Hopewell Valley History Project, Hopewell, NJ (2026)

08/15/2026

These fun blankets and flags from Hopewell and Pennington celebrate the streetscapes of our historic towns and important anniversaries of their founding.

Click for the full post, with more details and images -> https://hopewellhistoryproject.org/2026/08/15/hopewell-and-pennington-historic-blankets-and-flags/

They are part of a long history or our local towns creating fun and interesting objects to commemorate important anniversaries, including community-designed quilts, plus other items including posters and plates

The 1997 Pennington Borough Toll Gate Throw Blanket includes some 20 Pennington landmarks and streetscapes, featuring the Toll Gate Grammar School. It is further decorated with cars and school buses, kids playing and trees, trains on tracks, and roads with kids on bikes and animals.

The same pattern is used on both sides, in opposite dark on light and then light on dark coloring.
The corners are marked "Pennington, New Jersey, 1997" plus "DEG"(?) and "Made for Toll Gate Grammar School" plus "R3" (?). ** Can anyone explain these additional markings?

The 2013 Hopewell Fire Department Historic Hopewell throw blanket was a commemorative fundraiser released by the Hopewell Borough Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary (HFDLA). It was available with colored border/accent options including black, cranberry, hunter green, and duke blue.

The design features eight local historic sites, plus the John Hart Monument at the Old School Baptist Church. It also included an accompanying brief history guide that described the sites.

This was the second such blanket created by the HFD, with different historic sites than the first blanket issued in the 1990s. ** Can someone provide a photo of the first HFDLA Historic Hopewell blanket from the 1990s?

The two 1991 and 2016 Hopewell Anniversary Flags were created for the 100th and 125th anniversaries of the 1891 incorporation of Hopewell Borough. Both of these flags have survived well after display over the intervening years.

The 1991 blue 100th flag features a fireworks display, and lists the incorporation dates, 1891 - 1991.

The 2016 beige 125th flag features the event logo with the Hopewell train station. It also explains the larger context: Hopewell was established in 1703 (as a settlement) and then formally incorporated as a borough on April 14, 1891 as a separate municipality from the surrounding Hopewell Township.

** Can anyone share more about these more about the stories of these blankets and flags, or other similar mementos. How and why were they created, and by who?

08/01/2026

Here's a look back at the turn of the century, the infamous Y2K, in a fun collection of photos of the 2000 Hopewell Borough Memorial Day Parade.

Click for the full post, with more details and images, plus more on other local parades -> https://hopewellhistoryproject.org/2026/08/01/hopewell-borough-y2k-memorial-day-parade-photos/

While the year 2000 parade was a quarter-century ago, much is still familiar from local parades, including the high school marching bands, the large American Legion field flag, various community groups, and lots of antique cars.

You'll also recognize the reviewing stand set up on the Runyon Farmstead property at 19 West Broad Street, the historic houses in the background across the street, the view facing east up the road to Greenwood Ave. (with the traffic lights), and the Dana building (former bank) on the corner at 2 East Broad St. (then with the distinctive red banner).

The collection does not include photos of all the different groups that marched in the parade. In particular, it is missing the typical variety of fire equipment from multiple local fire companies that you see at these parades. There also are a wide range of community groups, familiar and unfamiliar, including the Blawenburg Band, the New Jersey Field Music corps (Civil War uniforms), the Princeton Elks, the Second Calvary Baptist Church, the Military Order Purple Heart war veterans organization, and the Amwell Valley Hounds Pony Club.

This collection of 34 photos is consolidated from two different rolls of film, apparently shot by two different people, with overlapping views of different participants in the parade.

