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On Sunday, November 14th, the Samuel Fleming Museum will host a display featuring the art work of Mrs.Buelow's 2nd graders from the Three Bridges School. The student's Native American portraits can be seen from 1-3 PM. All are welcome to tour the Museum, enjoy the art work and stay for refreshments and crafts.
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The "Second Sunday" Open House at Samuel Fleming House will host some Unusual guests, Teddy Bears and other Bear Friends.
Friends and their Teddy Bears have been invited to an afternoon of fun and food. Games with a bear-twist will be played in the garden. The food will be highlighted with a cupcake buffet. Participants can decorate a variety of cupcakes using a wide selection of icings and decorations. If they wish, friends can participate in decorating a bear face on a cupcake. The best Bear Face will be awarded a special prize.
The guest of honor, Flemington's Dr. Carla Drozdowicz, Veterinarian and collector, will display part of her current bear collection. Carla will discuss her childhood stuffed animal friends, her collection, how it grew and why.
The history of Teddy Bears is an interesting story which coincides with the famous Steiff bears of Germany, among Carla's favorites. "Bear Talk" with Carla will begin at 2pm with time for questions and sharing tales.
Dr. Drozdowicz's interest in animals extends to rescuing stray cats. The rescued cats are spayed or neutered and administered necessary shots while in her care. Frequently she rescues a mother cat with kittens or orphaned kittens. These kittens are available for adoption. To date, Carla has not rescued any bears but probably would if the opportunity presented itself.
Guests are invited to bring their favorite bears (Teddy Bears and others) to the Party. Prizes will be given for: The oldest Bear; The oldest owner of a visiting Bear; The most unusual Bear; The smallest Bear; and The largest Bear.
The cupcake Buffet will feature wholesome foods for decorating the cupcakes. No nuts or nut products will be included.
Please call for reservations. Admission for the afternoon is $3. per person and includes food. Call (908)782-8235 or (908)782-4049. Children must be accompanied by adults. Samuel Fleming House is located at 5 Bonnell Street, Flemington, NJ.
We look forward to seeing you and your Bear Friends, Sunday, July 11th.
Left to right, Evie Chambers, Dorothy Calkin, Carmen Grimes, Audrey Gomes, Edna Pedrick invite moms to a Mother’s Day Celebration at the Fleming Castle.
The Fleming Castle is celebrating Mother’s Day on Saturday, May 8th from 1:30 to 3pm. Bring mom for a house and garden tour and sit down and enjoy refreshments while listening to live flute music. The Castle is located on 5 Bonnell Street in Flemington. RSVP if possible is appreciated at 908-782-4607.
Flutists Emily Bengels and Lori Dribbon will be performing 1:30pm Saturday May 8th at the Fleming Castle for a special Mother’s Day celebration.
Tour this charming 250+ year old house at 5 Bonnell St. in Flemington every 2nd Sunday of the month from 1-4:00 pm. Groups and Scouts are always welcome. If you are high school age or older, consider donating community service time a few hours a month by becoming a tour guide.
Fleming Castle docent, Senior Leslie Linguiti, prepares for Sunday’s discussion on the history of the versatile pineapple.
The rare pineapple: “King of Colonial Fruits” will be the topic discussed at the Fleming Castle on April 11 at 1:00. Come hear all about the history of this delicious fruit and enjoy taste testing many pineapple recipes.
Tour this charming 250+ year old house at 5 Bonnell St. in Flemington every 2nd Sunday of the month from 1-4:00 pm. Groups and Scouts are always welcome. If you are high school age or older, consider donating community service time a few hours a month by becoming a tour guide.
Come visit the Fleming Castle (Samuel Fleming House) this Sunday, March 14 from 1-4pm and view the creative artwork of young children from Three Bridges School. The Fleming Castle(Samuel Fleming House) is located at 5 Bonnell St. and is open for touring the second Sunday of each month. The Samuel Fleming House is the oldest house in Flemington and now on display is a large replica of this charming 250 years old house. Refreshments will be offered.
New members are always welcome to help keep the Colonial spirit alive in Flemington. Groups and Scout tours are available through reservations.
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The Fleming Castle is all decked out for the holidays and will be open for touring Dec. 13th from 1-4pm at 5 Bonnell St. in Flemington. A holiday boutique will feature one-of-a-kind gifts for you and yours along with a bargain table of Outside sale items Inside, ranging from $0.50 to $5.00. Decorations and children’s items will be for sale. Stop in for a cup of hot cider and treats.
