Bolger Heritage Center, Ridgewood Public Library

Bolger Heritage Center, Ridgewood Public Library Check out the Heritage Catalog: https://ridgewood.catalogaccess.com/home The Center is located on Level 2 and is open during all library hours.

The Ridgewood Public Library Bolger Heritage Center has a wide variety of resources for the study of genealogy and of Ridgewood and New Jersey history. Special assistance is available by emailing [email protected]. For more information about the Heritage Center see www.ridgewoodlibrary.org/localhistory.

to a "Description of Ridgewood" Friday June 5....1891
06/05/2026

to a "Description of Ridgewood" Friday June 5....1891

Was looking at a Ridgewood newspaper from June of 1926, curious about goings-on a century ago and saw several ads for aw...
06/01/2026

Was looking at a Ridgewood newspaper from June of 1926, curious about goings-on a century ago and saw several ads for awnings -- appropriate for the approaching summer. And, of course, it's not hard to find postcards of the time showing businesses and homes, with awnings. The invention of air conditioning put a dent in the awning businesses, as you might expect, but those 1926 folks were on to something. Studies today show awnings can reduce indoor temperatures by 10-20 percent. And you can use a remote control.

The Bolger Heritage Center would like to take a moment to thank and honor all those who have served in the United States...
05/25/2026

The Bolger Heritage Center would like to take a moment to thank and honor all those who have served in the United States Armed Forces. We hope everyone has a safe holiday.

*This photograph was taken at the Ridgewood Memorial Day parade in 2013. We continue to collect and preserve Ridgewood's history so if you'd like to submit any photographs please email [email protected]

We're celebrating International Museum Day! But you don't have to go far to find a museum worth celebrating....How about...
05/18/2026

We're celebrating International Museum Day! But you don't have to go far to find a museum worth celebrating....How about 650 E. Glen Road, home of the Ridgewood Historical Society and Museum.

The building dates to 1872, when it was, as you can guess, a one-room schoolhouse (with a belfry, now gone, but the bell is in the foyer). It became a museum in April of 1955, and today is run by the Ridgewood Historical Society. Like the Old Paramus Reformed Church next door, the Museum building is on the National Register of Historic Places (the building itself is owned by the Dutch Reformed Church).

Let us put in a plug for its current show, "250 Years of Progress, a Celebration of Independence and Endurance," with exhibits featuring America's historic moments and achievements -- everything from a Revolutionary War uniform to the legacy of Abraham Lincoln to an early cell phone and desktop computer. It's terrific ! We've seen it!

Looking at the history of an address....News came this week of the imminent closing of the Village Green Restaurant at 3...
05/14/2026

Looking at the history of an address....News came this week of the imminent closing of the Village Green Restaurant at 36 Prospect Street. That building dates to 1930, when it replaced a garage; and for the first 20plus years the address was home to Ye Towne Pet Shop, where you could buy canaries that were "guaranteed singers." Then followed a wide array of businesses, and so over the years 36 Prospect offered everything from flea powder to lipstick to gourmet take-out to martial arts equipment. The United Jersey Bank was there for a time, and a succession of realtors took over that corner property for quite a while.

But of all the businesses at 36 Prospect Street, the Village Green Restaurant by far holds the longevity record, at 37 years....meaning thousands upon thousands of dinners devoured, diners delighted.

Thinking about spring potholes, which led to thinking about road repair, which led to looking for appropriate photos in ...
05/11/2026

Thinking about spring potholes, which led to thinking about road repair, which led to looking for appropriate photos in the Heritage Catalog. The top photo shows Hempstead Road from April of 1938 -- as the Ridgewood News reported at the time, Hempstead was getting sidewalks, curbs, and new pavement. The works!

The bottom photo shows Hempstead Rd. from August of 2025 (excuse the use of Google Maps), and it appears sidewalk and pavement were doing just fine. Also, nice to see that the tudor house at the end of the block exists in both pictures.

We just wanted to take a moment to thank all the teachers for their hard work and commitment to education *This image i...
05/07/2026

We just wanted to take a moment to thank all the teachers for their hard work and commitment to education

*This image is of District School #45, Paramus Schoolhouse currently the Schoolhouse Museum.

So baseball season has started for the Ridgewood Baseball & Softball Association and for Ridgewood High School...this is...
05/04/2026

So baseball season has started for the Ridgewood Baseball & Softball Association and for Ridgewood High School...this is the earliest photo we have of the high school baseball team, from The Arrow yearbook of 1928. It wasn't a great spring for the team -- to quote The Arrow: "So far this year the Ridgewood nine has done rather poorly, winning three games out of eight played...[the team] is rather weak in the pitching line although many of the games were lost largely by errors."

Wyckoff author and Son of the American Revolution Robert Skead will be on hand to discuss this timely topic as we celebr...
04/27/2026

Wyckoff author and Son of the American Revolution Robert Skead will be on hand to discuss this timely topic as we celebrate America 250. Based on his three American Revolutionary War Adventure books, his presentation will include: New Jersey’s role in the American Revolution, the leadership of General George Washington, stories about the Culper spy ring, the American Turtle submarine, and the Great Chain at West Point. A time for Q&A session will also be included.

Address

125 N Maple Avenue
Ridgewood, NJ
07450

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 9pm
Tuesday 9am - 9pm
Wednesday 9am - 9pm
Thursday 9am - 9pm
Friday 9am - 6pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm
Sunday 1pm - 5pm

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