The order of march as can be determined from the combined photos:

01-02 - Reviewing Stand - Joe Kianka standing in back
03 - Balloon vendor
04 - Reviewing Stand, Balloon vendor behind in street, Blawenburg Band across street on right
05 - Blawenburg Band across Broad Street
06-09 - Hopewell Valley Central High School Band
10-14 - Hopewell Valley American Legion Post 339 marching with large field flag
15-16 - New Jersey Field Music corps - Union Civil War uniforms and drummers
17 - Princeton B.P.O. Elks No. 2129 (Benevolent Protection Order)
18-19 - Harvest Fair tractors - "Harvesting Volunteers" - Pumpkin person float
20-21 - Montgomery High School Band
22 - Second Calvary Baptist Church, Hopewell - 103 Years of Faithfulness, 1897-2000
23-24 - Hopewell Fire Department, HFD #1 antique truck
25 - Crescent Motorcycle Patrol from Trenton riding in formation
26 - Unknown adult band, green shirts?
27 - Green Corvair with two large stuffed animals
28 - Leighs Service Station pickup - Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH, war veterans organization) and Ladies Auxiliary Life Members
29-30 - Beige car - unreadable sign?
31 - Gold antique car - A.V.H.P.C. with horses (Amwell Valley Hounds Pony Club)
32-24 - Antique cars

Comments and more information on these are welcome, as are other Memorial Day and historical images.

Any ideas on some of the later groups and individual vehicles? For example, what was the adult band with green shirts ( #26)?

These are part of the Kianka collection of Memorial Day photos, kindly donated by Doug Robbins. Joe Kianka was a World War II Navy veteran, and long-time member and officer of Hopewell Valley American Legion Post 339, which organized the parade during this period.

07/19/2026

You may have seen some of these "portraits" of John Hart around - but are they really him? John Hart (c.1713 - 1779) was Hopewell's own signer of the Declaration of Independence, but no, we do not actually have any known authentic portrait of him. So what are these images, and where did they come from?

Click for the full post, with more history, details, and images -> https://hopewellhistoryproject.org/2026/07/19/the-faces-of-john-hart/

Hart was not a well-known figure in the Revolution. He spent 26 years in public service, but mostly at the state level in New Jersey, including as Speaker of the New Jersey State Assembly. And since Hart died before the end of the Revolution, no portraits were made of him as an important figure in the following years as the new country was being formed.

Instead, starting in 1869, various "artistic impressions" of him have been created, which have caused confusion when they were thought to be authentic portraits. The best approximation that we do have is a composite portrait commissioned by Cleon E. Hammond in 1977 that was based on portraits of Hart's decedents.

1869 – Henry Bryan Hall – Thomas A. Emmet Collection

In 1869, collector Thomas Attis Emmett commissioned artist Henry Brian Hall to paint watercolor miniatures of the individual signers, including John Hart. This imaginative likeness began the confusion over images of John Hart, as over time these and their derivatives have sometimes been regarded as true portraits.

1876 – Ole Erekson – Portraits & Autographs of the Signers

In 1876, artist Ole Erekson published a lithograph for the U. S. Centennial titled “Portraits & Autographs of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence.” It featured individual oval portraits of all 56 founding fathers, accompanied by their personal signatures underneath.

Unlike other previous renderings of the founders, Erekson included conjectural representations of all the signers for whom there were no known portraits or reliable likenesses, including John Hart.

1884 – Herman F. Deigendesch – Reproductions

In 1884, Hart descendant F***y S. Magee commissioned artist Herman Deigendesch to reproduce in oil a life-size copy of the Hall “original” for display in Independence Hall in Philadelphia. This created additional confusion, contributing some credibility to the “original,” especially through the prestigious location.

c.1896 – John Hart – Pamphlet for John Hart Monument Dedication

Another variant of the Hall portrait was used in the 1896 pamphlet (printed 30 years later) to record the July 4, 1865 dedication of the John Hart Monument. This likeness was created by Hart’s great grandson, an artist-photographer also named John Hart.

1977 – Charles Howard Waterhouse – Composite Portrait (Hammond)

Finally, in 1977, Hart biographer Cleon E. Hammond published his definitive book, "John Hart: The Biography of a Signer of the Declaration of Independence." For the book, Hammond moved away from the Hall image by commissioning artist Charles Howard Waterhouse to create a composite visualization of John Hart, based on three portraits of Hart descendants.

