Says Me Says Mom: Where-To-Go Wednesday

Wednesday, September 23, 2020

Where-To-Go Wednesday - Liberty Hall

What: Liberty Hall

Where: 1003 Morris Ave.

Union, NJ

Who: All ages

Liberty Hall was the home of New Jersey's first elected governor, William Livingston. Since then, it has passed through several generations of Livingstons and Keans. Since both families were very active in politics, former New Jersey Governor, Thomas Kean, was a member of the latter family for one, as well as industry, the house has quite a storied history. Many famous people have passed through the house at one time or another including George and Martha Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Ulysses Grant and George H.W. Bush.

After being closed during quarantine, Liberty Hall recently reopened for limited size reserved tours. Mask wearing and socially distancing are required throughout the tours, In this case, the social distancing actually provides an advantage since instead of just being able to stand in the doorway and peek in different rooms, you are able to go fully into the rooms and get a closer look since more space is needed to allow for proper social distancing. Although only a small portion of the large mansion's numerous rooms are part of the tour, there is still quite a lot to see. Each room is filled with antique furniture, portraits, artifacts, and more. The juxtaposition of more modern items located in the home with those from earlier times in the building's history is fascinating and makes the tour quite unique. For instance, you will see historic portraits of early occupants of the home and their families on view as well as more current photos of the more recent occupants of the house, or you may see a quite modern-looking scrabble game in one area and a very early washing machine in another. It is also interesting to listen to the history of the home including stories of the previous occupants, information about some of the objects and artifacts located there, and more.