Tracing 250 Years of American Life
Ridgewood Historical Society Museum marks 250 years of American history with artifacts that reflect daily life and national milestones.
Standing in the quiet of the gallery before the first visitors arrive, I can’t help but feel the weight—and wonder—of 250 years of American history surrounding me. Every object tells its own story: a well-worn Civil War uniform, a gleaming Centennial memento, a humble kitchen appliance that once symbolized modern life. Together, they trace the arc of a nation still finding its way between promise and progress.
250 Years of Progress: A Celebration of Our Nation’s Independence and Endurance isn’t just an exhibit—it’s a conversation with our past. Each artifact reflects the ingenuity, struggle, and resilience that have shaped our shared identity, from the Declaration of Independence to women’s suffrage, from the Emancipation Proclamation to the space age. The display journeys through wars, waves of immigration, and moments of hardship and renewal, leading right up to the defining experiences of our own century, such as the September 11 attacks and the COVID pandemic.
decorated in cobalt slip “1876.”
circa 1850s
Scattered among these relics are reminders of how ordinary lives have powered extraordinary change: Native American artistry, the familiar hum of an old electric fan, the miracle of the radio, telegraph, and telephone, and the rise of the internet. These are not just American inventions and achievements; they’re extensions of everyday hope and ingenuity with the same spirit that carried a fledgling nation through 250 years of reinvention. Each item carries the weight of someone’s everyday life, lived against the backdrop of a young nation still learning what “freedom” would mean in practice. As the United States approaches its 250th birthday, those humble survivors feel less like artifacts and more like witnesses.
WWI Red Cross messenger bag.
I am very proud to have curated this exhibit, which is on display at The Ridgewood Historical Society Museum every Saturday and Sunday from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. and by special arrangement for groups until December 20, 2026. The museum is located on the grounds of the Old Paramus Reformed Church in Ridgewood, New Jersey, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. The church, organized in 1725, has served the congregation for more than 300 years. The first church served as the headquarters of General George Washington on numerous occasions. During the American Revolution, it was used as an encampment, barracks, hospital, prison, and court. The second part of Major General Charles Lee’s court-martial, resulting from his retreat at the battle of Monmouth, was held at the church, which also hosted historical figures such as Generals George Clinton, William Alexander (Lord Stirling), Anthony Wayne, and the Marquis de Lafayette. The property has housed a succession of schoolhouses since 1730. The present church structure was completed in 1800 using stones from the original church. The schoolhouse that houses the museum was built in 1872 and stands less than two miles from the Hermitage in Ho-Ho-Kus, the home of Aaron Burr and a National Historic Landmark.
For a small museum, the collection packs a punch. Included in the exhibit is a letter from George Washington to Brigadier General David “Black David” Forman, who was a relentless patriot to some but was described as ruthless, harsh, and brutal by others. The large two-page document was written by Alexander Hamilton and then signed by Washington. Also featured are a document signed by Abraham Lincoln, a playbill from Our American Cousin, several genuine photographs of Lincoln and his family, General Robert E. Lee, William Tecumseh Sherman, and John Wilkes Booth, and a document signed by Governor George Clinton.
The main room houses colonial furnishings, early clocks, a variety of American inventions, and early pewter. Also included are photographs of military personnel from the Civil War through World War II and six vignettes, including a Revolutionary War figure, a Civil War figure, a WWII nurse, a WWII Red Cross nurse, Betsy Ross, and a 1920 voting station featuring an autographed campaign poster of Harding and a suffragette casting her first ballot. Our 18th-century corner cupboard, present in the vicarage during Washington’s stay, features a white, blue, and gilt tea service that once belonged to signer of the Declaration Samuel Chase, and a phenomenal Washington mourning sampler of which only four are known.
On display in our gallery are WWI and WWII military posters, military accessories and uniforms from the revolution up through Vietnam, colonial currency, portraits and photographs of servicemen, and historic, patriotic engravings.
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