The resulting composite portrait provides the best approximation of Hart’s actual appearance. Hammond reported that it also shared common features with two additional portraits of Hart’s daughter and grandson.

07/03/2026

How was the Hopewell Borough area involved the Revolutionary War? Here are six still-existing local places that connect back to 250 years ago. And yes, George Washington (and his army), indeed was here!

Click for the full post, with more details and images, and references for more history -> https://hopewellhistoryproject.org/2026/07/03/hopewell-borough-sites-in-the-revolutionary-war/

Of course, the area was not yet called Hopewell Borough in 1776, and was not a town or even a village. This was the center of the surrounding community, that consisted mostly of farm houses on large farmsteads, with a handful of taverns and mills, and a few roads also spreading out to Ringoes and Wertsville. The center of the local community was the then Baptist Meeting House, on what is now Broad Street, with a few other associated church sites and farm houses in the local Hopewell Borough area.

- The Old School Baptist Meetinghouse at 46 West Broad Street was the first church in Hopewell, and the core of the early settlement of the future town. It is a significant historical site, including the Meetinghouse building and the surrounding pre-revolutionary cemetery. The site was formally recognized in 2025 by being placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The current Meetinghouse building was built in 1822. It is an amazing treasure, substantially unchanged for over a century, with the old pews and horsehair cushions – and with no major modernizing enhancements, renovations or improvements. The surrounding historic cemetery has at least 1,600 burials, dating back to 1747.

The Old School Baptist site hosts several Revolutionary War monuments and numerous graves of the people of the time. During the Revolutionary War it also was where the news of Lexington was first heard, and was used as an assembly site for local militia. The associated Hopewell Baptist Academy also contributed funding, soldiers, and chaplains for the War.

- The Meetinghouse at 46 West Broad Street is the site of two Revolutionary War monuments, for John Hart and Lt. Colonel Joab Houghton, plus gravestones for other participants.

The John Hart Monument, dedicated in 1865 next to the Meetinghouse, honors Hopewell’s signer of the Declaration of Independence. The monument is a 20-foot draped obelisk, carved from a plain shaft of Quincy granite. Hart’s remains were relocated there from the family graveyard.

The Houghton Monument, installed in 1876 next to the Hart Monument, honors Lt. Colonel Joab Houghton. The monument has a brick base capped with a stone block. Reportedly, the stone on top of this monument was formerly a stepping stone in front of the church, used by ladies in mounting their horses. In April 1775, news of the Battle of Lexington reached Hopewell while the people were worshipping in the church. At the close of the service, Houghton, standing on this block, reportedly said, “Men of New Jersey, the Red Coats are murdering our brethren in New England! Who follows me to Boston?” And every man said “I.”

The gravestone of Rev. James Ewing is located near the Hart Monument, next to the grave of his wife, Amelia Bailey. A native of Scotland, Ewing was a musician in the 42nd Highland Regiment serving with the British Army in North America. However, due to his personal opposition to the war, he deserted the British Army in 1782. After the war, Ewing became a teacher, and a pastor at the Meetinghouse.

- The Runyon Farmstead property at 19 West Broad Street was the site of the Hopewell Baptist Academy, possibly the first Baptist secondary school established in America. The site has been redeveloped, with the main house and three additional duplex units. The Hopewell Baptist Church purchased the property around 1747 to serve as its first parsonage, and then operated the Hopewell Baptist Academy there from 1756 to 1767. Graduates of the Academy served in the Revolutionary War as soldiers and as chaplains, and helped found the forerunner of Brown University.

- The John Hart House property at 56-60 Hart Avenue was the home of John Hart (c.1713-1779), a resident of what is now Hopewell, N. J., and a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Hart also hosted George Washington’s army on his farmstead in 1778, and his sons helped guide Washington to Hopewell from the Delaware River. The site is now privately owned.

