Where: 1281 River Road
Raritan Landing
Piscataway, NJ
Who: All ages
The Metlar Bodine House is the oldest of the two remaining homes from the colonial-era town of Raritan Landing. Over the years the house which was originally owned by Peter Bodine passed through several owners including the Metlars, and several additions to the house were built. The building currently houses the Piscataway Township Museum. The museum traces the history of the Raritan River Valley from the earliest time through the present with an emphasis on transportation. A large portion of the house as well about a quarter of the museum's collection was destroyed by a fire in 2003. However, as much as possible has been restored.
Permanent exhibits include one on Native American tools. There are also many other artifacts relating to different time periods from the colonial days through the 20th century. The prize object of the collection is the Ross Hall Wall. Ross Hall was where George Washington ordered the first celebration of Independence Day and part of the celebration took place there as well. Unfortunately, despite its historic significance, the only portion of Ross Hall that remains is the parlor wall. However, the museum is presently in flux and in the process of reorganizing and raising funds for an expansion. Accordingly, the actual wall is not currently on display but you can see a model of it. We were also unable to take pictures inside the museum. When the expansion is complete, the actual Ross Hall Wall be displayed as part of a new educational wing. There will also be a series of four (4) gardens that will be representative of typical gardens of four different centuries from the 16th to the 20th.
Museum tours are usually offered on Thursdays between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM. However, it is best to call before going to the museum to make sure that someone will be there to give you a tour. Tours are $5 a person. For children who are part of a school group, the cost is $3.00 per child. For more information, visit www.metlarbodinehousemuseum.org/home or call 732-463-8363.
Tune in tomorrow for Theater Thursday.
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