'Weekend in Old Monmouth' features tour of historic sites Monmouth County's first "Weekend in Old Monmouth" historic tour will open the doors of 32 local historic sites all at the same time- from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. onMay 3 and from noon to 5 p.m. on May 4. 32 "Independent and local historic sites are generally operated independently of one another," said Monmouth County Freeholder Director Lillian G. Burry, who is also the liaison to the Monmouth County Historical Commission. "This special tour project has coordinated the hours of operation so that history buffs can walk or drive to many of our richest historic places and enjoy them in the spring." "The tour has many options," said Randall Gabrielan, executive director of the Monmouth County Historical Commission. "The outlined tours (north, central and south) place what are often widely separated sites in some semblance of order. Visitors may see the places in any other, or no order, or reverse the sequence from the proposed starting points. A detailed tour book and map will be available at each tour location." The tours also represent several historic themes: 9 • The Revolutionary War: The Revolution visited here, not only the major sites in the Battle of Monmouth area (Manalapan and Freehold), but in lesser-known places such as the Burrowes Mansion in Matawan, Marlpit Hall and the Murray Farm, both in Middletown. • Military: There is Fort Hancock at Sandy Hook, the most heavily fortified installation on the East Coast for much of the 20th century, the National Historic Landmark Monmouth Battlefield in Manalapan, and one of the more fascinating but lesser-known museums, MilitiaMuseum in Sea Girt, with museum exhibits and fighter aircraft on the ground, and tanks. • Preservation: Marlpit Hall in Middletown was the first restored house museum in the region, dating from its 1930s opening. • Faith: Architectural gems of each of the last three centuries, 18th-century Christ Church in Shrewsbury, 19th-century All Saints Memorial in Middletown and 20th-century St. Catharine's Church in Spring Lake. In addition, Old Tennent Church in Manalapan is closely tied to the Battle ofMonmouth, and the Friends Meeting House in Shrewsbury represents one of the oldest worship traditions in Monmouth County. 30 • Shore: While the tour includes sites on the north, (Sandy Hook), central (Ocean Grove) and southern (National GuardMilitiaMuseum) shores, the drive along the shore is one of the best ways to feel and appreciate Monmouth County's relationship to the shore. Other elements on the tour include lighthouses, Victorian homes, agriculture, industry, education and science.According to a press release from the county, all of the sites contributed to the importance of preservation and history throughout Monmouth County. The county and the historical commission have been in the fore of the preservation movement by having made preservation grants to most of the tour's non-government buildings. The 325th anniversary of a March 1683 Act by the provincial General Assembly that established the County of Monmouth is this year, 2008. A site list and map are available on the county's Internet Web site at www.visitmonmouth.com. 15 Tour site name and location 1 Burrowes Mansion Museum 94 Main Street, Matawan 2 Historic Longstreet Farm 44 Longstreet Road, Holmdel 3 Holmes-Hendrickson House 62 Longstreet Road, Holmdel 4 Marlpit Hall and Taylor-Butler House 137 & 127 Kings Highway, Middletown 5 Murray Farmhouse 345 Oak Hill Road, Middletown 6 All Saints Memorial Church 202 Navesink Avenue, Middletown 7 Strauss House 27 Prospect Circle, Atlantic Highlands 8 Twin Lights Two Lighthouse Road, Highlands 9 Sandy Hook Lighthouse and Fort Hancock 426 Hartshorne Drive, Middletown 10 Historic Walnford 78 Walnford Road, Upper Freehold 11 West Freehold School Museum 209 Wemrock Road, Freehold 12 Oakley Farm House 189B Oakley Drive, Freehold 13 Covenhoven House 150 W. Main Street, Freehold 14 Monmouth County Historical Assoc. Museum 8 70 Court Street, Freehold 15 Monmouth Battlefield State Park 16 Business Route 33, Manalapan 16 Old Tennent Church 450 Tennent Road, Manalapan 17 Village Inn TwoWater Street, Englishtown 18 National Guard Militia Museum Sea Girt Avenue & Camp Drive, Sea Girt 19 Saint Catharine's Church 214 Essex Avenue, Spring Lake 20 Great Auditorium 21 Pilgrim Pathway, Ocean Grove 21 Ocean Grove Historical Museum 50 Pitman Avenue, Ocean Grove 22 Centennial Cottage McClintock and Central avenues, Ocean Grove 23 InfoAge Science Center Camp Evans 2201 Marconi Road, Wall 24 Old Wall Historical Society 1701 New Bedford Road, Wall 25 Allaire Historic Village at Allaire State Park 4265 Atlantic Avenue, Wall 26 Ardena School Museum 10 Old Tavern Road, Howell 27 MacKenzie House 427 Lakewood-Farmingdale Road, Howell 28 Eatontown Museum 75 Broad Street, Eatontown 29 Shrewsbury Historic Museum/Municipal Complex 419 Sycamore Avenue, Shrewsbury 30 Allen House 400 Sycamore Avenue, Shrewsbury 31 Friends Meeting House 375 Sycamore Ave., Shrewsbury 32 Christ Church 300 Sycamore Ave., Shrewsbury Saturday, May 3, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, May 4, noon to 5 p.m. For times, map and directions: www.visitmonmouth.com   5