Hart was a staunch supporter of the Revolutionary movement. He was in public service for 26 years, including in the Provincial Congress of New Jersey and as Speaker of the New Jersey State Assembly. He was selected as a New Jersey representative to the first and second Continental Congress, and was the third oldest signer of the Declaration at around age 65.

- The Hillside Farm Preserve on the ridge above Hopewell (above Hart Avenue) was the site of the encampment of Washington's army in June 1778. The Hart and Golden families offered to host Washington’s army there on their farmsteads. Washington was following the British Army as it retreated from Philadelphia to New York, and preparing for what became the Battle of Monmouth.

The nearly 800-acre historic farm property, formerly part of the Betty Wold Johnson estate, is now the Betty Wold Johnson Hillside Farm Preserve, owned and managed by the Delaware & Raritan Greenway Land Trust.

- The Joseph Stout House (also known as the Weart-Hunt House) on Province Line Road in Stoutsburg was the site of a major council of war held by George Washington in June 1778, in preparation for the Battle of Monmouth. It is now privately owned, and is known variously as the Joseph Stout House and Weart-Hunt House for its early owners.

This summary was originally developed for the Hopewell 250th celebration, June 2026. Thanks to Asher Lurie, Executive Director of the Hopewell Museum, and Catherine Schurdak, designer.

06/23/2026

Following up on the previous post on the history of the Pennington Quality Market, we have posted over 180 images illustrating the history and development of the PQM from 1930 to 2026.

Click for the full blog post, with more details and to view and explore all the images up to full size -> https://hopewellhistoryproject.org/2026/06/23/pennington-quality-market-photo-collection/

These images cover the beginnings as the Weart’s Store on North Main Street in 1930, the transition to the McVeigh brothers in 1934 with the Pennington Market Name, the move to the Route 31 location in 1960, the transition to the Rothwell family in 1981, and then through the transition to McCaffery’s Food Markets in 2026.

To facilitate searching the images, they are dated, tagged, and described in the file names. They start with the date of the photo, so are listed in chronological order, and all are tagged “PGM” for searching.

The images also are organized by a group name, which clusters them by owner (Wearts, McVeigh), or in additional categories for the Rothwell post-1981 period (e.g., search for “PQM-Bldg”):
- PQM-Wearts – The earlier Weart’s store on North Main – 1930-59
- PQM-McVeigh – The McVeigh store – 1934-80 –The original Pennington Quality Market, later moved to Route 31
- PQM-Bldg – Building exteriors on Route 31 since 1981. Many 2026
- PQM-Store – Store interiors since 1981. Most from 2026 – Departments and each aisle
- PQM-Sign – Signage (posters) since 1981- In-store and from social media
- PQM-Anniv – Anniversary celebrations since 1981 (often with cakes, e.g., 58th)
- PQM-Mem – Mementoes, artifacts, objects since 1981 (e.g., shopping bags).

The final tag at the end of the file name identifies the source for each image.
Thanks especially to Mike Rothwell and the staff at the Pennington Quality Market for sharing a trove of images and information, from historical photographs to posters to newspaper clippings. And to Colleen Prendergast of MediaMinds for sharing the PQM graphics design archive, especially the final set of historical memories posters displayed around the store.
Also thanks to the Hopewell Valley Historical Society for sharing images from the McConnell Photo Collection. Some of these also were published in Pennington Profile.
And thanks to other contributors including Charlie Hunt and Mike Thomsen, who had already kindly shared historical images of the area – including the PQM – as part of their documentation of other time periods.

Click the link above for the full blog post, with more details and to view and explore all the images up to full size.

06/13/2026

After serving the Pennington community for 66 years at its Route 31 location, the Pennington Quality Market (affectionally "PQM") is closing on Saturday, June 13, 2026, to reopen the following Monday as McCaffrey’s Food Markets. The Rothwell family had owned and operated the PQM since 1981, and now the second generation of the family will have a chance to retire from the business. The employees, many long-term, will continue to have jobs with McCaffrey’s.

