Harding Township Historical Society
Tunis-Ellicks House and New Vernon Historic District
The Blue Tour
Saturday, May 6, 2023
12pm to 5pm
Harding Township Historical Society
Tunis-Ellicks House and New Vernon Historic District
Event Information
- 12:00 Noon – 5pm Open House
- Tour the 1795 Tunis-Ellicks House
- View an exhibit of Native American Artifacts
- Visit the post-Civil War era Tramp House
- Enjoy the 19th century parlor garden
- 12:00 Noon – 3pm Family Friendly Activities
- Meet Benjamin Franklin printer, inventor, and statesman as he walks the grounds of the Tunis-Ellicks House. Join him as he shares facts and stories of life in Colonial
America at 12:30pm, 1:30pm and 2:30pm - Make and fly your own kite just as Benjamin Franklin did in 1752, or try your hand at colonial shoe-making
- Join a butter churning demonstration, and churn your own butter
- Parking in the rear of the Tunis-Ellicks House
The Tunis-Ellicks House, outbuildings, historic gardens, museum and archives welcome visitors with a sense of daily life in a New Jersey farming community of the early 19th century. The house was built in 1795 by George Mitchell on land that became a substantial farm. The exterior appears as it would have in the early 19th century and is a typical example of an East Jersey Cottage. The kitchen wing has been restored as closely as possible to its original appearance. As volunteers worked on the restoration, they discovered an authentic federal mantel and fireplace on the outside wall. Further investigation revealed part of the curve of the original beehive oven. Other features uncovered were the original wide board
floor, plaster walls and the original well room. The fireplace was restored, and the beehive oven was rebuilt.
On the grounds is an original Tramp House, moved in 1988 from the farm of Joseph Hilbert, overseer of the poor in Passaic Township. Built c.1876 to provide a night’s temporary lodging for the many homeless wanderers of the post-Civil War depression years, it is one of the few remaining structures of its type in NJ. In addition, an authentic early-19th century parlor garden containing a variety of herbs and perennials was re-created and is maintained by the New Vernon Garden Club. The Tunis-Ellicks House is on the NJ and National Registers of Historic Places and is part of the New Vernon Historic District.
