Programs and Outreach
The Chatham Historical Society presents programs to members and the public.
“Here Today, Gone Tomorrow” is a look at the changing face of Main Street. Initially presented at the Fishawack Festival on June 14, 2008, the program begins with photographs of buildings from the eastern end of Main Street and continues west to Lafayette Avenue. The photos are accompanied by text explaining some of the historically significant houses along the way. As you view the presentation, note the number of demolished houses and consider what Main Street might
have looked like today had they remained.
Click to view:
A popular program is “An Armchair
Sunday Stroll Over Long Hill - The
Story of Fairmount Avenue.” The
“Sunday Stroll” is the story of
Fairmount Avenue from the
Revolutionary War to World War II -
its architecture, its builders, its owners,
its families and its folklore. For many
of us Long Hill, or Fairmount Avenue as it is currently known, is simply a way to get from the Borough to the Township. However, the details presented in “Sunday Stroll” help bring make the past part of our present. This program is also available in pamphlet form.
“Walking Through Chatham’s Past at the Fairmount Cemetery” was presented in October 2003. Fairmount Cemetery contains many fascinating clues to the history of the Chatham community and the lives of people who have lived in this town over the course of two centuries. Guests followed a guide through the cemetery encountering a few of the men and women - ministers, educators, farmers, doctors, shop keepers - whose lives and vision contributed to the unique development and character of the community. Chathamites, in costume, enacted the part of specific individuals near the site of their final resting places. Some of the participants were Ed Leithead as George Shepard Page and Jack Strangefeld as the Rev. Joseph Meeker Ogden.
Resident Jennifer Fischer’s collection, “Current History Project,” completed in 2004, is available at the Library of the Chathams. Mrs. Fischer captures the “spirit” of the town through photos of specific people, groups, events, and everyday life in Chatham Borough. The collection includes over 250 photographs.
Dani McCullough Adopt A House is a program where residents can learn how to research the history of their houses. Linda Gans is chairperson of this endeavor. As individuals complete their research, they have created informative programs presented to members of The Chatham Historical Society and the invited public. Mrs. Gans provides assistance and guidance to interested residents.
Ten on a Toboggan, our most recently published book, provided inspiration for our 2006 Annual Dinner program. Excerpts from the book read by a group of “actors” were combined with a PowerPoint presentation. Requests for a repeat performance have inspired the creation of our first DVD.
