The Hopewell Museum

10/06/2026

It's been an amazing few years! Thank you, Wendy Jessup and Associates, Inc.

The wait is almost over! The reconfiguration and renovation of the interior of the historic block is finished and looks beautiful! Exhibition planning is currently underway for the planned opening at the end of the year.

I am excited to join the staff, board, and design team to welcome a tour from the Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums today to show off this labor of love, collaboration, and commitment in bringing this community jewel back to life.

My small part was the assessment, examination, documentation, pest treatment, and rehousing for temporary off-site storage of over 1600 historic garments and textiles from the 17th to the 20th Century. I was joined by WUDPAC Fellow, Binh-An Nguyen, now at the Walters, who led two additional interns over the summer of 2024. Museum Board Members and staff worked with me to complete the project in time for the renovation which commenced in 2025.

09/05/2026

News of our renovation and reopening has now reached the world stage.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/an-1877-new-jersey-house-has-served-as-a-museum-since-1924-after-102-years-a-1-5-million-restoration-is-reviving-its-hidden-19th-century-floors-and-preparing-it-to-reopen/articleshow/133751053.cms?fbclid=IwY2xjawUJKq9wZG9mBWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR5gW3EaRO4rMojkN0hR1XTV4z5UoZQlxIzyttcwoXrBNEzxQYTCLdTJakVSAQ_aem_IWKNhQ_h9Nnscaq98HKNbQ

After more than a century as the home of the Hopewell Museum, a nearly 150-year-old house in Hopewell, New Jersey, is undergoing a $1.5 million restoration designed to preserve its historic character while preparing it for the future. According to a report in the Hopewell Express, the museum is now....

08/21/2026

Take a look at all the wonderful Hopewell Valley Heritage Week programs from September 12th-20th.

The Hopewell MuseumThe Hopewell Valley Historical SocietyThe Pennington Public LibraryWashington Crossing Park AssociationHopewell Public LibraryHopewell Township Library MCLSHopewell Valley History Project

08/13/2026

Our award winning Tavern Talks takes no summer vacation!

Join us at Needle Creek Farm Brewery on August 16 for some revolutionary conversation over a pint or two with our historic interpreters. It's just in time to get ready for some huge 250 events coming to Mercer County, New Jersey later this fall.

Hopewell Valley Historical Society Hopewell Valley Arts Council The Hopewell Museum League of Historical Societies of New Jersey MercerMe Washington Crossing Park Association, Inc. Mercer County Cultural & Heritage Commission New Jersey Historical Commission - NJHC Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area

07/01/2026

06/18/2026

James Ewing: From the Black Watch to a New Jersey pulpit: music, war, and reinvention.

July 8th, 7 PM at the Hopewell Presbyterian Church.

To attend in person, register here.
https://www.hopewellvalleyhistory.org/event-details/james-ewing-in-person-registration

To watch via Zoom, register here.
https://www.hopewellvalleyhistory.org/event-details/james-ewing-by-zoom-1

In 1782, as the American War drew to its close, a musician in the 42nd Highland Regiment serving with the British Army in North America made a decision that would change his life entirely. He deserted.

Within the decade, James Ewing was a teacher and pastor in New Jersey.

This talk traces his remarkable journey as a way into the hidden world of British military bands: privately funded, little understood, and far more human than the drum-beats of history suggest.

Joshua Mason is a Rhode Island educator and historical researcher specializing in early American military music. A 2018 graduate of Rhode Island College, Mason has built a career centered on immersive public history, previously serving as the Education Coordinator at Fort Ticonderoga, where he developed dynamic interpretive programming. His extensive work with the Newport Historical Society as a researcher and writer earned him the prestigious History Space Award. Mason's primary research focuses on the vital roles of Bands of Music, drummers, and fifers leading into and during the American War for Independence.

This program is sponsored by the Hopewell Museum, Hopewell Old School Baptist Meetinghouse, and the Hopewell Valley Historical Society.