This post is a brief summary and appreciation of the PQM story, with some fun photos. We are working with the Rothwells and the community to collect and preserve historic artifacts of the PQM, including photos, press clippings, advertisements, and other materials. Please contact us if you can have more information and materials to share for a more detailed account of the PQM.

See the full post for more photos and more details -> https://hopewellhistoryproject.org/2026/06/13/goodbye-to-the-pennington-quality-market/

The PQM story goes back to 1930, when Elmer A. Weart opened the predecessor business, a grocery store with other general merchandise at 12 Main Street in Pennington. Weart also had operated a large general merchandise store in Hopewell Borough since at least 1918, at what is now 38 East Broad Street at Hamilton Avenue.

The Pennington Quality Market name then began in 1934 when John and Edward McVeigh purchased and renamed Weart's Store in Pennington, after having previously worked at Weart’s stores in Hopewell Borough and Pennington.

In 1960, the McVeighs moved the Pennington Quality Market to its current location at 25 NJ-31 in Pennington, at West Delaware Avenue and Route 31 (then called Route 69). The building stood alone, before the adjacent Pennington Center shopping center was built with stores to the right and back.

In 1981, Larry Rothwell purchased the PQM from the McVeighs. Rothwell was born in Philadelphia and served in the Navy during World War II. He then had been in the food business for 30 years.

Rothwell began a deep legacy of commitment by the PQM to the local community, by sponsoring events, supporting schools and nonprofits, providing good long-term jobs, and employing generations of local students.

In the early 1990s, the next generation of Rothwells joined the Pennington Quality Market. Son Mike Rothwell joined in 1990. He had graduated from Saint Joseph’s University with a degree in food marketing, and then worked for over a decade in the food industry. Daughter Barbara Rothwell Henderson joined in 1992 and managed the flower shop. The business was owned by Larry and the three children, including inactive partner Terry Rothwell Orlando.

In 2010, the Pennington Quality Market celebrated its 50th anniversary at the Route 31 location (since the business was moved to Route 31 by the McVeighs in 1960). The business had been owned and managed by the Rothwells for almost 30 years. The PQM then had 160 employees, and the building was 44,000 square feet.

Larry Rothwell died in 2018. While his children had joined the business with him, the next generation of children were not involved. As a result, the Rothwells decided in 2026 to sell the business to McCaffrey’s Food Markets, a family-owned regional grocery chain with eight stores in Yardley, Newtown, Princeton Junction, and Pennsylvania’s Main Line suburbs. McCaffrey’s agreed to hire all current employees as part of the transition.

More to come on the PQM - See the link for additional photos and details.

Please contact us if you have additional photos, materials, or information about the Pennington Quality Market.

06/01/2026

UPDATE - Dinner tickets are sold out, but Beer Garden tickets are still available. The Hopewell in the Revolution and children's events and activities are all free and open to the public - 4 to 6 pm at the Hopewell Train Station and the Old School Baptist Meetinghouse.

This Saturday, June 6, is Hopewell Borough's celebration of America's 250th anniversary - with history activities plus a community dinner and party.

The history activities are free and open to all, starting at 4 pm at the Train Station and also at the Old School Baptist Meetinghouse.

The community dinner featuring a pig roast begins at 5 pm at the train station, with music and the beer garden starting at 6:30. Tickets for the dinner are $2.50 (mainly to track attendance), and the beer garden is separate at $21.50.

Here's a summary of all that is going on at Hopewell's USA 250th celebration, to help decide which parts you want to do when.

See the full post for more details -> https://hopewellhistoryproject.org/2026/06/01/hopewell-borough-usa-250th-town-wide-celebration/

** Ongoing Activities **

- 3 - 6 pm - Old School Baptist Meetinghouse Open House - Explore this historic site that was recently named to the National Register of Historic Places. Guides will discuss the 1822 building, the John Hart Memorial, and the features of the old graveyard. (Use the Center Street entrance to move between the Train Station and Meetinghouse - just two short blocks.)

