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Kids Summer Camp with focus on history& Colonial Crafts
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 History Camp at Bedminster's Historic Vanderveer House
The Friends of the Jacobus Vanderveer House in Bedminster is proud to announce in conjunction with the Bedminster Township Recreation Department, the 2nd History Camp for children.
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Journal Entry:
Dear Mom & Dad...
Here's what happened at History Camp Today
Day 4 – Open Fire Pit Cooking
Hello Everyone,
Today was our last day of history camp for this session. Thankfully the weather cooperated for our 18th century style open fire cooking segment with Kathy Ormosi. Kathy is a historic militia re-enactor in her spare time, and also serves as Vice President of The Friends of the Abraham Staats House in South Bound Brook, New Jersey. We were very fortunate to have Kathy with us again this year at History Camp.
Today’s menu consisted of Soup Meagre, Indian Slapjacks & Butter, Apple Tansey and cider. It is true, many hands do make light work! Everyone eagerly participated in our meal preparation today by chopping, dicing, slicing, grating, churning, stoking, and bellowing the fire using Kathy’s period correct cooking tools. We learned about meal preparation and storage, the many ingredients used in colonial cooking, the types of cooking implements used such as a “spider” & “dutch oven”, and that during colonial times families ate breakfast, dinner and supper, but no lunch. The “midday dinner” was typically the larger meal of the day and “supper” consisted of cold leftovers.
Did I mention that everyone had their hand at churning the butter . . . and churning the butter, and churning the butter! The butter seemed to take a little longer that we had anticipated, and just when several were ready to abandon the idea altogether, Hunter saw the job through, and with much success I might add! The only thing better than making our colonial feast was eating it!
Everything was truly delicious. The buttery apple tansy is definitely a keeper!
Time just seemed to slip away on us today and before we knew it, it was time to say our goodbyes to our new and old friends from history camp at the Jacobus Vanderveer House. It was a terrific week and I feel very fortunate to have been a part of it.
Thank you so much to Mr. John Philips, our history camp instructor, for energetically sharing your wealth of knowledge with the campers. Thank you to our community service volunteers Caitlin Morris and Olivia Galbraith. Thank you to R. Iain Haight-Ashton for loaning us his fabulous artifacts. And, thank you to all the educators and re-enactors for sharing your talents and expertise with us this week: Beatrice Tassot of Tassot Apiaries, Elisa Kessler Caporale, Lady Ellen Ruck and Good Wife Fawn Mac Nab, and Kathy Ormosi.
Happy Independence Day America! Enjoy!
Robin Ray,
History Camp Coordinator
Bedminster Twp Recreation Director |
History Camp at Bedminster's Historic Jacobus Vanderveer House
 Dates:
- Session 1 - June 30 - July 3, 2009 1-4pm
- Session 2 - July 20 - July 24, 2009 1-4pm
Ages: 9-12 & open to all students in the Somerset Hills area. |
Session |
Activities |
Monday |
Welcome, clothing/costume hand-out, History of of the Vanderveer/Knox house,
“Bee Keeping and Colonial Farming” with Tassot Apiaries from Milford, New Jersey. Discussion and processing. |
Tuesday |
“Basket Weaving” with Elisa Kessler Caporale - Children will learn about the history of colonial basket making, purposes, materials, etc. and will be making round reed baskets with multicolored reed finished, looped or braided trim. Discussion and processing. |
Wednesday |
“The Farmers Household ”Colonial clothing, sewing craft projects. Discussion and processing. |
Thursday |
“Open Fire Cooking ”
with Michele Dansak & Kathy Ormosi. Plan to cook items over an open outdoor fire pit, either soup and a bread or fried dough, and also churn butter. Children will be involved with the food prep that doesn’t actually involve being over the fire. (All necessary fire approvals have been satisfied with the township in addition to the location of the fire pit). Clothing styles and their purposes will be discussed relative to children. Discussion and processing. |
Friday
(2nd Session Only) |
"Archeological Exploration" - with Ian Burrow of Hunter Research, one of New Jersey's most renowned archeological firms.
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 Registration Form Details (For Download)
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About the Vanderveer/Knox House & Museum
& the Pluckemin Artillery Cantonment
For over two centuries, the Jacobus Vanderveer House has been at the center of Bedminster Township’s rich and colorful history. The house is the last surviving building in Bedminster associated with the Vanderveer's, a family prominent in Bedminster Township history from its earliest settlement through the mid 19th century.
The Vanderveer house served as headquarters for General Henry Knox during the winter of 1778-79, when the Continental Army artillery was located in the village of Pluckemin during the Revolutionary War's Second Middlebrook Encampment. The house is the only known building still standing that was associated with the Pluckemin Artillery Cantonment. The artillery park and military academy is considered to be the first installation in America to train officers in engineering and artillery and predates the United States Military Academy at West Point (est.1802) by twenty four years.
The Vanderveer family house was later enlarged with two additions in the nineteenth century, remodeled in the twentieth century, and subsequently abandoned. The Township of Bedminster purchased the home and the surrounding area as part of River Road Park in 1989. The home has been restored by The Friends of the Jacobus Vanderveer House, a non-profit group of inspired volunteers dedicated to use the home as a museum and educational center.
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The Friends of the Jacobus Vanderveer House |
P.O. Box 723, Bedminster, New Jersey 07921-0723
908 - 212 - 7000 ext. 611 |
| www.jvanderveerhouse.com |
info@jvanderveerhouse.com |
| Click Here for Directions |
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