonders for me in ’07!)

9) Like to act but can’t dedicate the amount of time to a community play house? Wouldn’t it be great if rehearsals were the day of the production only? That’s how we roll here! Come out and show your theatrical side. Jazz hands not required.

10) Don’t like history? That’s okay. We have plenty of non-historical events. Like our Annual Haunted Hayride. And we like to be scary. Like, really scary. Like…this:

All in a day's work.

So, now, because it’s past quitting time. I’ll turn this on over to the volunteers who follow the blog and maybe they’ll give you some reasons on why they volunteer. If you would like more information email maryatallaire@yahoo.com. Or, better yet go online and fill out a volunteer application form at www.allairevillage.org.

Hope to see you on Saturday!

Mary

Jen, our guest blogger, discusses the ups and downs of archaeology

Hello to all Allaire followers!

This is Jen… A long time villager and staff member at Allaire.  As Hannah mentioned a few posts ago, I am also an archaeologist and I have just returned from a three month excavation in Oman.

Being an archaeologist sounds like an exciting, exotic job (or at least I like to think so!), but movies like Indiana Jones and Tomb Raider don’t quite give you the real picture.  Archaeologists are scientists who study the material remains of past human lives and activities.  Usually we do this in a library or laboratory, but every once and a while we get to go out into the middle of nowhere and do something called fieldwork.  Fieldwork usually begins with surveying, or walking across the landscape looking for artifacts on the ground.  If you’re lucky enough to find a site where people once lived long ago, you might get to excavate it.  Excavation is a very slow process where you dig up a site in extremely neat, square holes and record everything you see and touch.  These notes and the artifacts that you find in the ground are what you will use later to understand and interpret the ancient people who lived once lived there!

A lot of what we do at Allaire is closely related to archaeology.  Every time we look at an artifact (like the kick toaster in the Manager’s House) and use it to understand how the villagers lived in 1836, we’re doing a sort of archaeological interpretation.  Archaeologists also care a lot about preserving and properly handling the artifacts and structures they study, just like we do with the buildings and objects in the Village.  If you think about it the right way, Allaire is a great big archaeological site (there were even excavations done there a few times years ago)!While I was in Oman, I was one of a group of archaeologists excavating a giant stone tower that was built in the Bronze Age… Around 1600 BC!  Oman is a desert country on the southern edge of the Arabian Peninsula, which means it was always extremely hot and dry.  When you’re on an excavation, you have to work very hard every day… Shoveling dirt, shaking it through a sieve it to find any small hidden artifacts, and using a wheelbarrow to cart it away from the site.  In Oman, we had to dig very early in the morning and late in the evening to stay out of the heat.  But despite the work, I always make wonderful friends with the people I dig with.  And, of course, we get to see some amazing things…

Like wild camels:

Or domesticated camels:

Some ancient ruins:

Beautiful desert sand dunes:

Mud-bricks with 4000 year-old hand prints in them:

Not to mention the giant tower I was helping to excavate:

With some new friends (Gabby and Gemma):

And there’s always some time for some silliness in the field:

And out of it:

But after being away for so long, it’s good to be back at home and the 1830’s again!  If you’re curious about archaeology, Oman, or anything I’ve been talking about in this post, feel free to get in touch with me.

I’ll be seeing you around the village!

- Jen

A quick welcome home to a world traveller

Greetings Blogosphere,

Well it has been busy busy busy here at Allaire. We’re currently in the midst of getting ready for our Funeral Event this Sunday (Yes, I did say Funeral). Check back on Monday to hear more about how that goes. I’ve spent much of today doing research and contemplating leaning my computer out of the window in order to enjoy some of this 70 degree weather. Alas, the computers are new.

So, unfortunately I don’t have a lot of time for this post but myself and all of Allaire are thrilled to have our fellow staff-member, Jen home. Jen is an archaeologist…

No, not that kind of archaeologist

… and has spent the past few months in Oman (I hadn’t heard of it either) digging up all kinds of neat things like pottery and camel skeletons!

In addition to having possibly the coolest job ever, Jen is our resident expert on all things to do with archiving, accessioning artifacts, and artifact preservation. It is thanks to her that many of our artifacts have been preserved and able to be put display for the public. Best of all, Jen has agreed to be a guest blogger!

Prepare to be amazed,

Hannah

Musings on blogging, James P., and bags of stuffing

So this is Day Two Of Blogging. Since Day One Of Blogging I have come to a realization: Blogging, like everything in life, can only be planned so much. While I would have liked to have every post for the next five months planned in advance, this is just not possible. I suppose I should have expected this. After all, Lewis and Clark certainly found obstacles thrown into their carefully planned…er…plans (such as predatory critters and such). And while I don’t have any hungry animals after me (at the moment), I have come to realize that sometimes spontaneity and innovation are key to exploring the wild unknowns of the worldwide web.

Since this is one of the first posts here’s some background information about Allaire Village. For those of you unfamiliar with Allaire, we are a non-profit, living history museum set in the year 1836. 1836 was the peak production year of James P. Allaire’s iron-producing community, The Howell Works.

Allaire: The man, the myth, the legend :P

The Village, located in central New Jersey, is sprawled-out over several acres inside Allaire State Park. These buildings include a Carpenter’s and Wheelwright Shop, Blacksmith Shop, General Store, Gardener’s Cottage, Manager’s House, the Allaire Mansion, the Row Homes, and several more restored buildings and homes.

Our office (blog headquarters) is located above the Row Homes

One of the most exciting things about working at a living history museum is that it is never boring. It is a constant buzz of behind-the-scenes activity and hub-bub. Take today for example. Today I:

Helped plan our St. Patrick’s Day event (which is this Sunday)

Found a flood where a flood does NOT belong

My colleague and I retrieved a mannequin (after a wild-mannequin hunt) from our storage attic…very treacherous

Lugged the mannequin (and a bag of cotton stuffing the size of myself) across the village

Proceeded to stuff the mannequin

Hem and haw about this blog post for a good hour

And the day is only half done. See? You’re alright, spontaneity.

Wrapping things up, I’m hoping to get some guest-bloggers by next week to contribute some articles. Also, videos and better photos will be uploaded once the internet decides to stop being so fickle.

Hoping I’m getting the hang of this,

Hannah

Hello, Blogosphere!

Hello, Blogosphere!

Okay, introductions first. My name is Hannah Tichansky, I’m the Assistant Museum Program and Education Coordinator at The Historic Village at Allaire. I was recently put in charge of internet marketing for our village so I’m currently in the process of introducing our village to the digital age. I’m beyond excited about this but I’m starting to realize this is going to be much more complicated than I originally thought…

Allaire Facebook…check

Allaire Flickr…check

Allaire Twitter…check

Allaire Blog…check (uhhh not so much… :/)

So…plans. I’m planning on getting this blog kicked-off then introducing guest authors to post as well. This will hopefully help preserve my sanity as well as give different perspectives to Allaire Village. Myself and my colleagues are planning on incorporating photos, videos, behind-the-scenes looks, exhibit and historic building features, and meet the villager posts!

Alright, I’m off to learn more about blogging. Please bear with us as we get this thing running smoothly, we have lots of fun ideas that we can’t wait to share with you all! Where am I off to now? The HELP section!

Cheers,

Hannah