Sayreville Historical Society

Sayreville Historical Society The society meets on the second Thursday of each month, September through June at 7:00 pm. Private tours available.

The Museum is open the first and third Sundays of the month from 1:30-4 pm. In 1984, Sayreville New School No.1 became the permanent home of the Sayreville Historical Museum. The museum is located at 425 Main Street, near the corner of Pulaski Avenue and is open every Sunday from 1:30 to 4:00 PM. Docents are also available upon request to conduct group tours. If you are interesting in visiting the

museum on a day other than Sunday, please contact us by phone or email, and we would be happy to accommodate your group.

Today is Juneteenth, which marks the effective end of slavery in the United States. Although Abraham Lincoln had issued ...
06/19/2026

Today is Juneteenth, which marks the effective end of slavery in the United States.

Although Abraham Lincoln had issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 and the Civil War ended in April 1865, slavery continued in Texas where there had been no large battles or presence of Union troops.

Federal troops, led by by Gen. Gordon Granger, arrived in Galveston, TX on June 19, 1865 and read General Orders No. 3: “The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.”

www.history.com
www.nmaahc.si.edu
www.koat.com

At Saint Stan’s Carnival attempting not to blow away with this wind. Come grab your new ornament in the collection and o...
06/18/2026

At Saint Stan’s Carnival attempting not to blow away with this wind. Come grab your new ornament in the collection and one of our limited edition 250th/150th t-shirt (sizes small to 3x available)

Stop by and visit the Sayreville Historical Society at the St. Stan's Carnival!
06/18/2026

Stop by and visit the Sayreville Historical Society at the St. Stan's Carnival!

Today's Revolutionary MomentOn June 19, 1776, New Jersey's last Royal Governor, William Franklin, was taken into custody...
06/18/2026

Today's Revolutionary Moment

On June 19, 1776, New Jersey's last Royal Governor, William Franklin, was taken into custody by Col. Nathaniel Heard, of Woodbridge, at the Proprietary House in Perth Amboy. The Continental Congress would send Franklin under guard to Connecticut.

William was the son of Benjamin Franklin and had earlier accompanied him to England. William studied law in London and the elder Franklin's efforts led to the appointment as New Jersey's royal governor. As colonists began to press for independence, William chose to remain loyal to the crown. He could not believe the colonies could defeat England. Despite pleas from his father, William did not join the American cause.

In 1785, father and son met for the last time in London to resolve business matters. The two never fully reconciled.

"New Jersey in the American Revolution, 1763-1783, A Chronology" by Dennis P. Ryan
newenglandhistoricalsociety.com





Where's the brick? Summer vacation time is here! What better way to spend your vacation than looking for Sayre & Fisher ...
06/17/2026

Where's the brick?

Summer vacation time is here! What better way to spend your vacation than looking for Sayre & Fisher bricks?

Sayre & Fisher was once the largest brickyard in the world and the company's bricks were used in the construction of many famous buildings in the New Jersey-New York area. But they pop up in places you wouldn't expect. We know they were used as part of a renovation of the Sandy Hook Lighthouse and as part of the construction of the buildings at Fort Hancock. We've also been told that S&F bricks can be seen at the Thomas Edison estate in Fort Meyers, FL.

The bricks pictured here can be found in Key West at the First Flight Restaurant and Brewery. The restaurant is located at the site of the first Pan American Airways (Pan Am) ticket office. The Sayreville Historical Society thanks Suzanne Mansmann for sharing these pictures with us.

If you see any S&F bricks in unexpected places, please share them with us at [email protected]. We'll post your find and see just how far S&F bricks traveled.

panam.org
floridainvents.org

Congratulations to the Sayreville Lions Club on its 90th Anniversary! Tonight the Lions Club celebrated its history of g...
06/17/2026

Congratulations to the Sayreville Lions Club on its 90th Anniversary!

Tonight the Lions Club celebrated its history of good works for the people of Sayreville. The Sayreville Historical Society was honored to be a part of this event. Below are pictures of some artifacts illustrating the Lions' dedicated service to our community.

Thank you, Lions, for all you've contributed to our town!

Today's Revolutionary MomentFollowing the battles of Lexington and Concord in April 1775, both colonial militia and Brit...
06/16/2026

Today's Revolutionary Moment

Following the battles of Lexington and Concord in April 1775, both colonial militia and British leaders came to same conclusion: If the Patriots held Dorchester Heights or Bunker Hill, they could force the British in Boston to surrender. In June, the worried British command watched as American forces build fortified positions on Breed's Hill.

On June 17, British Commander-in-Chief General Sir Thomas Gage ordered an assault on the American position. The militia held their fire until the British were within about 40 yards and mowed down the advancing troops. The British retreated, but were soon regrouped and resumed their attack. On the third attack, the British engaged in hand to hand combat as the Americans retreated.

Bunker's Hill is considered a British victory, but the battle helped further unite the colonies. The British were surprised by the force of the American militia. “We have … learned one melancholy truth, which is, that the Americans, if they were equally well commanded, are full as good soldiers as ours,” said one British officer in Boston, after the battle.

"New Jersey in the American Revolution, 1763-1783, A Chronology" by Dennis P. Ryan
www.history.com
www.battlefields.org
www.revolutionarywar.net
www.nps.gov

Today's Revolutionary MomentOn June 15, 1775, George Washington of Virginia was appointed commanding general of the Amer...
06/15/2026

Today's Revolutionary Moment

On June 15, 1775, George Washington of Virginia was appointed commanding general of the American Army by the Continental Congress. He formally accepted his commission days later and took command of his troops on July 3, 1775 in Boston.

Despite his experience in the French and Indian War, Washington was not the only candidate to lead the new army. Some representatives favored former British General Charles Lee. Others, such as Massachusetts cousins Samuel Adams and John Adams, convinced the Congress that appointing a Southerner would help unite the other colonies with the rebellious New England colonies.

In accepting his new role, Washington told Congress, "I beg it may be remembered by every gentleman in the room that I this day declare with the utmost sincerity I do not think myself equal to the command I am honored with."

New Jersey in the American Revolution, 1763-1783, A Chronology by Dennis P. Ryan
americanrevolutioninstitute.org
ushistory.org
history.com
mountvernon.org

Monday MemoryToday's Monday Memory goes back 110 years. The Board of Education's Annual Report for the school year endin...
06/15/2026

Monday Memory

Today's Monday Memory goes back 110 years.

The Board of Education's Annual Report for the school year ending March 1, 1916 reported a surplus of just under $1,000. Teacher salaries were the largest expense for the year: $9,824.25. Its smallest expenditure was fifty cents for "Apparatus". The budget for the coming 1917 school year was $17,000.

The school district had several schools in 1916. New School No. 1, is now the Historical Society Museum. School No. 2, became the Lincoln School, and was later torn down. School No. 3 Ernston, built by area residents and placed under district supervision, may still have been in operation. School No. 4 Burt's Creek had been closed, but was reopened in 1916 due to shifts in student population.

Industrial growth spurred by the war in Europe would result in population increases in Sayreville. The Board of Education would be building more schools in the following decade.

Sayreville Historical Society Archives
"Our Town"
"A Municipal History of the Township of Sayreville" by Joseph T. Karcher

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425 Main Street
Sayreville, NJ
08872

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+17323907048

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