Northern New Jersey Chapter

Golden Anniversary (1976 – 2026)

Highlights from our Fifty Years

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Compiled by Mac McParland

Including previous notes from Eileen Sutera, Elaine Flint and Pat Sanders

 

The Norther NJ Chapter of the Victorian Society in America received its charter in November 1975.  The chapter started with twenty-eight founding members, including Adriana O’Toole who is still active today.  Originally, monthly meetings were held at the Verona Public Library, member’s homes, and the Munn Tavern in Montclair.  Dues were $4.00 per year for individuals, and $6.00 for families.  By 1980, membership grew to one hundred and fifteen.  Early group trips included Paterson’s Great Falls and Edison’s Laboratory in West Orange.

 

In 1977, our chapter and the Bloomfield Historical Society dedicated a headstone in the Bloomfield Cemetery for the formerly unmarked grave of A. J. Davis, a Victorian architect.

 

The chapter’s first overnight trip was in 1978 to the Victorian Weekend in Cape May. Activities included a slide show on Victorian Architecture, Cape May house tours, and a seven course Victorian Dinner at the Chalfonte Hotel.

 

In 1979, the chapter held a dinner at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City.  We viewed a collection of restored costumes in authentic settings including a Tiffany sitting room, a sweet shop and a town square with bandstand.  This was the first of several trips to FIT hosted by VSA members Dorothy and Marvin Feldman.

 

In 1984, by very special permission we were able to arrange a visit to the home of Helen Hayes in Nyack, New York.  Miss Hayes (1900-1987) was known as the “First Lady of American Theatre”. Her 21 room home overlooking the Hudson River had been her residence for over 50 years.  It was filled with Victorian memorabilia.  Eileen Sutera, who was on the trip, noted that Miss Hayes “was most gracious in allowing us to roam through her home”.

 

Other trips included visits to Harlem and Sylvia’s Soul Food Restaurant, the Broadway show “No No Nanette”, the Barnum Museum in Bridgeport Connecticut, and the Lockwood-Mathers Estate.  Unfortunately, the rising cost of bus charter fees has restricted our ability to schedule more trips like these.

 

Social events held by the chapter have included Garden Parties, Celebrations of Queen Victoria’s birthday, Strawberry Festivals, Holiday parties and Ice Cream socials.

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Notes on the past ten years

 

Our tradition of presenting an annual Preservation Award continued, honoring the Hotel Indigo in Newark (2015), a Carriage House in Newark (2016), the Hahne & Co. building in Newark (2017), a Victorian home in Caldwell (2018), a private home in Bloomfield (2019), Stuart Hall in Princeton (2022), the Krueger-Scott Mansion in Newark (2023), the Ballantine House at the Newark Museum of Art (2024), and the Mountsier Gardens in Nutley (2025).  Awards were not presented in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic.

 

The COVID pandemic years were difficult for the chapter.  We had to put our meetings on hold from April 2020 until September 2021.  Before COVID, refreshments for our meetings were supplied by members on a rotating schedule.  Once we were able to meet again in person, our Hospitality committee (Christina Mayer and Judyann Affronti) took responsibility for providing our light refreshments, at first only as individually wrapped items. 

 

Our “Views from the Veranda” newsletter stopped publication at the start of the COVID shutdown, and it was replaced by our website and Facebook page.

 

We had some memorable programs at our monthly meetings.  Ulysses Dietz continued his long association with our chapter.  From 1985 to the present, he has made over 25 presentations for us, including topics ranging from decorative arts to the lives of presidents and first ladies.  Mac McParland has also become a regular speaker for us, with topics ranging from Victorian Magicians to Newark Breweries and Mexican history.  Other repeat presenters include Ava Caridad (Christmas Traditions, Edgar Allen Poe, and Louisa May Alcott), and Kevin Woyce (Hudson River Lighthouses, the Jersey Shore, and Holiday Traditions).