- 4 - 6:30 pm - Train Station Displays on Hopewell in the Revolutionary War - Discover Hopewell sites and people that were involved in the Revolutionary War, plus historic images and maps. See and handle supplies carried by Revolutionary War soldiers. View video about John Hart and the Hart House in Hopewell.

- 4 - 6 pm - Outdoor Activities (Train Station) - Sign the large Declaration of Independence. Children's crafts, stories, face painting, old-timey toys. Games by the basketball court all night. Co****le, quoits, and horseshoes.

** History Presentations (Train Station) **

- 4 - 5 pm - Opening Ceremony - American Revolution (Train Station) - Town Crier. Reading of the Declaration of Independence. Re-enactor on people of color in the Revolution. Presentation on William Stives and Black History.

- 5 - 6 pm - Hopewell in the Revolution (Train Station) - Presentations on John Hart in the Revolution, and on Hart and his family. Tour to Old School Baptist site (5:15 pm) to explore Meetinghouse, Memorials, and Graveyard. Re-enactor on the life of an enlisted soldier (5:45 pm) plus musket firing to kick off the party.

** Party (Train Station) **

- 5 - 8 pm - Dinner / Food Service - Buffet pig roast. Seasonal sides by Brick Farm Tavern.
Gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan options. - Ticket required, $2.25 per person.

- 6 - 10 pm - Celebration Party - Music and Beer Garden begin at 6:30 pm. Castle Lane and dancing under the stars. Wine and Truly hard seltzer also on tap.

Follow the link for more on the Old School Baptist Meetinghouse story, including historic photos, church booklets, building plans, and video of a panel presentation that discussed new research on the church building and the cemetery, and plans for the future of this Hopewell institution.

05/18/2026

We're coming up on Memorial Day weekend in the Hopewell Valley, featuring the Hopewell Borough and Pennington Borough parades on Sunday and Monday, respectively. Local veterans groups also will hold observances throughout Memorial Day weekend. The public is welcome to attend these events.

See the full post for full details and to enjoy our collection of photos - and videos - of past parades, including 1992 in Pennington Borough and 1947 in Hopewell Borough -> https://hopewellhistoryproject.org/2026/05/18/hopewell-memorial-day-2026-parades-and-veterans-observances/

In addition, the Hopewell American Legion post has again placed flags in the local cemeteries to mark the graves of military veterans. This practice goes back to the beginnings of Memorial Day, begun after the Civil War in 1868 as Decoration Day, a day of remembrance, including visiting and "decorating" the graves of soldiers.

Hopewell Valley Memorial Day events - The public is welcome to attend:

- The Hopewell Borough Memorial Day Parade is at 1 pm on Sunday, along Broad Street.

- The Pennington Borough Memorial Day Parade is at 11 am on Monday, along Main Street.

- The Hopewell Valley Veterans Association will conduct a Memorial Day Ceremony on Saturday afternoon at 11 am to commentate the sacrifices of our men and women in the military. It will be held at the Veterans Memorial at Woolsey Park, 221 Washington Crossing-Pennington Road.

- Hopewell Valley American Legion Post 339 will conduct cemetery and monument services at multiple locations - in Hopewell Township on Saturday morning, and in Hopewell Borough and Pennington Borough before the parades on Sunday and Monday mornings, respectively.

We welcome additional Memorial Day and other event information, photos, and videos to share. The History Project site currently has material from Hopewell, Pennington, and Titusville, including videos of Hopewell parades back to 1946. (See the link to view historical parade photos and videos.)

05/02/2026

Following up on to the previous post asking for help locating the Hopewell Valley WW II Honor Rolls, we have some more information on honor rolls in Pennington. Please contact us if you have additional information on these or other honor rolls in the Hopewell Valley.

See the full post for more photos and details, including links to names of people in service -> https://hopewellhistoryproject.org/2026/05/02/where-are-the-pennington-honor-rolls/

The original World War II Pennington Honor Roll is discussed and pictured in Margaret J. O’Connell’s 1966 book, Pennington Profile. We have one photo of the 1943 dedication, in front of the bank at the corner of Main Street and Delaware Avenue. A second later photo shows that the Honor Roll was extended with two side panels for additional names of locals who had entered service (as was also done in Hopewell).

