Boonton Historical Society and Museum, historical society and museum in Boonton, New Jersey
The Boonton Historical Society and Museum is a museum in Boonton housed in a brick building constructed in 1897 and containing a large collection of photographs, documents, tools, and personal items that trace the town's past. The structure itself blends Colonial Revival and Victorian Gothic styles and displays rotating exhibitions covering topics from iron manufacturing to fashion, local businesses, and transportation systems.
The organization was founded in 1959 to preserve Boonton's history, with the town's development closely tied to the construction of the Morris Canal in 1829 and the New Jersey Iron Company's expansion. During the Civil War, Boonton's iron production supplied weapons and materials to the Union, marking the town's peak as an industrial center before its later transformation.
The museum displays how the iron industry shaped everyday life in Boonton through tools, household items, and stories of local workers and families. The preserved buildings downtown reflect the town's identity as a former manufacturing center where people from different backgrounds came to work and settle.
The museum is open on the first and third Sunday of each month from 1 PM to 4 PM, with visits by appointment available on other days. Plan about one to two hours to explore the exhibitions and the building's history, and check the website for current hours and special events.
The building itself served as town offices and a gathering place for veterans before becoming a museum, showing how local landmarks in Boonton shift purposes while preserving their role in community life. Visitors often overlook this hidden chapter when touring the property.
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