The Society
The Bordentown Historical Society was formed in 1930, as a not-for-profit corporation to research and preserve the rich history of our town, which was settled in 1682. Our MISSION is to preserve, teach and inspire curiosity about Bordentown’s rich history.
In 1961, the Society applied for and received tax exempt status with the Internal Revenue Service. Our activities are made possible through individual contributions, earned income, and grants. The largest single source of income for the Society is annual membership fees and programs such as our annual Garden Tour and our Blueberry Social.
Since 1930, our organization has strived to preserve bits of local and state history. We have been the repository for documents, photographs, antiques, and other items related to Bordentown’s history. We have continued to be the thoughtful stewards of the artifacts and antiques that we have received and are continuing to receive.
Until December of 1999, we lacked a facility in which we could organize and display our collections. We had previously stored parts of our collections in various city-owned properties and the accessibility of the materials to the public was limited.
In December of 1999, the Summit Bank donated the Bordentown Friends Meeting House (circa 1740) to our Society as a permanent home. Restoration and adaptive reuse of the building was undertaken in October of 2001. The BHS has continued to maintain and update the building with the support of public and private funding through donations and grants. The Meeting House is open for special community events and is the primary exhibit space for historic Bordentown artifacts, archives, and memorabilia.
In December of 2005, the Bordentown Regional Board of Education donated the original one room schoolhouse used by Clara Barton to the Society for preservation and maintenance. The schoolhouse was the site of the first successful public school program in New Jersey, which was founded by Clara Barton in 1852. In 2021, the BHS commemorated Clara Barton’s 200th birthday with exciting educational programs and a “birthday party.” The Society is committed to continue efforts to complete the restoration this historic building and transform it into a first class museum.
The Bordentown Historical Society is an all-volunteer organization that continues to provide access to Bordentown’s rich past with exhibits, lectures, tours, interpretive museum space and important preservation activities – a responsibility it took on in 1930 and which continues today, 92 years later.
Please consider supporting the BHS so that we can continue our important mission.