Mantua Township Historical Commission

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Mantua Township Historical Commission

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The Mantua Township Historical Commission's mission is to preserve the rich history of Mantua Township. We are open every Saturday from 10am till noon.

10/21/2026

One of Our Own

During the Mantua Township Committee meeting on Monday evening, October 19, 2026, Mayor Robert Zimmerman presented Kathy MacGregor with a Township Proclamation recognizing her many years of dedicated service to our community. We thank the Mayor and Township Committee for honoring someone who means so much to the Mantua Township Historical Commission.

In his remarks, the Mayor shared the following tribute prepared by MTHC Chairman Jeffrey Gellenthin, reflecting on Kathy’s service and the many lives she has touched:

Kathy served as a volunteer EMT with the Mantua Township Community Ambulance, dispatched as Squad 22-91 (In that designation, “22” identified the Mantua Township district, “9” identified the squad, and “1” identified the ambulance). Following the September 11, 2001, attacks, Kathy and her fellow squad members responded to Ground Zero in New York City on two occasions, providing assistance during a time of extraordinary need.

After concluding her ambulance service in 2007, shortly before the County assumed responsibility for the volunteer organization, Kathy continued her commitment to the community by joining the Mantua Township Historical Commission.

For approximately nineteen years, Kathy has helped preserve and share Mantua Township’s history. She was instrumental in creating the J. Mason Tomlin School fifth-grade museum visit and essay contest, helping young people discover and appreciate the history around them. She has welcomed museum visitors, guided schoolchildren, contributed historical articles, and donated family artifacts. Through writing and speaking about her experiences at Ground Zero, she has also preserved an important account of service for future generations.

At ninety years young, Kathy remains an active and valued member of our Commission. Her years of service reflect compassion, dedication, and a lasting commitment to her community—through caring for its people, preserving its history, and inspiring its children.

During the presentation, Kathy spoke of her love for our community. That love is evident in the years she has devoted to serving it.

Congratulations, Kathy, and thank you. We are proud to serve alongside you and grateful to call you our friend.

09/14/2026

The MTHC Fall 2026 Quarterly Bulletin is here!

This issue continues our celebration of America’s 250th anniversary. Inside, you’ll discover the remarkable story of the Sewell Community Baptist Church bell and 1976 Bicentennial time capsule, travel back to 1776 with Manny the Mantis, and learn the fascinating story of the Barnsborough Blues and their connection to the historic Barnsboro Inn, where the Blues once gathered.

You will also find a helpful article on non-invasive techniques for revealing inscriptions on old, weathered headstones—an interesting tool for anyone involved in cemetery, genealogy, or local-history research.

We hope you’ll take some time to enjoy the Fall issue, and please share it with your family and friends. Every share helps us keep Mantua Township’s history alive and introduce it to another generation.

Looking for more Mantua Township history? Prior issues of our Quarterly Bulletin are available on the Mantua Township website: https://mantuatownship.com/our-history/

Enjoy—and thank you for supporting the Mantua Township Historical Commission!

07/10/2026

Public Notice

Please note that the Mantua Township Historical Commission Museum and Dolores Allen Memorial Library and Research Area will not be open this Saturday, July 11, as members of the Commission will be participating in a local community event at another location.

We appreciate your understanding and invite you to visit us during our regular Saturday hours in the weeks ahead. Whether you're a first-time visitor or a returning friend, we look forward to sharing Mantua Township's history with you.

Thank you!

06/16/2026

We are pleased to share with you the Summer 2026 issue of the Mantua Township Historical Commission Quarterly Bulletin.

This issue celebrates the 250th anniversary of American Independence while highlighting local stories, people, places, and events that connect Mantua Township to our nation's history. You'll also meet Manny the Mantis, our new Historical Commission mascot, and learn about the outstanding work of the J. Mason Tomlin School students who participated in this year's history poster contest.

We hope you enjoy this issue and encourage you to share it with family, friends, and anyone interested in the rich history of Mantua Township and the surrounding area.

You will find past bulletins here: https://mantuatownship.com/public-records/by-category/historical-commission/

Thank you for your continued interest and support.

06/04/2026

Last evening, the Mantua Township Historical Commission was pleased to once again participate in Mantua Township's annual Big Night Out.

From 5:00 to 8:00 PM, members of the Commission met with residents, shared information about our organization, and discussed the many projects and programs dedicated to preserving our community's history.

The event was well attended and provided a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with old friends while making many new ones. With beautiful weather and an atmosphere filled with community spirit, it was truly a perfect evening.

We were especially honored to welcome Mayor Bob Zimmerman and Deputy Mayor Eileen Lukens to our table. Their continued support of our organization and local history efforts is sincerely appreciated.

A special thank you to the Mantua Township School District for organizing and hosting this event. We are grateful for the opportunity to participate and look forward to seeing everyone again next year.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by to visit with us!

05/19/2026

As we share this special Memorial Day Issue of the Mantua Township Historical Commission Bulletin, we are reminded that Memorial Day is far more than the unofficial beginning of summer or a long holiday weekend.

It is a day set aside by our nation to honor and remember the men and women of the United States Armed Forces who gave their lives in service to our country — including those lost in combat, those who later died from the wounds and hardships of war, and those who died while faithfully serving in uniform, even outside the battlefield.

Behind every name etched on a memorial or carved into a gravestone was a real person with dreams, plans, loved ones, and a future forever changed by sacrifice.

Through this special bulletin, we hope to preserve and share the stories of several local servicemen connected to Mantua Township whose sacrifices and service must never be forgotten.

May we all pause to remember the true meaning of this day and the tremendous human cost of the freedoms we enjoy.

You can find prior issues of our bulletin here: https://mantuatownship.com/our-history/

Please share this post with others.

05/08/2026

We featured an old recipe for molasses crumb cake in the MTHC Spring Bulletin. Since that time, commission member Debbie Gellenthin decided to put it to the test — and the results were absolutely delicious.

During our May meeting last evening, members were treated to a slice or two and enjoyed a sweet taste of the past.

Thank you, Debbie, for taking the time to bring a bit of history back to life and remind us of a simpler time, when homemade treats and desserts were wholesome, hearty, and made with care.

You can find each of our quarterly bulletins on the Mantua Township website, where you can explore more stories, photographs, memories, and pieces of local history that help keep the past alive: https://mantuatownship.com/public-records/by-category/historical-commission/

04/18/2026

This week, we welcomed 8 fifth-grade classes, totaling 183 students from J. Mason Tomlin School to the Union Center for our annual museum and graveyard visit.

Despite the warmer spring temperatures, spirits remained high as students and teachers walked to the Union Center, where they explored artifacts, heard stories of Mantua Township’s past, and even learned how to create gravestone rubbings—a hands-on way to connect with local history.

This year also marked the debut of someone new—Manny the Mantis, officially introduced as our newest member and mascot of the Mantua Township Historical Commission—helping to bring local history to life in a fun and engaging way.

And the learning continues…

Each student will create a poster highlighting a person, place, object, or event from Mantua Township's history as part of our History Poster Contest. We’re excited to see their creativity and what inspired them most!

A sincere thank you to the teachers and school administration for their cooperation and support in helping make this event possible, and to our dedicated volunteers, family, and friends who continue to make this program a success year after year.

Address

145 Mantua Boulevard
Mantua, NJ
08051

Opening Hours

10am - 12pm

Website

https://mantuatownship.com/our-history/

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