Mauricetown Historical Society
34th Candlelight House Tour
December 16, 2023
5:00-9:00 p.m.
Thank you for attending.
The Mauricetown Historical Society excitedly welcomes all to their 34th Candlelight House Tour on Saturday, December 16, 2023. Ten private homes, the Mauricetown United Methodist Church, the Post Office, and the Historical Society properties will be open to guests from 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. A string trio will play at Compton House, and homemade cookies will be served. Carolers will meander through the streets, and the Millville Women’s Club Chorus will present a concert at the Church. A presentation about the bluebird trail that goes through town will be made at the Post Office, and the Mauricetown Fire Company and the Loyalty Circle of the Church will provide homemade soup, sandwiches, and desserts at the Fire Hall from 3:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. This is 21st Century life in a 19th Century town.
Historical Society Museums
The Captain Edward Compton House, the home of the Mauricetown Historical Society, was built in 1864 by local carpenters, Griffith Prichard and Samuel Cobb. Reflective of the Mauricetown of the 1860’s, home to many sea captains and others who worked on the water and had access to materials not available locally, it was built in the Italianate style with porches on the front and side, eight-sided columns supporting a heavily-bracketed cornice, long tall windows on the front facade, and a cast iron and wirework fence. A southern enclosed porch led to a cook house which no longer stands but has been replicated a few feet away in extraordinary detail based upon photos and the dimensions of the foundation of the original cook house which still stands. The house remained in the Compton family until 1887 when the Captain’s widow sold the property. When the Historical Society purchased the property in 1984, it was in serious disrepair. A dedicated group of Mauricetown residents organized the Mauricetown Historical Society and set about the task of restoring the property to its original beauty and majesty.
The Historical Society added to its Mauricetown history when it purchased the Abraham and Ann Hoy House, a stack house built in 1830. When the Hoy House was scheduled for demolition, the Society moved it from its original Mauricetown location to their property in the center of town. The Hoy House, too, has been restored.
Today these houses are museums. Compton House exhibits include displays of tools and other artifacts of the seafaring industry that supported the town’s growth including artifacts of the Lenni Lenape who lived in the region in earlier times. Hand sewn clothing and quilts are found in the master bedroom with its Civil War era furniture and furnishings. In the children’s room, toys, dolls, books, a school desk, and photos provide a peek at the life of a child in the mid to late 19th Century . The elegant parlor with ornate ceilings and rich wall paper holds a piano and an organ as well as furnishings of the times. There are display cases of historical objects in the meeting room which help tell the story of Mauricetown, and there is a library which holds genealogical records as well as other materials related to the history of the town and the area. A cast iron stove dominates the cook house where members cook for special occasions including the house tour. A working fireplace in the Hoy House kitchen was used for cooking and to warm the building and the water needed to do laundry with the washboard in the wash tub. Simple furnishings in the kitchen, the living room, and the bedroom with its rope bed complete the Hoy House.
From the simplicity of the 1830’s stack house to the grandeur of the 1864 mansion, the story of Mauricetown is presented in these restorations.
Ten Private Homes
In addition to the Historical Society properties, ten private homes built between 1820 and 1986 are open to the public this year.
The John L. Wills House, built in 1884, has the original porch columns, six over six windows, and pumpkin pine floors.
The Benjamin Tomlin House, built in 1840 in the New England Salt Box style, was expanded in 1895. Some original honey pine floors and some original windows with their original glass remain today.
Originally built as a duplex in 1847, the Seth Sharp House was converted to a single family home in 1990.
The John Herr Bailey House, a three bay federal style home was built in 1910 with lumber milled at the Baileytown sawmill owned by the owner.
A Christmas fantasyland delights visitors to The Chief Fred Hundt House, built in 1986. With Christmas trees in every room, a Christmas Village with more than 125 buildings, and countless Disney figurines, there is something to delight the child in all of us. A Civil War Room is filled with artifacts of the period, and Civil War art is displayed throughout the home.
Mrs. Studhams’ House, built in the 1850’s was originally a farm house, An addition was added in 1895.
The Captain Isaac Peterson House, built in 1865 in the Italianate style, has the only remaining cupola in the village, wedding cake plaster in the parlor, decorative gingerbread, and original open stair.
Built in 1820, the George Compton House maintains an original exterior wall and window inside the present day kitchen which was floated down the river from Port Elizabeth in 1830.
The Seth Bowen House was built before 1860 as a two-and-a-half story house, two rooms up and two rooms down, with full attic and full stone-walled cellar. The house was expanded before 1873.
Bowen Cottage was built in 1835 and is a variation on a stack house. The house originally had four rooms.
Public Buildings - Mauricetown United Methodist Church,
Post Office
Central to life in Mauricetown were the Methodist Church and the Post Office. The Church was built in 1880, with a 101 foot spire that was a landmark for the sea captains who called Mauricetown home, and today it is still a welcome sign to those who approach Mauricetown by land or by sea. In 2022, the time- and weather-ravaged steeple was replaced by a new one identical to the old. A beautiful stained glass window was dedicated in 1921 as a permanent memorial to the twenty-two captains and mates from Mauricetown who were lost at sea. On the night of the tour, the Millville Women’s Club Chorus will present a Christmas concert at the church.
The George Fagan House Store and Post Office was built in 1862 to serve as the town’s post office and general store. The old pigeon hole mailboxes and old photographs are on display as the building continues to serve as the town’s post office still today. In Mauricetown, mail delivery is delivery to your Post Office box, so Mauricetown residents pick up their mail daily at the Post Office and catch up on the news while they are there. Stop by for a presentation by Peter and Mary-Ann Manzelmann about the work of the North American Bluebird Society in our area in establishing a bluebird trail, securing corporate sponsorship, and the participation of residents in the endeavor to protect and grow the bluebird population.
It all starts here!
The Fire House at 9544 Noble Street is where it all begins. From 3:00 until 6:00, the Fire Company and the Loyalty Circle of the Church will offer homemade soup, sandwiches, and desserts beginning for $15.00. Beginning at 5:00, prepaid tickets can be picked up and tickets can be purchased for a $20.00 donation. A large parking lot across the street from the Fire House provides convenient parking. While this tour is easily walkable for most people, there will nevertheless be a handicapped accessible bus running a loop through town all evening so tourists can jump on and off as they wish. This tour will be held rain, snow, or shine. We look forward to seeing you and welcoming you into our homes and our town.
