Creating a Sports Guild at Allaire Village (Part II)

Creating a Sports Guild at Allaire Village (Part II)

By Russ McIver

To read the first part of Russ’s article, visit our previous post. 

Things were slow the first day, but with a little recruiting help from fellow villagers it took off! From that point on, Townball has been a popular activity at the Village. Some of my happiest moments as a volunteer at Allaire come when I overhear visitors say “this is fun”, and younger volunteers telling their parents about it as they are picked up at the end of the day.

To my knowledge, visitors and Villagers participating in 1831 Philadelphia Townball at Allaire Village are involved in a unique experience not replicated anywhere else in the country! Most other historical site interpretations of Townball play the 1850’s Massachusetts-style Game. We play the game that Howell Works residents most likely would have known.

The Bog Iron Boys practicing for the big game!

While playing Townball in the Village, we are also recognizing an overlooked episode in the history of Allaire Village: In early 1898, the baseball team that became the Brooklyn Dodgers, the Brooklyn Bridegrooms, needed a place to train for the upcoming season. The new owner, Charles Ebbetts, arranged for the use of the Village and the area around it as a training location. That muddy spring saw Hal Allaire (son of James P. Allaire) fearing for the health of the players, “I’ve expected to see the whole lot laid up with pneumonia”, he told a correspondent for The Cincinnati Post, as he witnessed the players’ rigorous training routine. One of my ongoing works as an Allaire Volunteer is to add more to this story- stay tuned!

Charles H. Ebbets. Bain News Service/Library of Congress.

Allaire Village is celebrating its connection to the National Game with the May 17th event, “Bog Iron Boys Pitching the Past”: A 19th Century Baseball Reenactment, featuring Allaire Village’s own Bog Iron Boys! The company team of the Howell Works takes on the Hoboken 9, and with luck, the Elizabeth Resolutes. Both are members of the Mid Atlantic Vintage Baseball League. The Village will turn all things baseball, as the buildings will have baseball-themed exhibits, the games will be going on in the show field, and all the players will be available to meet afterwards!

Baseball isn’t the only activity the new Sports Guild will be pursuing. But it sure gives it a solid start! If you have any interest in baseball history or other forms of early 19th century recreation, feel free to join the Guild or contact Allaire. I’m always looking for new ideas!

Russ McIver is the Sports Guild Master at Allaire Village. He received one of two 2013 New Volunteer of the Year Awards at the Annual Banquet this past February. Russ’s research and devotion is at the heart of our May 17th Baseball Reenactment, where you will find him as the Bog Iron Boys’ Team Captain! Be sure to come out to our event to learn more!  

Creating a Sports Guild at Allaire Village (Part I)

Creating a Sports Guild at Allaire Village (Part I)

By Russ McIver

On a sunny weekend day, strolling through the park, you may notice five rather large stakes arranged in a square in the corral between the barn and the Carriage House. “What is that?”, you may ask. Is it our fine Park Rangers doing some surveying? Was some archeological treasure found, and being marked out? Are ghost hunters performing some bizarre test to contact J.P. and Hal Allaire?

But come by later, and you may see visitors of all ages playing what vaguely resembles baseball! In the middle of this activity, you may see me, Russ McIver, Sports Guild Master, instructing the visitors in the rules of 1831 Philadelphia Style Townball!

Russ leading a crowd during our St. Patrick’s Day event.

I came to Allaire as a volunteer last Spring. You see, I have always had a passion for history. I received a degree in Economics in the 1980’s from Rutgers College, and have pursued my own business as a Computer Network Consultant almost entirely since that time. As I get older, I have thought about what I want to do in my later years, and after consulting with friends involved in the history professions, I re-discovered Allaire Village as a place to hone my passion for the subject.

As a newbie of the Village, I tried my hand at the Militia, the Blacksmith Shop, and even lining up queues of visitors for tours of the BIg House. I needed, and wanted, to find a niche! Then it came to me! One of the idle activities that other, albeit younger volunteers participated in were games! Stilts to graces, all kinds of things occupied the Villagers and visitors’ time between trips to the Blacksmith, Carpenter, Bakery, and Gift Shop. Why not a game all could play that was period appropriate? Being an avid baseball fan, it came to me…townball!

Engraving of early American townball. MLB.com.

I checked with Hannah Tichansky, the Volunteer Coordinator, and got the OK to pursue it. It just so happened that in the middle of the Summer, I had planned to visit the Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies in Cooperstown, New York! I called the Hall of Fame Library, and made an appointment for a visit during Induction Weekend.

