The Museum of American History at Deptford, NJ

Finally, today, an adventure day-trip pal and I found our way to the Museum of American History at Deptford, NJ.  It is located at 138 Andaloro Way and the phone number is 856-812-1121.  

First let me say that my favorite items in this collection are the train platform ice skating figures, sleighs and sledders made in post World War II Germany from old bullet shells and other discarded munitions, melted down and re-cast for souvenir sale.  I love that things of killing were turned into things of beauty and celebration.

But, really, I love EVERYTHING about this museum, the implements of farm history for example.  The curator is a descendant of the Sauslein farm family of Maple Shade, a place where I grew up in the late 1950's.  My brother and I hunted for fossils at the clay pits (as they were known to us) but the grounds of a pottery manufacturing concern in those times.  The farm implements from their properties were inherited and now reside in the museum which has, since its last residence in a school building in Glamssboro, become a Foundation to protect and preserve the artifacts.

Some of the groups of artifacts on display include Fossils, Glass and Ceramics, Antique Tools and Equipment, Farm Implements, and upcoming - November 24 through Jan.28, the 15th Annual Antique Toy Train Display (another favorite of mine). 

Frankly I like the new housing of the collection better than the large impersonal school building setting where it was a couple of years ago, in Glamssboro.  I visited the collection there several times with different friends and when different exhibits were being held, for example there was a World War Exhibit that I saw there, and there was the annual toy train exhibit at Christmas time that I visited.  

It is wonderful to see history up close and personal and to see an individual collector expanding and conserving his collection.  These smaller local museums are always my favorites!  Remember the Prehistory Museum in Greenwich?  I wrote about that one many times and the wonderful collection of Native American pottery and projectile points.  The last time I was there, an oyster fisherman came in with a mastodon molar he had unearthed near Port Norris. He was looking to sell it but of course, these museums don't buy, they house donated local collections.  I saw one of those mastodon teeth at the American History Museum in Deptford today.  It reminded me of the other museum and the other visit a couple of years before in Greenwich.

I do hope you visit this museum and help support history in our area.  I plan to become a member.  Membership is $20 for individuals and includes free admission and a newsletter.  

for more information:
info@southjerseymuseum.org
www.southjerseymuseum.org
and they are on Facebook!

If, like me, you are a train fan, you may want to have lunch at the Woodbury Train Station before you visit the museum, and if like me you are a hiker/walker, you may want to combine your lunch and museum trip with a walk around Red Bank Battlefield in National Park, they are all fairly close to one another.

Happy Trails!
Jo Ann