Belleville Historical Society, Belleville NJ

06/06/2026

Don’t miss it Sunday Afternoon
Really, Really old maps!!

Check out Belleville and NORTH Belleville!!

Please join us on Sunday June 7th for a very special presentation "NUTLEY - on the road of revolution".

This viewing and talk will focus on Identifying Nutley on scarce and rare maps which will be on display at the museum. There will also be rare colonial law and history books related to New Jersey and many late 19th/early 20th century maps of Nutley where you can look for your house or what was there before it was built. Maps that were once considered utilitarian are now viewed as incredible art and valued for their rarity.

This presentation stems from a published article in the NJ historical society archives in 1907 by Nutleys first historian Elizabeth Stow Brown where she identifies Nutley on old maps via the Third River. Brown published the very first Nutley History book which will also be on display.

Of special note for this presentation will be a very large Kitchell map of NJ that is an absolute art piece in itself with its many vignettes of areas around New Jersey. Also we will have the very first published book on New Jersey history from 1765 which was printed on a press owned by and borrowed from Benjamin Franklin. Only 600 were ever printed.

This presentation comes from my personal collection which has taken me a lifetime to compile and is all part of the United States 250th anniversary celebration going on around town. The museum will be open both days from 1 PM to 4 PM and I will do a short presentation each day at 2 PM.

Nutley Historical Society, Nutley Museum
65 Church Street
Nutley NJ
Free & Open to the public

See the Nutley Historical Society website for more details.

05/02/2026

May Casualties -- Belleville Sons Honor Roll

Stanley Reynolds died in Nutley while home on leave May 3, 1941.
Mario Morano was killed in Tunisia in May 1943.
Morris Catalano was KIA at Anzio, Italy, on May 14, 1944.
1st Lt. William B. Jones was killed over Europe on May 27, 1944.
Sgt. Ralph Ledogar was KIA over Germany on May 30, 1944.
Cpl. John Brown was killed in Manchusen, Austria, on May 28, 1945.
Joseph Bengivengo was KIA about May 1945.
Stanley Guzik was KIA in the Philippines before May 31, 1945

Col. Alfred Barnes KIA May 12, 1969.
Cpl. Paul Nelson KIA May 31, 1969.

Honoring the men of Belleville, New Jersey, who died while in service to our country.

04/09/2026

Vietnam Veterans Day commemorated

Vietnam Veterans Day was commemorated on Saturday, March 28, in the veterans circle at Glendale Cemetery in Bloomfield. The event was organized by the Belleville Historical Society who were joined …

04/01/2026

April Casualties
Belleville Sons Honor Roll

John Rogers died of his wounds on April 8, 1865.
Joseph Taibi was killed in Tunisia in April 1943.
Salvatore Sena was KIA in Italy on April 8, 1944.
William Hamilton was KIA in Germany on April 2, 1945.
Pvt. Alvin C. Brown was killed in Italy on April 6, 1945.
Sgt. George Malizia was killed in Germany on April 7, 1945.
William Thetford Jr. was KIA in Germany on April 20, 1945.
Cpl. Walter A. Nusbaum was killed in Germany on April 25, 1945.
1st Lt. Wilfred Potis was killed in England on April 26, 1945.
Lt. (jg) Richard T. Hayes was killed in the Pacific on April 27, 1945
Gilmer Adams was killed in the Pacific before April 28, 1945.
2nd Lt. Anthony Noto was killed in Italy on April 28, 1945.
Donald S. Murray, 37, was killed in a mid-air helicopter crash April 14, 1996.

03/26/2026

Belleville Historical Society Will Honor Vietnam War Veterans Day
The Belleville Historical Society and local veterans will be observing Vietnam War Veterans Day for 2026.

Eric Kiefer,
Patch Staff

BELLEVILLE, NJ — As part of our America 250th commemoration on Saturday, March 28, the Belleville Historical Society and local veterans will be observing Vietnam War Veterans Day at the Glendale Cemetery veterans circle at 1 p.m., located at 28 Hoover Avenue in Bloomfield.

There are 272 young men who served in Vietnam laid to rest in the veterans circle, 37 of whom died in Vietnam with the others passing a few years after the war, according to society president Michael Perrone.

The society had previously cleaned all of the stones and had set American flags on each for the occasion.

For more information, contact [email protected] or 201-687-1431.

The Belleville Historical Society and local veterans will be observing Vietnam War Veterans Day for 2026.

03/01/2026

March Casualties
Belleville Sons Honor Roll

John Volinski died in the Panama Canal Zone on March 28, 1942.
Joseph Burlazzi was killed in Tunisia in March 1943.
Pfc. Emil M. Liloia was KIA on Iwo Jima on March 1, 1945.
Sgt. Frank Rankin was killed over France on March 6, 1945.
Corporal Warren C. Jordan was killed in the Pacific March 7, 1945.
Angelo Patrizio was killed in action on March 16, 1945.
Theodore Sanok was killed in an accident at Ft. Blanding, Fla. in March 1945.
Sgt. Joseph Curran, was declared KIA over Europe on March 1, 1946.

Donald Saunders KIA March 4, 1968.

Belleville Sons Honor Roll John Volinski died in the Panama Canal Zone on March 28, 1942. Joseph Burlazzi was killed in Tunisia in Marc...

02/02/2026

January Casualties -- Belleville Sons Honor Roll

S/Sgt. Francis C. Mc Enery was killed over Belgium on Jan. 4, 1944.
Lt. Edward P. Wood was killed in North Africa on Jan. 10, 1944.
Joseph LaPenta was killed in combat in Italy on Jan. 21, 1944.
Walter J. Antonik was KIA over Europe on Jan. 3, 1945.
Lt. John J. Smith, 28, was killed over England Jan. 5, 1945.
2nd Lt. Roger J. Mellion, 21, was killed in a plane crash Jan. 13, 1945.

Roger Crowell, KIA, Jan. 31, 1968.

Belleville Sons Honor Roll

Send a message to learn more

02/02/2026

February Casualties
Belleville Sons Honor Roll

Stephen R. Otozky was killed aboard the Jeremiah Van Rensselaer on Feb. 2, 1943.
John Paterno was killed in Tunisia in February 1943.
Capt. John Rogers was MIA before February 1944.
Robert S. Taylor was killed overseas before February 1944.
Pfc. Nicholas Del Grosso, 19, KIA in Italy on Feb. 20, 1944.
Edmund Sadlock was KIA in the South Pacific Feb. 19, 1945.
Pvt. Peter Andrusyn was killed in the South Pacific Feb. 26, 1945.
Gus F. Vaccaro was KIA Feb. 26, 1945.
John Waters died Feb. 13, 1946, from illnesses sustained in the Pacific.

Helder DaSilva KIA Feb. 7, 1966.
John Hoar KIA Feb. 13, 1966.

Belleville Sons Honor Roll Stephen R. Otozky was killed aboard the Jeremiah Van Rensselaer on Feb. 2, 1943. John Paterno was killed i...

01/24/2026

Bicentennial. Second River - Now Belleville

01/24/2026

St. Peter's Church, Established 1838
Fourth Oldest Church in the Diocese of Newark