When I visited, Tim Wiles, the Director of Research at the Hall of Fame was glad to meet with me after I explained that I was an interpreter at Allaire, and wanted to start a Townball program. He gave me stacks of folders and books on the subject. While perusing them, I stumbled upon the Olympic Club of Philadelphia. They had set down rules for, and played their own version of Townball in the 1830’s! Perfect! I had a period activity that the villagers may have played in the 1830’s! (The Howell Works did a lot of business with the Philadelphia/Delaware Valley area, so it is plausible that villagers were aware of the game played seventy miles west!)

Further research helped me tease out the rules, layout, and equipment for the game. With the blessing and help of my fellow Allaire colleagues, I was ready to go!

Stay tuned for the second part of Russ’ story, where he discovers curious links between Allaire Village and the team that would become the Brooklyn Dodgers. 

Russ McIver is the Sports Guild Master at Allaire Village. He received one of two 2013 New Volunteer of the Year Awards at the Annual Banquet this past February. Russ’s research and devotion is at the heart of our May 17th Baseball Reenactment, where you will find him as the Bog Iron Boys’ Team Captain! Be sure to come out to our event to learn more, and stay tuned for his next installment in this blog. 

Preservation and Projection: The Long-term Goal of Digitization

“Preservation and Projection: The Long-term Goal of Digitization”
By Rohma Khan, Allaire Village, Inc. Intern

When I was first introduced to Allaire Village’s special collections room, I was surprised to discover that the room contained abundant primary source documents that dated back to the early 19th century. Unfortunately many of these documents, handwritten by J.P. Allaire and Hal Allaire, were beginning to decay and disintegrate. Fortunately, Katherine Muller had a proper remedy: in order to preserve the historical legacy of Allaire Village, we would begin a digitization process that would allow us to sustain the priceless and irreplaceable documents.

The digitization process itself involves carefully scanning the original documents from their archival boxes onto a computer’s hard drive. This task serves several purposes: once the documents are uploaded, it is significantly easier to organize the files according to chronology and relevance, without the fear of destroying the original copies. Similarly, this will allow future cataloging as a means of organizing the archives in the special collections room. While the process itself may appear to the time-consuming, the eventual end product is worth this collaborative effort; interns will be contributing to the formation of a potential public-accessible online research database that will serve as an academic extension of Allaire Village’s history.

I am currently in the midst of digitizing an extensive array of historical papers. I have come across documents such as land indentures/deeds, newspaper clippings, various correspondences, obituaries, building and village descriptions, steamboat reviews, and even local elections results. While each discovery was unique and memorable, I was rather intrigued by the currency issued by the Allaire Water Supply and Land Company in 1896 (some of them represented $15 each, a substantial amount for that time period)! This finding actually reflected the historical context of the late 1890’s: the economy was failing, thus, Hal Allaire had to issue his own currency in order to supply and support the industry during the recession.

I am also particularly fond of a beautiful piece that we uncovered: a drawing of Allaire Village’s charcoal house sketched by Hal Allaire in 1881. It is a rather intricate and detailed sketch, which clearly reveals Hal Allaire’s multi-talented nature. Thanks to the digitization project, another contributor was able to effectively digitally repair the drawing, which had been naturally severed in half.

It fills me with a certain sense of security, realizing that the papers that are crumbling in our hands will at least be preserved in another format. It is a sentiment of reassurance that emerges upon the awareness that history will not be lost in our time.

Hal Allaire’s sketch from 1881 in two pieces before digital repair.

Hal Allaire’s sketch from 1881 in one piece after digital repair.

Rohma is one of Allaire Village’s dedicated interns. This article first appeared in Allaire Village’s quarterly newsletter, The Village Star (2014, issue no. 2). In addition to her digitization work, Rohma is also compiling extensive research on Allaire’s ties to the historic baseball team, The Brooklyn Bridegrooms (who would eventually go on to become the Brooklyn Dodgers). To find out more about her baseball research, visit our facebook page and be sure to come out for our “Bog Iron Boys Pitching the Past” 19th Century Baseball Reenactment on May 17th! 

A Look Ahead for Allaire Village

The 2014 Season is under way and it looks like we have finally put winter behind us! Join us for a year of history and fun! Upcoming events for the Spring include:

Saturday, April 26th: Early Spring Flea Market
8:00am-3:00pm. Browse for goods of all kinds! $2 for adults, children under age 12 free. Vendor space available.

