Last updated: 9/28/2012
Jefferson Township, New Jersey
Street Address
315 Dover-Milton Road
Jefferson Township, NJ 07438
Mailing Address
315 Dover-Milton Road
Oak Ridge, NJ 07438

Hours

First Sunday of the month from 1 - 4 pm.
Please check the website for further information. For private tours, please contact museumdirector@jthistoricalsociety.org
Sunday
1 PM - 4 PM
Closed January and February.

Staff

Christine Williams
phone: 973-697-0258
Carol Keppel
phone: 973-697-0258
Description
On the State and National Registers of Historic Places.

The Jefferson Township Museum is a representation of life in Jefferson Township in the last quarter of the 19th century. Furnishings, artifacts, garments and interior decor reflect the style of the times.

Mission

To preserve and promote the history of Jefferson Township and to maintain the George Chamberlain House, known as the Jefferson Township Museum, for this and future generations.

History

In the 1870's, Amos Chamberlain, a resident of Milton Village, built another home on his property for his son George and his bride-to-be, Ruth Elizabeth Speaker. After their marriage in 1874, they moved into the new house on Dover-Milton Road and soon purchased it from Amos. Two children, Raymond and Archie, were raised in the home and attended school locally. The family remained in residence into the early 1900's. In later decades, the house was rented to various families in the extended Chamberlain family.

For more history, please see our website.

The History of the Museum Garden Club of Jefferson

The Museum Garden Club was founded in the fall of 2004 by Roberta Shaw and Christine Williams. Both women were part of the landscaping committee for the Moving Viet Nam Wall in which the township hosted as part of its bicentennial celebration. When the Wall was dismantled and moved onto its next location, the flowers and trees that had been donated were left behind as were benches. Some were sold; but many of the perennials were not suitable for sale. Shaw and Williams decided to take those half dead flowers and plant them at the township Museum and hope for the best in the next spring.

The idea to begin a garden club whose sole purpose was to develop and maintain the Museum gardens. The Museum Garden Club of Jefferson was born.

Publications

The Jefferson Journal is published 3 times a year.

1=The Jefferson Journal
Services
Genealogy Research: Add to your family tree . . .

Jefferson Township Historical Society does research in regards to specific requests for genealogy information. This is a volunteer service and at times there may be a back log. We follow a first come, first serve basis policy. Please provide as much information as known about each person you wish to be researched. Be specific as to what information you want. Our records are limited to The Township of Jefferson, Morris County, New Jersey. The fee is $10.00 per person researched. The fee is non-refundable even if no information is available.

Tours of the Museum

Please call 973-697-0258 to inquire about tours of the museum. For additional information, please contact the Museum Director, Carol Keppel, at museumdirector@jthistoricalsociety.org

Miss Elizabeth's Shoppe

Miss Elizabeth's Shoppe, affectionately named after the first bride of the building, is located in the restored kitchen of the Jefferson Township Museum, 315 Dover-Milton Road. The Shoppe is open to the public during Museum hours. The gift shoppe features small antiques, garden items, candles and unique gifts perfect for any occasion. There are many handcrafted items from local artists, including photography, jewelry and artwork. Special food items include local jams and honey, specialty teas, organic maple syrup and organic buttermilk pancake mix from Vermont, and wild blueberries from Maine. For additional information on shoppe hours and to contact the Shoppe Manager, please email Pat Cincotta at shoppemanager@jthistoricalsociety.org

Gift Shop
Group Tours
Exhibitions
Museum Events
DISCLAIMER
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September 8, 2024 - September 10, 2025

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2025 California Association of Museums Conference

February 18 - 22, 2025

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