O’Connell reports that the Pennington Honor Roll named 205 who served in the military, with seven who were killed. The book also has lists of the names on both the World War I and World War II Honor Rolls.

Courtesy of Kim Ha at the Pennington Public Library, we can share three additional Pennington Honor Rolls, for World War I, World War II, and the Korean Conflict.

These framed lists with beautiful calligraphy are hanging in the meeting room of the Pennington municipal complex (that includes the Pennington Borough Hall, the Police Department, and the Public Library).

In addition, the room also has a framed service flag honoring World War I veterans. This has a white field surrounded by a red frame, with a total of 79 stars. Most of the stars are blue, but there are three silver stars, honoring those who died in service. The stars also are annotated with the name of each veteran.

The Honor Roll for Hopewell Borough was installed in 1943 along with the Service Flag next to the then Hopewell National Bank building on East Broad Street at North Greenwood Avenue. The last known sighting of it was in 1992.

We do not have much more on other local honor rolls, only a photo of a Washington Crossing / Titusville World War II honor roll, and a newspaper reference to a planned Hopewell Township honor roll.

So where are these memorials now? Please contact us if you have more information, photos, or other materials about these or other honor roll / service flag recognition for local veterans.

04/19/2026

Have you seen the Hopewell Borough Honor Roll and Service Flag that were created during World War II to honor residents serving in the armed forces? And what about the Honor Rolls for Hopewell Township or Pennington or Washington Crossing / Titusville ?

See the full post for more photos and details, including links to the sources of names of people in service -> https://hopewellhistoryproject.org/2026/04/19/where-are-the-hopewell-valley-ww-ii-honor-rolls/

These honor rolls and service flags were commonly created by different groups to honor members who had entered the service. These including large public displays displayed in towns, smaller displays by local groups including at businesses and churches, and also by individual families.

We have some information on the Hopewell Borough memorials, but only references and a few images for the others. So please do contact us if you have more information or materials.

The Hopewell Borough Honor Roll and Service Flag were installed in 1943 at a town dedication event, next to the then Hopewell National Bank building on East Broad Street at North Greenwood Avenue. We also have a video clip of the 1943 dedication, including the large crowd, the Princeton High School Band performing, and a view of the Service Flag hanging above.

The Honor Roll originally was about four by six feet, with six panels of names. In 1945 it was expanded with two additional panels on the sides to add more names. The Service Flag was eight by twelve feet, with a white field surrounded with a red border, with stars representing locals in service.

Dean Ashton's 1947 book, Be It Ever So Humble, reports that in total Hopewell Borough provided more than 200 men and women for the Armed Forces, and provides a list of 206 names in the book, with four who had died in service. It also provides a second list of 140 more people in service who lived nearby, with three who had died in service.

The Honor Roll then was displayed on floats at the Hopewell Memorial Day parades, including around 1959. In 1951, the veterans memorial plaque was installed on a large stone at the then Hopewell Borough Hall at South Greenwood and Columbia (now the firehouse). The Honor Roll then was given to the American Legion Post to install at its new building on Mercer Street. The Hopewell Museum also has a photo from 1992 showing the Honor Roll on the Museum float for Memorial Day, and installed in front of the Museum building. But that is the last known sighting.

The Pennington Honor Roll is discussed and pictured in Margaret J. O’Connell’s 1966 book, Pennington Profile. O’Connell reports that the Pennington Honor Roll named 205 who served in the military, with seven who were killed. The book also has lists of both the World War I and World War II Honor Rolls.

However, we only have a couple photos of the Honor Rolls for Pennington and for Washington Crossing / Titusville, and only references to one for a Hopewell Township.

So where are these memorials now? Please contact us if you have more information, photos, or other materials about these or other honor roll / service flag recognition for local veterans.

And thanks to the contributors of the materials that helped to inform and illustrate this project (as credited in the image captions).

Hopewell Valley History Project

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