Saturday, May 3rd: Spring Craft Market & Art in the Park
10:00am-4:00pm. Vendor space available. Children can enter our art contest, “NJ 350” Celebrating New Jersey’s 350th anniversary! Original artwork of any medium can be submitted depicting something from NJ’s History! The work will be displayed at our May 3rd event and winners will be judged at 3pm by the General Store. Call 732-919-3500 for registration info!

Saturday, May 3rd: “Sherlock Holmes” Special Chapel Performance
7:30pm. Sherlock Holmes returns to Allaire Village in an interactive performance! $15pp, call for tickets.

Saturday, May 10th: Late Spring Flea Market
8:00am-3:00pm. Browse for goods of all kinds! $2 per adults, children under age 12 free. Vendor space available.

***Saturday, May 17th: “Bog Iron Boys Pitching the Past” 19th Century Baseball Reenactment***
12:00-4:00pm. Celebrate the rich history of baseball at a vintage game! The Allaire Bog Iron Boys play the historic Hoboken 9 in an old-fashioned game! The winner will play the Elizabeth Resolutes directly following. Join us for a day of family fun! Throughout the day we will be holding historic demonstrations and exhibits highlighting baseball’s rich history! Kids can play historic games and townball, or join our militia! Musical performances will be held, and food is available for purchase. Bring your lawn chairs and blankets! $5 per person, children under age 6 are admitted for free. Gates open at 11am. 

Sunday, May 18th: Early 19th Century Spring Festival
12:00-4:00pm. Market auction at the General Store at 2pm. Bid on unique goods crafted by our Allaire artisans, floral arrangements, toys, antiques, and more!

Saturday, May 31st & Sunday, June 1st: Civil War Encampment
10:00am-4:00pm on Saturday, 10:00am-3:00pm on Sunday. The Civil War returns to Allaire! $5 parking fee.

Allaire Village 10,000 Easter Egg Hunt

Hope everyone is having a good week and looking forward to the weekend! Here at Allaire things are busy, busy, busy for our 10,000 Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 19th!

From 12-4pm, kids can search for over 10,000 eggs all over the Historic Village with special large prizes in select eggs (all eggs are filled with small prizes)! The hunt begins at noon, and eggs are first-come, first-serve.  Children ages 0-4 will have a special egg hunt space set aside for them. Other fun activities include basket and bonnet trimming, crafts, children’s games, a historic egg toss-and-roll game, visits from the Easter Bunny, and more!

At 2pm, gather at the side of the General Store for our Children’s Bonnet Parade and Contest! The store will have bonnets and hats ready to purchase and decorate. You may also bring in your own homemade bonnets!

Tickets are $5 per person, children under age 3 are admitted free. Admissions opens at 11:00am near our Visitor’s Center, the hunt begins at noon. But don’t worry- there will be fun activities while you wait for the hunt to begin! Pre-registration is recommended. For more info and ticket purchases, please call 732-919-3500. You can also purchase tickets at the door of the event or at www.allairevillage.org/tickets.

2013 Allaire Village Volunteer Awards

This past Sunday, volunteers, staff and dedicated visitors gathered together at the Breakers in Spring Lake to celebrate all those who make Allaire Village possible! It was a wonderful afternoon filled with heartwarming speeches, discussions, and reunions. During the luncheon we had the wonderful opportunity to give awards to some of our most dedicated Villagers who went above and beyond during the 2013 season!

Lauren and Dara both received 2014 Allaire Village scholarships! Lauren is a senior at Howell High School, Dara is a senior at Manasquan High School, and both will be attending 4 year colleges in the fall. Both Lauren & Dara are long time members of the Village, and are Guild Masters who are masters of their crafts and mentors to new volunteers. Congrats to you both!!

Our 2013 Youth Volunteers of the Year are Tessa and Einar (not pictured)! Both began volunteering in early 2013 and have since become vital and valuable members of the Village! Both have shown an incredible interest and knowledge in history and are wonderful role-models to volunteers of all ages!

Our 2013 New Volunteers of the Year are William Urban and Russ McIver! Will is one of our most talented and dedicated blacksmiths and Russ is the Guild Master for our new Historic Sports Guild!

Our 2013 Guild of the Year Award goes to REACT! REACT acts as transport, security, and essential support to our Village during events. While the team is small, they are truly the heart and soul of the Village! Pictured are John Hall, Harold Wheeden, and Olivia Woodward.

The 2013 Guild Master Award goes to Raymond O’Grady! Ray is the Tinsmith Guild Master as well as a longtime volunteer and member of the Board of Trustees. We couldn’t think of a more well-deserving recipient!

