New Providence Historical Society

On Saturday, September 26, 2026, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, New Jersey authors will sign books and talk to visitors at the New Providence Book Festival. Located on the grounds of the historic Salt Box Museum, the festival will include a series of presentations and events.

At 11:00 AM, author and historian Robert Desando will discuss the fascinating connections between the sinking of the Titanic and New Jersey.

At 12:00 Noon, Leonard Apa, Susen Edwards, Suzanne Trauth and Carol Van Den Hende will conduct an “Ask the Author” panel discussion, covering any aspect of authoring the audience wants to discuss.

At 1:00 PM, the festival will host a “Spoken-Word Open Mic” event. Any attendee may read their written work, including fiction, poetry, or essays. All readings must be “family friendly,” with a time limit of six minutes. Interested “readers” may sign up on the day of the event on a first-come, first-served basis.

A range of New Jersey authors will be available to sign their books, including Leonard Apa, J.R. Bale, Linda Barth, Robert Desando, Susen Edwards, Sarajane Giere, Tom Kranz, Theresa Lombardi Magistro, Elissa Matthews, Michael Penncavage, Suzanne Trauth, Carol Van Den Hende and others.

Anyone purchasing a book at the festival will be entitled to receive a free raffle ticket for drawings for a gift basket provided by Book Lovers Dispatch.

The festival will be held on the grounds of the Salt Box Museum at 1350 Springfield Avenue, New Providence, NJ. The rain date is October 3, 2026. The Salt Box Museum, the site of the festival, is operated by the New Providence Historical Society and will be open for tours, free of charge. Refreshments will be available on the grounds.

More information is available at www.NewProvidenceBookFestival.com

The Salt Box Museum will host the New Providence Flea Market on Saturday, June 20th. 9AM to 3 PM on the museum grounds at 1350 Springfield Avenue, New Providence, NJ 07974.

If you wish to be a vendor, you can download an application by clicking here. We’re also having a bake sale.

Various local craft artisans will participate in the annual Salt Box Craft Fair on the Salt Box Museum grounds from 9 AM to 3 PM. The handmade crafts will include ceramics, wood crafts, crochet, origami, stained glass, baskets, wreaths, and other crafts. In addition, the New Providence Garden Club will hold its Annual Plant Sale, featuring annuals and perennials. The event will also include a bake sale.

The Salt Box Museum is located at 1350 Springfield Avenue, New Providence, NJ, and will open for tours free of charge. Originally an 18th-century farmhouse, the Salt Box Museum is operated by the New Providence Historical Society and will be open for tours, free of charge. The rain date is May 16, 2026.

On Saturday, April 18th, New Providence will host a range of educational and charitable activities throughout the town, including a special graveyard tour at the Presbyterian Church by John Sponauer.

The tours will run at 12 noon and 1pm. John will explain the difference between a cemetery and a graveyard, some founding families, and Revolutionary graves and stories. If interested in attrending the tour, please send an email to npcemeterytours@gmail.com to sign up now!

The New Providence Historical Society will hold its Annual Meeting on Thursday, April 9th at 6 PM at Vintage Tavern, 342 Valley Road, Gillette, NJ.

Our speaker, historian Rick Geffkin, will talk about the Lenape/Munsee people during the 17th century and their relation to the European colonists.

You can find details in the most recent issue of the Turkey Tracks. Reservations are $55 per person. All are welcome. Online payments may be made through Give Butter.

2026 is America’s 250th Birthday, the anniversary of our revolution. What better way to get into the Colonial 𝔰𝔭𝔦𝔯𝔦𝔱 than a libations tasting in the Salt Box Museum! Join us on Friday, January 30th, 7 to( PM, as the Liberty Lanterns illuminate your path inside the museum at night.

There, you will taste three colonial drinks: “The Devil’s Bag,” “Stone Fence” & “Wassail.” Try some colonial treats, including Gingerbread and Washington cake. Attendees will play a revolutionary trivia game and explore New Providence’s history with a unique perspective of seeing the museum at night. All attendees must be 21 or older and purchase a ticket online here. https://givebutter.com/coloniallibations Tickets are limited! If you would like to pay by check, please contact the society for more information.

2026 will be a year of celebration for America’s 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the 60th anniversary of the New Providence Historical Society. To honor both celebrations, the society has created its own replica Liberty Tree on the grounds of the Salt Box Museum at 1350 Springfield Avenue.

This symbolic tree features 13 solar-powered flickering lanterns, each representing one of the original colonies. The society hopes their liberty tree will become a gathering place to learn about our town’s history and the history of the American Revolution. The project was led by society VP Maria DeLuca and came to life thanks to the generous efforts of Russ Jr. from Redwood Tree & Landworx.

Russ pruned the Society’s ginkgo tree and hung the lanterns at varying heights, creating the impression that townspeople had placed them there themselves. The Society extends its sincere gratitude to Redwood for its support in bringing this meaningful project to fruition.

The newly installed lanterns on our own Liberty Tree in front of the historic Salt Box house are one more example of what our society is undertaking, as we travel down the road toward the 250th Anniversary.

Please consider supporting our society. To join the New Providence Historical Society or make a donation, click here.

The New Providence Historical Society will again take part in the 2025 Union County Four Centuries in a Weekend event. Our society has taken part each year, since the beginning of this county-sponsored event in 1995.

Visitors will have an opportunity to tour through the historic Salt Box Museum on 1350 Springfield Avenue. Visit the Mason Room archives at the rear of the New Providence Memorial Library, and take part in Graveyard Tours of the historic New Providence Presbyterian Church. All events are Free!

Join the New Providence Historical Society for their FREE annual Fall Talk presentation. This year, Society Vice President Maria DeLuca will speak about Mineral Water King Carl H. Schultz, the Schultz family and the creation of their homes in what they named Murray Hill.

Come learn how they made their fortune during the Gilded Age, how they influenced the town, and what legacies remain.

The presentation will be at the DeCorso Center on October 9, 2025 at 7:00 PM. DeCorso Center is at 15 East 4th Street, New Providence, NJ 07974.