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Cranbury, New Jersey, 08512.

Cranbury Museum

Based on Middlesex County Records, Dr. Garret P. Voorhees probably built the original two-room house at 4 Park Place East in 1834. The Isaac Snedeker family added more rooms between 1850 and 1862, which include the parlor, the second floor master bedroom and the Amy Evans Memorial Sewing Room. The property was inherited by Gertrude Snedeker, daughter, and her husband, Dominicus C. Mershon. Their daughter, Cornelia, lived in the house until her death in 1913. The house was rented until 1923 when Paul and Helen Azadian bought it. The Azadians used their theatrical name, LaVarre, while in Cranbury. The home's last private owner, Marvin Dey, sold it to the Cranbury Historical & Preservation Society on March 30, 1972.

From May until October, 1972, seventy volunteers worked to convert a simple house into a Museum.

The wide pine floorboards, the cooking fireplace with crane, the rough plaster walls, the original window sash with wavy glass panes and the old blue paint of the original two-room house were preserved during the restoration. With few exceptions the Museum is furnished by gifts from Cranbury families, many of them descendants of Cranbury's earliest families.

After the grounds and brickwork around the Museum were completed Sara and Bill Hoffman, who were born and spent most of their lives in Cranbury, planted a garden. Some of the bulbs are still growing in the garden today. Later Anne Berger added herbs. After Sara retired as the Society's first Curator in 1984, the enlarged garden was dedicated to Sara and called "Sara's Garden."

In 1975 the Arthur E. Perrine Memorial Wing was added, a gift to the Museum from his daughter, Mary E. Perrine. Mr. Perrine, noted horticulturist, was the sixth generation of the Perrine family to live in Cranbury. The first floor of the Perrine Wing serves as a meeting and exhibit room, where special exhibits are arranged at periodic intervals. Here hangs the Tercentennial Quilt of sixteen scenes that tell the history of the community. The Bicentennial Quilt of twelve historic scenes is in the History Center. The basement area houses permanent exhibits of farm implements, early tools, memorabilia from early businesses and activities, Lenape Indian artifacts, and artifacts recovered during the 1977 archaeological dig at Main Street and Park Place West. Also open to the public are Sara's Garden (herb garden) and the Victorian Garden located on the site.

Reinhardt Preserve

The Reinhardt Preserve was the very first property donated to the Trust in 1973. Acquired initially by the Nearpass family in the early 1800s, it was inherited by Goyn Reinhardt from his wife’s estate. Goyn, who visited this property daily to cut firewood and tend to other chores, felt strongly that the old farm never be developed. Eventually, Goyn would come to donate the property to the Trust for the perpetual preservation of the forest, waters and wildlife. With Goyn's help, the Trust extended protection to neighboring properties including two donated conservation easements. Adjoining High Point State Park, the preserve’s wide vistas of forested hills and open valley will remain. Speeding motorists might not take notice of the old limestone kiln, opposite Reinhardt Road. In the old times, the fired kiln “cooked” limestone rock quarried from the hillside by Goyn and his family. The resulting powered limestone would be spread to “sweeten the soil” of the farmland.

Oak, maple, hickory and hemlock are representative of the unbroken forest. Springtime songs of the ovenbird and wood thrush are heard along the small rocky stream. Come summer the ripened blueberries and blackberries are sought after by black bears and wild turkey. In fall ruffed grouse may be heard drumming its wings from atop a fallen log. Deep snows of winter bring a cold silence.