The Castle guest this month will be avid gardener, Linda Calkin. Linda puts away her trowel for the winter and picks up her paintbrush specializing in hand painted flowerpots. Assorted pots come in various sizes and each one is unique and affordable.
Bring the kids in to create a sweetgum fruit wreath during the children’s hour from 2:30 to 3:30. The Fleming Castle is open for tours the second Sunday of every month. Groups and Scouts are welcome. For reservations call 908-782-8235.
William Muzychko, owner of Bill’s Figs, will be the guest speaker from 1:30 to 2:30pm at the Fleming Castle Museum on August 9th located at 5 Bonnell Street in Flemington. How and when did fig trees get to America and how can they survive New Jersey winters? Mr. Muzychko is a fig expert and can answer all your questions about this unusual and delicious fruit. William grows over 130 varieties of fig trees and will discuss his unique and interesting EZ-Care Fig Tree growing system. Come and find out all about this remarkably scrumptious fruit. Refreshments will be served.
The Fleming Castle Museum is open for touring the second Sunday of each month. Come visit the oldest house in Flemington and walk through our newly renovated garden, which is available for weddings. If you love history consider becoming a tour guide at the Fleming Castle Museum. For more information about Bill’s Figs check wmuzy@comcast.net.
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January 12, 2008
Slide Show: Unravel the Mystery and History of the Fleming Castle!
Join us for a tour of the Fleming Castle Museum and stay for a special slide presentation of historic maps and images of the Fleming Castle at 2:30 pm. Hear the stories, both old and new, about the Castle, built c.1756 and stop by our gift shop for a Flemington treasure.
February 8, 2008
Make Your Own Valentine
Take a family break together and enjoy an early family valentine by visiting the Castle and viewing the beautiful vintage Valentine collection on display. Susan McGee will be available from 1:30 to 5:30 to talk about the Holiday and her collection.
Your youngsters can make their own special and original Valentines to take home.
March 2008
Is That Flute Music I hear?
Strains of entrancing flute music will drift from the Fleming Castle Museum during it's regular Open House on March 8th. Renowned flutists Lori Dribbon and Emily Bengels will perform both solos and duets between 1 and 2 PM. This will be a return engagement for Lori who performed at Sam's Summer Camp in 2006.
April 12, 2008
Colonial Needlework
Visitors are invited to experience this single showing of the past by practicing and learning the cross stitch.
Cross Stitching a project of your very own from 1 to 3 PM.
Vintage samplers were also on display.
May 10, 2008
Weaving Pot holders for Mom
Come to the Fleming Castle Museum at the regular Open House and weave a Mothers Day Gift! We will be weaving pot holders on small looms. Come take a tour of the museum and leave with a gift for Mom!
June 14, 2008
Ruth Claus on Colonial Kitchin Gardens
Join us and learn about 18th Century Colonial Gardens from Master Gardener Ruth Claus. Ruth is a member of the Rutgers Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners of Somerset and Hunterdon Counties.
July 12, 2008
Quilting Patriot Squares
Quilting came into being when the people who invented weaving reasoned that two or even three thickness would be warmer than just one. Come and learn how our colonial ancestors used scraps of cloth to create useful and beautiful quilts. You will learn the basics of quilting by making a simple quilt square in patriotic colors.
August 9, 2008
Read Me a Story
Fleming Castle Museum's "Second Saturday" will be highlighted by a "Read Me a Story" hour. Read by the director, Dorothy Calkin, story time will be for 5 to 8 year olds from 2:30 to 3:30 pm. Parents, please plan to stay with your children.
Sept. 13, 2008
Weaving with Marge
Come join us on Saturday, at 2:30 PM to learn about weaving. Longtime quilter and Fleming Castle docent Marjorie Keating has embarked on a new adventure - weaving. She learned to weave at The Spinnery in Frenchtown and now has her own folding rigid heddle loom. Marjorie, the loom and examples of her weaving will be available at the Castle from 2:30 to 3:30 PM. Come and say hi and Marjorie will even let you weave a bit on her loom!