The 2013 Volunteer of the Year award goes to our Chairman of the Board, William Gerhauser! He has devoted (literally) countless hours to the Village over the years and is the embodiment of volunteer dedication.

Thank you to ALL of our amazing volunteers, staff and visitors! Can’t wait for another year of fun!

Holiday Events at the Village

Featured Event: An Evening with Frank Sinatra

The Historic Village at Allaire is pleased to announce that Jack Giampalmi & Jack’s Band will be performing “An Evening with Frank Sinatra and Friends”, a tribute to ol’ blue eyes himself! Join us for an evening of Sinatra’s classic hits in a beautiful, historic venue! The performance will be inside the Allaire Village Chapel on Friday, July 12th at 7:30 PM.

What a fun way to enjoy an evening with family and friends! This concert is fun, lively, and great for all ages!

Advanced purchase is recommended! Tickets can be purchased in advance through PayPal on our website, http://www.allairevillage.org/tickets. You can also reserve your tickets by calling the Allaire Village Office at 732-919-3500. Tickets cost $15 per person.

Stepping Out to Cure

Scleroderma Walk in Historic Allaire Village on June 8, 2013, to Raise Awareness and Funding for Research

Monday May 20, 2013
By: Christine Gaydos

The 13^th Annual “Stepping Out To Cure” Scleroderma will be held in Historic Allaire Village on Saturday June 8, 2013. Over 400 scleroderma supporters will take part in this family friendly event including T-shirts, refreshments, raffle baskets, awards, and entrance to Allaire Village after noon. Registration is available at www.scleroderma.org/shorewalk or in person on the day of the event and begins at 9:30 AM with the walk scheduled for 10:30 AM. 

Every Step Counts- Educate, Advocate and Cure.

Misunderstood, misdiagnosed, and underfunded. Far too many families in South Jersey understand these words when talking about scleroderma, a complicated, chronic, and life-altering autoimmune disease. Families throughout the region have been participating in the annual “Shore” walk for scleroderma for the past 13 years. The Decker Family walks in memory of their sister, Mary Jane, who lost her battle with scleroderma in 1999. The Scleroderma Walk is now their annual family reunion gathering 4 generations of family from 4 different states. The Waltermire Family walks in honor of their mother, Doris, who lives with scleroderma affecting her daily life. Last year 50 family members and friends participated in the Shore Walk along with Doris. Altogether 425 walkers participated with the same goal – create more awareness of scleroderma and raise research dollars that will find better treatments and eventually a cure.

For more information about “Stepping Out To Cure” Scleroderma in Historic Allaire Village or to make a donation go to www.scleroderma/shorewalk or call the Scleroderma Foundation Delaware Valley Chapter 856-779-7225 or dvchapter@scleroderma.org. 

Every Step Counts – Educate, Advocate, Cure

Scleroderma – misunderstood, misdiagnosed, underfunded – is a chronic connective tissue disease, classified as one of the autoimmune rheumatic diseases.  The disease affects over 300,000 people across the United States, 80 % which are women 20 to 50 years of age.  The disease is complex and painful, and it has the potential to affect every organ in a person’s body.  The disease can be localized or systemic.  If it is localized it affects mainly the skin by hardening the skin.  If it is systemic it can also affect organs by hardening the organs.  The cause is unknown, and there is no cure.  The Scleroderma Foundation Delaware Valley Chapter (SFDV) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that supports  scleroderma patients in 3 states, Middle and South New Jersey, Eastern Pennsylvania, and Delaware, partnering with 3 centers, the Scleroderma Centers at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. The SFDV relies on the support and generosity of donors to support our community and our 3-fold mission of support, education and research.  The National  Scleroderma Foundation and its chapters are the leading  private source of scleroderma-related research and allocates $1.2 million annually through the Foundation’s research program.

 

Springtime at the Village

While the last couple of days have been a little chilly, it is officially Spring at Allaire Village! Check out some photos of our Villagers enjoying the season!

 

 

19th Century Bee Hive Oven Baking!

 

Photos by Jen Holmes & Shannon Gance.

We have lots of fun activities coming up this Spring!

Saturday, May 11th: Grand Opening Festival
Saturday, May 18th: Late Spring Flea Market
Sunday, May 19th: 1836 Militia Muster
Sat & Sun, June 1st & 2nd: Civil War Encampment
Thursday, June 6th: Allaire Village Golf Outing

To find out more about these events please visit us on the web.  You can also call us at 732-919-3500.

-Hannah