Ever wonder what Middlesex County looked like in previous centuries? How did residents live? Where did they live? For a walk through history and a taste of life long ago, visit East Jersey Olde Towne Village. Sitting on twelve acres and located on Piscataway’s River Road, East Jersey Olde Towne (EJOT) is a living museum made up of twelve original buildings salvaged and moved from locations around Central Jersey.
Founded in 1971, the site offers original tours filled with the rich history of the Raritan Valley. From the Runyon House, an 18th century private residence said to have helped protect slaves fleeing the South via the Underground Railroad, to Church of the Three Mile Run, a house of worship which changed with the changing of the times over the course of the 18th century, the structures at EJOT represent different aspects of the 18th and 19th centuries–and show how the history of a single building can offer a window into the behaviors, social issues and morals of an era.
On the Fourth Of July this year, EJOT hosted an Independence Day celebration complete with a costumed reading of the Declaration of Independence by a staff member portraying Baron Frederick von Steuben. With folk education in such a textured setting, storytelling and history come alive at EJOT. The center is working towards becoming a more operational village–look forward to more folk presentations, student workshops, and outdoor concerts in the future.
BestRentNJ.com rental apartments located nearest East Jersey Olde Towne Village include Rivendell Village, Rivendell at Edison, Rivendell Heights, Blueberry Village and Edison Village.