Oct. 11, 2008
First Annual Chief Tuccamirgan Day
Fleming Castle Museum is pleased to present the First Annual Chief Tuccamirgan Day, a very special Second Saturday program, on October 11, 2008. The day will begin at 10:30 AM at Flemington Borough's Municipal Hall, 38 Park Avenue, with a presentation by Beverly A. Friend, "Lenape Culture: An Introduction to American Indian Life in New Jersey." Ms. Friend's keynote speech will include an overview of the lifestyle, clothing and implements, and beliefs of the Lenape. This program is offered through the Horizon Speakers Bureau of the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, a state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. limited.
Following Ms. Friend's presentation on Lenape Culture, the day's activities will continue at the Castle's newly-terraced backyard.
House tours led by Castle docents will be offered at 11:45 AM and 1:45 PM. For children, the day's activities will include games and crafts, drumming, face painting and story telling from 11:45 AM to 2:45 PM. There also will be music and photo opportunities. At 3 PM, the event will move to the Case Cemetery on Bonnell Street for a brief visit to Chief Tuccamirgan's grave. At 3:15 PM, guests will gather at the Bonnell Street entrance to Tuccamirgan Park for a special closing ceremony. Fleming Castle Museum, in partnership with Flemington Borough Shade Tree Commission, will share the dedication of a tree planted in honor of Chief Tuccamirgan. A new sign, made by Fleming Castle Museum Trustee Bill Wachter, reads:
"Tuccamirgan Park - Named in honor of Lenape Chief Tuccamirgan who helped John Kase (Case) and his family survive the wilderness. Their respect for each other and the land inspires all those who walk here."
Nov. 8, 2008
Silhouettes at the Castle
Ruth Gravner, 50 year veteran of cutting silhouettes of people and pets, will be at the Castle to do YOUR silhouette. Come by and see this process done while you wait.
We will also be making punched tin ornaments for Christmas. Come and make a special gift for someone you love.
Dec 13, 2008
Make an Orange Pomander
The sights and scents of a Colonial Christmas will be part of the Open House This Month. Thanks to the Hunterdon County Garden Guild the Castle has been decorated inside and out with greens and beautiful arrangements.
An important item in colonial Christmas was the pomander. The special scent and appearance made the pomander a prized gift as well as n addition to the home. You can make your own pomander with the assistance of Dorothy Calkin, museum staffer.
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Fleming Castle Museum is pleased to present the First Annual Chief Tuccamirgan Day, a very special Second Saturday program, on October 11, 2008. The day will begin at 10:30 AM at Flemington Borough's Municipal Hall, 38 Park Avenue, with a presentation by Beverly A. Friend, "Lenape Culture: An Introduction to American Indian Life in New Jersey." Ms. Friend's keynote speech will include an overview of the lifestyle, clothing and implements, and beliefs of the Lenape. This program is offered through the Horizon Speakers Bureau of the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, a state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. There is no charge for the lecture; however, reservations are suggested, as space is limited.
Following Ms. Friend's presentation on Lenape Culture, the day's activities will continue at the Castle's newly-terraced backyard. Guests attending the lecture can enter the backyard from the Municipal Hall parking lot or from the front entrance near the Information Directory on Bonnell Street. A suggested donation of $5 per family will benefit Fleming Castle Museum's Garden Landscaping Project. Refreshments made from Native American ingredients such as corn, pumpkin, cranberries and beans will be served from 11:45 AM to 2:45 PM. "Not-so-native" hot dogs also will be available with assorted beverages and desserts. Food tickets will be sold at the Castle entrances for $1 each, with various food items being offered for 1 or 2 tickets each.
Sue Warrick, Historian and Docent for Fleming Castle Museum, commented on the significance of recognizing Chief Tuccamirgan, "We mention Chief Tuccamirgan during house tours at the Castle and invite guests to walk up Bonnell Street and see his gravesite. Students - and other visitors - frequently ask questions about Chief Tuccamirgan." She added, "While the Castle history begins in 1756, we feel it is important to also know the area's earlier history."
House tours led by Castle docents will be offered at 11:45 AM and 1:45 PM. For children, the day's activities will include games and crafts, drumming, face painting and story telling from 11:45 AM to 2:45 PM. There also will be music and photo opportunities. At 3 PM, the event will move to the Case Cemetery on Bonnell Street for a brief visit to Chief Tuccamirgan's grave. At 3:15 PM, guests will gather at the Bonnell Street entrance to Tuccamirgan Park for a special closing ceremony. Fleming Castle Museum, in partnership with Flemington Borough Shade Tree Commission, will share the dedication of a tree planted in honor of Chief Tuccamirgan. A new sign, made by Fleming Castle Museum Trustee Bill Wachter, reads:
"Tuccamirgan Park - Named in honor of Lenape Chief Tuccamirgan who helped John Kase (Case) and his family survive the wilderness. Their respect for each other and the land inspires all those who walk here."
