Hightstown
East Windsor
Historical Society
est. 1971
The mission of the Hightstown-East Windsor Historical Society is to: Educate the public about the history of Hightstown and East Windsor Township. Preserve and share photos, objects, publications, and the Historical Ely House.
Museum & Library
The Ely House and Freight Station are the Society’s headquarters, a circa 1850 house, museum and library. The museum is located on 164 North Main Street in Hightstown.
Museum
The museum is located on 164 North Main Street in Hightstown. Trained docents will be delighted to show you through the house.
Library
The Library contains newspapers, maps and books dating back to the mid-1800’s. Some of the maps and books are available for purchase.
You can help
The Society is all volunteer run and welcomes your help.
Volunteer
We need volunteers to help us in many ways.
Donate
We’re actively seeking monetary contributions (which may be tax deductible), as well as donations of historical artifacts from the Hightstown-East Windsor area.
Exhibit
We are always looking for exhibit ideas and welcome anyone with a collection or extensive knowledge on a subject to share it with our community.
Become a Member
Membership in the Hightstown-East Windsor Historical Society is an easy and enjoyable way to support our mission and enrich your knowledge of our area’s history.
Children’s Video Production Program
The HEW Blog
Click any image below to read more
The Lab Formerly Known as the Post Office
The old post office as it looks today. This is currently Perritt Labs.Back in the Spring of 2020 I had a chance to tour Perritt Labs on South Main Street, formerly the location of the Hightstown Post Office. At the time they came across some old blueprints and photos...
Underhill Ice Pick Travels
In the December 2018 issue of the newsletter, Bob Craig wrote about the Frank C. Underhill Ice Plant, which was off of the north side of Stockton Street, roughly in the rear of where CCL is now located. During Labor Day 2019, my wife and I were at our vacation "camp"...
Mercer Street School
Horse drawn school buses in front of the Mercer Street School.We're all aware of the current group of elementary, middle, and high schools, but before these structures, there was a whole different set of buildings being used for educating our students. As they say on...
Hightstown Rug Mill
The Rug Mill in the 1920s.Memories From My Youth When I was young (the 1950s and 1960s), nearly every Hightstown-East Windsor area resident had a family member who either worked at or had worked at the Hightstown Smyrna Rug Factory, aka Hightstown Rug Company more...
Hightstown Churches That Have Disappeared
by Robert Craig with updates by Cappy Stults. While giving historical walking and bus tours around town, many questions are asked and a couple deserve some special attention. One is "what was where Perritt Labs is today before it was the post office" and another is...
Central Bank of New Jersey
Many people have been past or on Bank Street. The question that has been asked many times is, "Where did the bank go?" The short answer is that the business relocated to 106 North Main Street, the present location of Allen & Stults Insurance. Anyone who has been...
Local Newspapers of the Past
Front page of the first Village Record. The Village Record was first started in Hightstown on June 30, 1849. The editors/owners were Jacob Stults and James S. Yard. Stults was only 19 years old and Yard was only 23. After just...
George Sumbry of Airport Road
From the Hightstown Gazette August 7, 1997 by Curtis Crowell with 2019 updates with permission Mr. George Sumbry's home on Airport Road is surrounded by flowers, fruit trees, vegetables of all kinds that he and his wife Mayleen tend with dedication. The collection is...
Clara Barton Slept Here
Clara Barton. Before she was the "Angel of the Battlefield" and before she started the American Red Cross, Ms. Barton spent some time right here in Hightstown. This is the story of how that came to be and her impact on one particular resident. Before she became...
The Underhill Family and the Ice Plant
The 1930's were a time when many people still relied upon manufactured ice for their refrigeration needs. They had ice-box refrigerators in their homes, and they still bought ice to fill them. Hightstown had its own ice-making plant. It stood behind the houses on the...
Newsletter
The Hightstown East-Windsor Historical Society has produced an award-winning newsletter for many years. With your paid membership, you will receive our printed newsletter four times per year.
Newsletters can be viewed here online, printed copies are available at the Hightstown Memorial Library and the Historical Society Library.
Local Newspapers Digital Archive
All local Hightstown and East Windsor newpapers (Hightstown Gazette, Windsor Herald, etc.) dating back to the 1850s. A treasure trove of historical information.
This Archive is provided with the combined resources of the Hightstown Library Association and the Hightstown—East Windsor Historical Society, both 501c3 non‐profit groups.