We believe history is not just facts and figures. It’s not just dates and battles. History is the stories of the people who have come before us and who, through their experiences, can guide us today. Our goal is to share those stories with you in ways that are unique, interesting, relevant, and fun.
To that end, consider attending a program on genealogy, architecture, military history, and women’s history. Our Family FUNDays on the second Sunday of most months, gives parents and their children an opportunity to interact and discover history together. Join us on a walking, biking, and bus tour throughout Montclair.
If you haven’t been to the Crane House in the last two years, please visit. We’ve reinterpreted it to convey a more complete history of Montclair, with two dedicated rooms, programs, and tours that tell the early 20th century story of the YWCA for African American women and girls. We also offer school programs that tell the story of the YWCA, Black history, de facto segregation, as well as the the early preservation movement in America. It also has a new name – The Crane House and Historic YWCA, reflecting its rich history.
Our Orange Road site now boasts a working microfarm made possible through a partnership with the Montclair Community Farm Coalition. Through the farm, we help people experience their agricultural roots by quite literally getting their hands dirty. The Landsberger Learning Garden, to be unveiled in the Spring 2017, will be a “please touch” garden where children and parents alike can discover the past and present uses of herbs.
Our library and archives have been expanded and organized, with searchable finding aids.
We’ve turned the museum shop into a Visitors’ Center, where you can look at the 19th century general store and schoolroom and explore Montclair history as they wait for a tour. It also serves as charming classroom space.
We continue to look for new ways to best use the Shultz House, a remarkable, intact 19th century home located at 30 North Mountain Avenue.
Thanks to a bequest from the estate of Barbara Malcolm, a former member of the Board of Trustees and active participant at the Montclair Historical Society, we have established an Education Fund, which will be used to help schools that cannot afford to visit us.
We’re also in the midst of developing a new website that will quickly and easily direct you to information about our programs, resources, or historic sites that may interest you, whether you’re online at home or on your phone.
When our organization was founded 51 years ago, it consisted of one historic home. Today, we have four historic houses, a microfarm and learning garden, a library and archives. We are, in fact, a place to visit. A history center.
Our old name served us well for 50 years. As we look ahead to the next 50 years, we believe our new name – the Montclair History Center – encapsulates all we have become and will continue to evolve into. We hope you’ll be part of our future.