Schedule of Events
10:30 - 11:30 "Lenape Nation"
Presentation by Beverly Friend at Boro Hall (38 Park Avenue)
This program is offered through the Horizon Speakers Bureau of the New Jersey Council of the Humanities, a state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
11:30 Beginning of Adventure Guides participation in day's activities
11:30 - 2:00 Food - in the Native American manner
Tickets to purchase food will be sold starting at 11:15 in front of the Fleming Castle Museum Information Directory (Bonnell Street) and in the backyard near the Boro Hall Parking Lot (Court Street)
12:30 - 1:15 Folk Tale Reader
1:15 - 3:00 Games and Crafts for Children
1:15 - 3:00 Face Painting
1:15 - 3:00 Take your picture with Chief Tuccamirgan
----- TOUR SCHEDULE FOR THIS EVENT ONLY ----
11:45 First Fleming Castle House Tour
1:30 Second Fleming Castle House Tour
--- Fleming Castle will close at 3:00 ---
2:00 - 3:00 Music and entertainment -
Flutes and drumming
3:00 Guests visit Tuccamirgan's Grave in the Case Cemetery on Bonnell Street
3:15 Guests cross Bonnell Street to Tuccamirgan Park for Tree Dedication and Ceremony
Fleming Castle's "Second Saturday" September 13th will feature Docent Marjorie Keating. Ms. Keating, a long time quilter, has added weaving to her creative skills. Marjorie will share her knowledge, her folding rigid heddle loom and weaving examples during a weaving demonstration at 2:30 PM. Come in for a "hands on" experience.
Castle tours will be conducted from 1 to 4 PM as usual. There is no admission fee.
Be sure to to look at the changed landscape in the Castle backyard. The formerly sloping property, difficult to use, has been terraced in order to make it more usable. The Friends of Fleming Castle welcome appropriate contributions to the proposed, exciting new landscaping. Plants and Colonial/Victorian features will be added to create a lovely garden. For more information, call 609-397-0108 or 908-782-8235.
October's "Second Saturday", October 11th will be the first annual "Tuccamirgin Day" The community is invited to join in celebrating the Lenape Chief's contribution to our area. Plan to join the Pow Wow beginning at 10:30 AM.
Fleming Castle Museum's "Second Saturday" opening August 9th 2008 will be highlighted by a "Read Me a Story" hour. Read by the director, Dorothy Calkin, story time will be for 5 to 8 year olds from 2:30 to 3:30 pm. Parents, please plan to stay with your children.
The usual Castle tours will be available from 1 to 4 pm. There is no admission fee (donations accepted) and no reservations are required.
Visitors arriving by car are requested to NOT park in the Court Street Municipal Lot (in back of the Boro Hall and the Fire Department) for this month. Landscaping work is in progress and the backyard is temporarily unavailable. When this work is complete, the backyard will be more accessible for outside events. Additional parking is available in the DKR MIddle School parking lot on Bonnell Street.
Also, during the month of August the lobby showcase at the Hunterdon County Library on Route 12 in Flemington will contain a Fleming Castle Museum exhibit. Interior pictures, history, and activities of the 1756 building will be included in the exhibit.
"Quilting came into being when the people who invented weaving reasoned that two or even three thicknesses would be warmer than just one.
All quilts consist of three layers - a top piece, a layer of batting and a layer of backing. To be a quilt it must be this type of layering. A patched top with just a backing is considered a spread...."
Marj Keating
Come and learn how our colonial ancestors used scraps of cloth to create useful and beautiful quilts. You will learn the basics of quilting by making a simple quilt square in patriotic colors.
Visit us! Saturday, July 12 from 1 - 4 PM. Our regular tours will also be given. No reservations are necessary and there is no admission fee.
Join us on Saturday, June 14th and learn about 18th Century Colonial Gardens from Master Gardener Ruth Claus. Ruth is a member of the Rutgers Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners of Somerset and Hunterdon Counties.
