Tour of cemeteries planned

The Monmouth County Historical Association will sponsor a lecture and walking tour of the cemeteries along Kings Highway in Middletown on Oct. 28 at 1 p.m. The tour will include Christ Episcopal Church, Old First Baptist Church, the Hartshorne family burial ground and the Presbyterian burial ground. According to a press release, these sites contain excellent examples of colonial and 19th century gravestone carving.

The tour will be led by Richard Veit, assistant professor of History and Anthropology at Monmouth University, West Long Branch. Veit received his doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania and is the author of "Digging New Jersey's Past, Historical Archaeology in the Garden State" (2002).

The tour will begin at 1 p.m. at the Taylor-Butler House, 127 Kings Highway, with refreshments and a brief slide lecture presented by Veit. The walking tour will follow. Participants should wear comfortable clothing and sensible shoes. In case of inclement weather, the rain date will be Nov. 4. Admission to the program is $10 and reservations are required. Call the MCHA at (732) 462-1466 to arrange to attend this program.

The Monmouth County Historical Association's main museum and library is at 70 Court Street, Freehold. The museum hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday, 1-4 p.m. The library is open Wednesday through Saturday. For membership or admission fees and further information, call (732) 462-1466 or visit the Internet Web site at www.monmouthhistory.org