The Roxbury Historic Trust

The Roxbury Historic Trust was commissioned by Township of Roxbury 
to serve as the curator of the 1815 King Store & the 1881 King Victorian Home

The Roxbury Historic Trust seeks to educate the public on the history of the Township of Roxbury and its place in the history of New Jersey and our nation. Toward this end it has restored and preserved two township National Register properties--the King Store Museum at 211 Main Street, Ledgewood, and the King Homestead Museum at 209 Main Street, Ledgewood. Both township-owned structures are currently leased to the Trust. The King Store was located just yards from the Morris Canal and  prospered during the Canal's height of activity from 1831 to 1870 and continued to do very well even after the canal's decline. 

The King Store and King Homestead Museum are now open for short tours on the second Sunday of each month from 1-4 pm. (closed January)Located on Main Street in the Ledgewood Historic Park, this is well worth a visit. Operated by Theodore F. King from 1874 through 1928, the Store was originally built in 1815 and retains it's turn of the Century appearance. The Trust is also restoring the adjacent 1881 Victorian House built by the King family. A newly restored Parlor and two Exhibition rooms are open to the public.  The adjacent circa 1770 Silas Riggs Saltbox House is owned and operated by the Roxbury Township Historical Society, and can be visited on the Second Sunday as well. These three buildings, situated together, provide us with a glimpse into the 18th,19th & 20th centuries. 

The King Store is a unique, 2-1/2 story building constructed of stone in 1815. At the ground floor its walls are 3 feet thick. Theodore King took over the building in 1873 and ran the General Store and Post Office very successfully. Mr. King died in 1928 and his daughter Louise locked up the building, it's contents remaining just as they were. From 1989 the Roxbury Rotary Club has worked to restore the exterior and the first floor shop and create the King Store Museum.

The King Store and Homestead are owned by the Township of Roxbury. The Roxbury Historic Trust was established in June of 2000 to maintain the restored buildings and act as curator for both the King Store, King homestead, and their collections.

We will shortly be posting a full page of photographs and information on the King Store Museum, check back soon!

In 1881 Theodore & Emma Louise King built a home next to the store, the house would have several additions with Italianate and Queen Ann influenced detailing.  The Roxbury Rotary Club started renovation of the Homestead in 2000. Structural rehabilitation is now nearing completion and the Roxbury Historic Trust is concentrating on interior decoration and the presentation of educational exhibits.

Click here for the King Homestead Museum 

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Next Open Houses:
Sunday: May 11, 2008 from 1 PM to 4 PM
SPECIAL: Sunday: May 18, 2008 from 1 PM to 4 PM
Celebrate Preservation Day
Sunday: June 8, 2008 from 1 PM to 4 PM
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New Featured Exhibit:   STATIONED ABROAD: A TRIBUTE TO FLIGHT NURSE, CAPTAIN MILDRED OSMUN, 
AND A REMEMBRANCE OF OUR WW2 VETERANS

. . . see info below on this NEW Exhibit !
NOTE: Can't make the scheduled opening??
We do have tours for individuals and groups at other times, by appointment. We encourage people who can't make the scheduled times to call the Trust or e-mail at  RoxburyHistoricTrust @ gmail.com 

 Roxbury Historic Trust Inc., 
209 Main St, Ledgewood, NJ 07852   tel# 973-927-7603  or 973-584-7903. 

Download a Membership Application
Directions to the Ledgewood Historic Park
A Call for Volunteers at the Historic Buildings of The Trust!!

©2008 Roxbury Historic Trust, Ledgewood, NJ. Please do not reproduce or use on another website without permission.
Click here to return to  www.RoxburyNewJersey.com

 

STATIONED ABROAD: A TRIBUTE TO FLIGHT NURSE, CAPTAIN MILDRED OSMUN, 
AND A REMEMBRANCE OF OUR WW2 VETERANS

The Roxbury Historic Trust, Inc. Curator of the King Store and King Homestead Museums, is pleased to announce the opening, on May 11 from 1PM to 4PM, of a new exhibit honoring Roxbury’s WW2 flight nurse, Captain Mildred Osmun. Artifacts from her estate, donated to us by her daughter, Mary Beeman, made us aware of the importance of flight nurses during the war and how little recognition has been paid to them at a time when their history is being lost forever. The exhibit highlights her experiences in Saipan and her lifetime dedication to nursing. It includes a WW2 Pacific Theater time-line, her story, memorabilia, souvenirs, and delightful photographs of the Chamorro people, natives of Saipan. 

The exhibit will also display the names of Roxbury residents who served in WW2. We are hoping to find out where our veterans served and are requesting residents to help in this project by informing us as to where their family members were stationed. We plan to develop a map to illustrate where Roxbury’s WW2 veterans served. We will also welcome Roxbury WW2 veteran’s pictures and stories in order to preserve them for future generations of our community.

On May 18, the day after Armed Forces Day, we will host the grand opening of STATIONED ABROAD from 1-4PM. The afternoon will also mark the opening of our annual exhibit, CELEBRATE PRESERVATION, 2008, which this year will honor Roxbury’s historic churches with photographs of Then and Now prepared by Richard Cramond of the Historic Advisory Committee. During Celebrate Preservation week, the Committee aims to encourage historic preservation activity in Roxbury by recognizing local buildings, where the owners have chosen to retain their buildings’ historic integrity. This year the churches will be presented plaques of recognition at 7.30PM on Tuesday, May 14, at the Town Hall.

The exhibit will open on Sunday, May 11, 2008 from 1-4PM at the King Homestead Museum, 209 Main Street, Ledgewood. It will be continued on the second Sunday of the month, 1-4PM , through November. Private tours can also be arranged. There is no charge.