Ruth grew up on a small farm in Indiana where she learned early about growing vegetables and preparing them for market. Asparagus, rhubarb, hothouse and field tomatoes, eggplant and peppers were her father's specialties. She also learned about growing flowers from her mother's example. Ruth was an active 4H member throughout her teen years.
Since then, Ruth has gardened continuously. Thirty years ago she was transplanted to Hunterdon County where a deer fence now enables her to enjoy a wide variety of plants. At present she is most interested in ornamental grasses, herbs, succulents and shrubs that do not need to be pruned.
After retiring from a background in accounting and teaching, Ruth volunteered for the Master Gardener Program and was certified in 2001. She has been a team leader of the Speaker's Bureau as well as one of its speakers, editor of the Newsletter, and member of the Executive Board. At present she is president of the Master Gardeners of Somerset and Hunterdon Counties.
During a recent lecture at the Hunterdon County Library she was asked if there was a standard for fencing of Colonial Gardens. Ruth replied. "fences should be 'hog tight, horse tall, and bull strong'!".
Ruth will be speaking at the Fleming Castle about Colonial Gardens from a utility and use point of view with an emphasis on basic vegetables and herbs. Please join us at 2:00 PM for her presentation. Space is limited so please call ahead to reserve your space. (908-782-8235 or 609-397-0108). There is no admission fee to the castle or for the presentation and we will be giving our usual tours of the castle from 1 - 4 PM.
Last week the 5th grade students from the Reading-Fleming Middle School toured the Fleming Castle Museum. Over 450 students stepped back in time to the Hunterdon County of the 1700's and the Revolutionary War. They learned about Colonial day-to-day life including food preparation, flax weaving and toys and games as well as George Washington's visit to Flemington.
Docents were present in the various areas on the tour to educate and entertain the students. Various Flemington personages were covered from Samuel Fleming to George Washington (who DID stop in Flemington) to Thomas Skelton (a loyalist) to Chief Tuccamirgin (a Lenape Indian Chief) and even the Castle ghost. A few of the students were able to try on colonial tricorn hats. A smiling Travis represents his fellow students.
The highlight of the tour (weather permitting) was a trip to the backyard where everyone had a chance to place with colonial toys: ball in cup, jacob's ladder, and even rolling hoops.
The "Fleming Castle" was built c. 1756 on land purchased by Samuel Fleming who operated a tavern and stagecoach stop at the crossing of two important colonial roads. The village became known as "Flemings town", Flemingtown, and finally Flemington.
Come to the Fleming Castle Museum at the regular Open House on Saturday, May 10th and weave a Mother's Day Gift! We will be weaving pot holders on small looms. Come take a tour of the museum and leave with a gift for Mom! The Museum is open from 1 - 4 PM, no reservations are required and there is no admission fee.
There will also be a Member's Picnic after the Open House on Saturday, May 10th at 4:30 PM. Enjoy fun family activities, entertainment and a variety of delectable dishes from outstanding local restaurants. The trustees of the Fleming Castle Museum invite all members of the museum to come and enjoy this "Meet and Eat" in celebration of their generous support, The Rain Date for this event is Sunday, May 11th at 4:30 PM.
The Museum is also interested in anyone who would like to volunteer their time and talents. Are you interested in local history? Perhaps you like to become a docent/guide at the Fleming Castle Museum.
Our docents are in all the rooms of the Museum. They point out items of interest and tell you a little bit about the history of the house and its occupants. They will do their best to answer any questions you have and will direct you to the next room on the tour.
Our docents are all members of the local community who volunteer their time to help preserve this treasure of Flemington for this generation and generations to come.
Would you like to join us? There are also opportunities to help with research and events and sewing projects. Stop by on the second Saturday of each month or call (908-782-4607). We'd love to meet with you!
Fleming Castle's "Second Saturday" opening, April 12, 1 to 4 PM, will feature a favorite, Colonial Needlework. Visitors are invited to experience this single showing of the past by practicing and learning the cross stitch.
Cross Stitching Activity will be available from 1 to 3 PM.
Vintage samplers will also be on display. The Museum would be most appreciative of the donation of antique needlework for permanent display. Gift donors will, of course, be given appropriate tax credit forms in exchange for their gifts.
Strains of entrancing flute music will drift from the Fleming Castle Museum during it's regular Open House on March 8th. Renowned flutists Lori Dribbon and Emily Bengels will perform both solos and duets between 1 and 2 PM.
This will be a return engagement for Lori who performed at Sam's Summer Camp in 2006.
