By JACKIE HANUSEY
Staff Writer

EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP – It might be hard to imagine now, but three buildings on one West Jersey Avenue lot will soon be transformed into the focal point for township history.

Two small homes and a workshop once owned by the late Edward Ireland are being prepared for transformation into a museum and library by the Greate Egg Harbour Historical Society.

With multiple projects in the works and the township’s 300th anniversary looming in 2010, the Historical Society is hoping to get more people involved. There will be a meeting Wednesday, April 30 in the Municipal Building for anyone who’s interested in  learning more.

This past fall, the township agreed that the society could use about 2 acres of the Cardiff property and its three buildings. During a tour of the property April 14, Egg Harbor Township Historian June Sheridan Sheridan said, although it might be wishful thinking, she hopes the museum and library would be open in some fashion within the next year.

That will take volunteers. Currently the society has about 15 members.

The main house, which would serve as a museum and library, would need to get a new roof and become ADA compliant with a new bathroom and ramp. 

To showcase the many artifacts, most of which are now stored in Sheridan’s home, the living room and a bedroom would be made into one room.

There are also plans to transform the home’s appearance into a style that is more early-American with the possibility of new paint colors and wooden posts.

Sheridan envisions old-fashioned furniture, historical records and early family portraits in the main entry way to the museum. Computers and a card cabinet would also likely be a part of the library.

She already has records of the Revolutionary War soldiers buried in Zion Cemetery and lists of township soldiers who served in the Civil War.

There is also an important written record, “Sketches of Egg Harbor Township,” written in 1964 for the New Jersey Tercentenary Celebration, that she hopes to expand on to tell the township’s story. 

“It is very hard to find,” Sheridan said, noting the members are looking to possibly reprint the book or work on an updated version of the story of the township.

What projects get completed for the renovation depend on fund-raising efforts, donations and volunteers.

The students at the Eagle Academy are expected to help with some of the construction, which could start around June, the historian said.

They hope that businesses will also be interested in helping with the refurbishments.  Plans for building renovations are being donated to the non-profit organization by a local architect.

Sheridan said the group welcomes all, including those from the township and those interested in its history.

“We have a lot of donations already from the township’s early families,” she said. 

Environment Commission Chairwoman Janis Hetrick has shown interest in helping with the landscaping at the site, suggesting an herb garden might also be a nice addition.

Thanks to a grant from the Atlantic County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, the Historical Society has brought on a consultant.

Beth Ryan of Egg Harbor Township is originally from the northern section of the state.  Her previous experience includes working on Liberty State Park and the Galveston County Historical Museum and Butler Longhorn Museum, both in Texas.

“I am very excited to be back in New Jersey and be part of the project,” Ryan said. 

She is doing part-time work as needed, which includes writing more grants and doing data entry for the paperwork and artifacts in the Historical Society’s collection.

The work includes inputting things into Past Perfect, a computer program that catalogues materials, artifacts and documents, including those Sheridan transcribed from original township records.

To Ryan, who has helped open museums before and whose background is in project and collections management, this society has a blank slate and wide range of possibilities for the project.

“It will all be shaped in the way the town wants to be excited about the history,” she said.

One way to generate interest is in a name, and the Historical Society has one that prompts curiosity.

According to Sheridan, the township’s name has evolved throughout its long history.  Eventually the “u” in Harbour and the Old English “Greate” were dropped, but for Sheridan and her group, bringing them back gives the Greate Egg Harbour Historical Society name the old-style look they were going for as it draws from the past.

Whether you are interested in serving on the anniversary committee or helping rip out the floors, want to organize a fundraiser or plant flowers at the site, the nonprofit is looking for you.

The Greate Egg Harbour Township Historical Society will host a general membership meeting 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 30 at the Municipal Building, 3515 Bargaintown Road in the courtroom.

For information, to become involved or to donate to the society, contact Sheridan at (609) 927-8314 or email her at Junesheridan115@comcast.net.