Yesterday, Sunday 9th of December, I was invited to join three friends on a historic house tour in Greenwich. As I have mentioned my car is too old for such long drives, about an hour from my house to Greenwich (the one on the Cohansey River, not Greenwich Twp.) so it was a pure delight to be invited to once again visit my person favorite New Jersey Historic town.
Every historic town that I love in New Jersey has its own special attributes from Bordertown to Smithville, to Rancocas Woods and Woodstown, but Greenwich has The Great Street, with undoubtedly the oldest original and historic street this side of the Delaware River. My favorite house on the29 site tour was the 1690 Dennis house. But having been a lifelong log structure fan, I always love to visit the Granary!
Maybe it was the Lincoln Logs I had as a child, maybe it was the Swedish church I attended (Gloria Dei, Old Swedes Church), maybe it was Little House on the Prairie, but all my life I have been enamored of log houses and buildings. So I like to get to visit the ones not too far from me as often as possible, the Swedish cabin on the grounds of the Swedish Church in Swedesboro, the cabin at the entrance to Salem, the Rink family preserved Finnish Cabin near Gibbstown (the oldest log structure in the WORLD because in Finland, they burn down the old cabins when they built new ones) called the Nothnagle Cabin. Whatever the spark that ignited this flame, I have been in love with log structures for as long as I remember.
Added attractions in the Greenwich tour were the fire hall, the old school where basket makers and spinners ply their ancient arts, the Prehistory Museum with the awe-inspiring collection of projectile points and reconstructed Native American pottery and the Genealogy and History Library. At many locations cider and cookies and tea and cookies were generously provided and it was all around a delightful day and the highlight of my winter holiday season to date. All the tour people are both warm and informed and very generous in sharing their time and their knowledge with us visitors. Also it is notably kind of the home owners to go to the trouble to decorate and open their homes to us.
Lastly, the drive to and from Greenwich is beautiful. Although my own personal preference is for the early evening summer drive, the winter drive is a close competitor, and as is so often the case, the way we take going somehow diverges from the way we take coming home again so we get to see more charming back roads of South Jersey. When my car was young, I used to like to get lost on the back roads and discover new places, which is how I originally found Greenwich. At that time, I was tracking the Underground Railroad and searching for Ambury Civil War cemetery for African American Soldiers near Othello. I had come across a tiny roadside set of grave stones and a sign for Othello and followed that trail. That was my favorite thing to do and perhaps next spring when I get a new car, I will again enjoy following the winding trails of hidden treasures of history in South Jersey.
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