Tours will be available, without charge, from 1 to 4 as usual on the "Second Saturday", March 8th. Hear the stories, both old and new, about the Castle, built c.1756 and stop by our gift shop for a Flemington treasure.
Can't find a Valentine to please you? Come make your own this Saturday. February 8th, at FLEMING CASTLE MUSEUM, 5 Bonnell Street, Flemington.
Take a family break together and enjoy an early family valentine by visiting the Castle and viewing the beautiful vintage Valentine collection on display. Susan McGee will be available from 1:30 to 3:30 to talk about the Holiday and her collection.
Your youngsters can make their own special and original Valentines to take home. Reservations for your Valentine class are appreciated but not necessary.
Tours will be available, without charge, from 1 to 4 as usual on the "Second Saturday", February 8th. Hear the stories, both old and new, about the Castle, built c.1756 and stop by our gift shop for a Flemington treasure. Come for our maps and stay to make a Valentine!
For more information call Carmen Grimes, 908-782-8235.
Join us for a tour of the Fleming Castle Museum on Saturday, January 12 from 1 to 4 and stay for a special slide presentation of historic maps and images of the Fleming Castle at 2:30 pm. Hear the stories, both old and new, about the Castle, built c.1756 and stop by our gift shop for a Flemington treasure.
The Fleming Castle is open the second Saturday of every month from 1:00 to 4:00 and by appointment. Visit us at 5 Bonnell Street, just off Park Ave. and find out why this house is called a Castle.
In honor all those Veterans who have served to keep our country safe the Fleming Castle Museum will have a special display of artifacts belonging to Charles E. Fleming who served as a midshipman on the USS Constitution during the period 1835 thru 1838. Come by and view the display, tour the Fleming Castle and get your very own American flag to display with pride on Veterans Day Monday November 11.
The Fleming Castle, built c.1756, is open the second Saturday of every month and by appointment. Visit us at 5 Bonnell Street, just off Park Ave. and find out why this house is called a Castle. No reservations are required and there is no admission fee.
The garden behind the Fleming Castle Museum will have some very special guests this Saturday. Gnomes! Our gnomes need names! Cherry Jebwinkle? Buckeye Bunkbiddle? Dogwood Dwobo? Visitors are invited to locate and name our jolly guests. Each gnome-naming participant will receive What Tree Is That?, a guide to the more common trees found in the eastern and central United States. Prizes will be awarded to each winner.
Flemington Shade Tree Commission members will present an exhibit of tree advantages and provide tree care booklets for the public. Information will be available on the Add a Tree Program. To learn more call Mike Deluca 908-806-7628 or Carmen Grimes 908-782-8235.
There will be an exhibit of antique reproduction toys and refreshments will be served under our tent. The Fleming Castle, built c.1756, is open the second Saturday of every month and by appointment. There is no need to make an appointment and there is no admission fee altho donations are gratefully accepted. Visit us at 5 Bonnell Street, just off Park Avenue.
Be sure and check out our Boutique in the Victorian Room. We have Flemington Mugs and Fleming Castle Museum tote bags as well as pins and cards!
The Courthouse Quilters have assembled a large collection of children's storybooks with quilts as the theme and made colorful quilts to match the quilts in the stories. The quilts and books, along with numerous additional teacher resources and suggested reading, history, math, and art activities, have been loaned to area grade school librarians during the past year. The goal of the project is to encourage the children's appreciation of quilting and literature and inspire future quilters!
The quilts and storybooks will be displayed at the Fleming Castle Museum as part of their monthly open house on Sat. July 14. There will be storybook readings at 1:30 and 2:30 as well as tours of the Fleming Castle from 1:00-4:00.
There will be a large variety of quilts on display:
Come out to see them all!
The Fleming Castle, built c.1756, is open the second Saturday of every month and by appointment. Visit us at 5 Bonnell Street, just off Park Ave. and find out why this house is called a Castle.
Fleming Castle was once again a-bloom with lovely floral arrangements designed by members of the Hunterdon Garden Guild. As you move from room to room you are treated to never ending examples flower arrangements that you might see at a wedding - bridal bouquets to flower girl baskets. Here are a sample of some of the arrangements our visitors saw.
Thank you Hunterdon Garden Guild for letting us see all the entries in your annual flower show!
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What fun we had today! The weather warmed up a bit and visitors came to see the castle and to watch as Catherine penned their names in the beautiful script of the 1700's. She made it look so easy! Catherine also talked about penmanship and letter writing of the time -- a lot slower and more deliberate. Anyone who would like to give calligraphy a try, we urge you to call Catherine who has Spring classes for all levels of students. She is also available for your wedding or other special occasion calligraphy projects. She can be reached at 908-996-7325. You can also check out her web site : http://www.calligraphybycatherine.com/
We would also like to thank Catherine for penning some Fleming Castle signatures for us. I would also like to thank her personally for my beautiful bookmark!
Catherine Lent has always loved art, and as a child her favorite gifts were always art supplies. At the age of 8 or 9, she received her first set of calligraphy pens, and that along with seeing the gorgeous envelopes penned by her maternal grandfather marked the beginning of her lifelong love of beautiful writing.
While Lent taught high school English for ten years with an emphasis on creative writing and poetry, she always had one hand in the visual arts and would often relax after a day of teaching and grading with knitting, stained glass, or a mosaic project. After having her daughter, Stella, in 2002, she turned to calligraphy as a way to make money while staying home with the baby. In the years since Stella's birth, Catherine has developed a broad base of clients and calligraphy students. While brides and their families make up about half of her clientele, the other half is a wide variety of folks looking to preserve important texts in a beautiful way. From family Bibles to dog pedigrees to a hundred-pound hand-painted pumpkin, there is no project she won't consider. Her client list consists mostly of Hunterdon and Bucks county folks, but she has also done work for the New York Times company and the Elton John Aids Foundation.
For someone who loves teaching, it was only natural for Lent to begin offering classes for people who want to learn this time-honored skill. She offers beginner and intermediate classes in broad-pen Italic as well as introduction to the pointed-pen Copperplate style, and she occasionally holds one-day workshops for holidays, envelope addressing, etc. In addition to adults, she teaches young people both in her home and at local schools. She can be contacted at calligraphybycatherine@earthlink.net or 908.996.7325. You can also check out her web site : http://www.calligraphybycatherine.com/
It was a hands-on day at Fleming Castle Museum! (OK, the event was held at Boro Hall due to space limitations.) After an informative, interesting, and endlessly entertaining lecture and slide show by John Kraft, the audience was invited to take a close look at all the displays he brought and try them out.
Rattles were rattled, clothes and masks were tried on, corn was ground in a mortar. What fun we all had! Thank you, John, for a wonderful presentation! For more information about the Lenape Indians, please visit their web page at www.lenapelifeways.org
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Shots were heard at Fleming Castle on Saturday as the Outwater's Militia set up camp. Having enlisted some young volunteers, they drilled them in the proper handing of muskets and the proper barking of "Huzzah!" Although the wooden replicas were manageable for the new recruits, they were surprised by the weight of the 'real thing' especially when the bayonet was added on the end.
We are learned about the gear the militia had to carry with them including cooking equipment, canteens, and their blankets and tents.
Militiamen were the equivalent of today's National guard protecting their local area and occasionally going further afield to assist other militia units.
And we were treated to demonstrations by the militia's musician who played for us on his fife. He also explained the duties of the musicians which included piping orders which could be heard over the sound of gun fire during a battle and administering punishment when needed.
We also watched as wool from a sheep was combed and spun into yarn which could then be made into clothing. What must have been a drudgery back in the 18th century is today a pleasant hobby for those taking the time to learn these skills.
We are so glad that the Outwater's Militia stopped for a few hours at 'Fleming's' and we hope to have them back again. Until then, be sure to check out their website for photos, information, and a schedule of future 'encampments'!
Outwater's Militia
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"I spy with my little eye ..."
Can you find the document box? How about the child's rocking chair? Or the coffee grinder?
Be sure and pick up one of our Scavenger Hunt sheets and see how many items you can spot during your visit. You can find the answers in the 1890's room. And if you get stuck, just ask one of the docents -- they'll be glad to help you!
“ A person who acts as a guide, typically on a volunteer basis, in a museum... ”
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Our docents are available in all the rooms of The Fleming Castle. They will point out items of interest and tell you a little bit about the history of the house and its occupants. They will do their best to answer any questions you have and will direct you to the next room on the tour.
Some of our docents are in traditional colonial garb. Others may be recognized by their long white smocks and mop caps.
Our docents are all members of the local community who volunteer their time to help preserve this treasure of Flemington for this generation and generations to come.
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