The Foreman's Cottage

"Where History Was Forged"

HISTORIC BUILDING HOURS:

January, February & March
Closed except for Historic Events and
Re-enactments

Memorial Day thru Labor Day
Wednesday thru Friday 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Weekends
10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

May and Labor Day thru Mid-December
Every weekend
10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

GENERAL STORE GIFT SHOP HOURS:

January & February
Closed except for Historic Events and
Re-enactments

May 1st to Labor Day
Wednesday – Friday
10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Weekends
10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Labor Day to October 31
Wednesday
10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Weekends
10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

March, April & November thru Mid-December
Wednesday
10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Weekends
10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

*Call for additional weekday openings in April, Sept., Oct., & Nov.

BAKERY HOURS:

January & February
Closed except for Historic Events and
Re-enactments

March, April, May and Labor Day thru Mid-December
Weekends
10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Memorial Day thru Labor Day
Wednesday - Sunday
10 a.m. – 4 p.m

DISCOUNTS

With membership card – 10% off at General Store EXCEPT food.
Free member admission to Historic Buildings on weekends when a fee is charged.

FEES

Historic Buildings

May thru end of November, Saturday and Sunday only. Admission charge of $3.00 per adult, $2.00 per child 6-12 years of age, 5 years and under – no charge. Special discounts apply to seniors and disabled visitors with appropriate New Jersey State Park passes.All Allaire Village, Inc. members will be admitted to the Historic Village free of charge. Admission is free to all events except as noted.

ALLAIRE STATE PARK

Memorial Day
through
Labor Day Weekends
$5.00 per car

You Are Visitor

The Foreman's Cottage

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The Historic Homes | The Historic Buildings | The Retail Shops

The Foremans Cottage | The Row Homes | The Manager's House | The Gardener's Cottage | The Allaire Mansion

The Foreman's Cottage is the oldest brick building in the Historic Village at Allaire, constructed in 1827 specifically as a residence for the Company Foreman. The one and an half story home has a second floor sleeping and storage area with its own hearth as well as a cooking hearth on the first floor living area and an internal chimney. The foreman's cottage is uniquely situated, originally having a clear view of the blast furnace and casting shed. The Company Foreman was able to look out the Cottage's front doors or windows and, judging by the color of the smoke rising from the furnace cupola's be able to determine the quality of a blast. Yellow smoke would indicate too much sulfur or charcoal in the blast, a white smoke meant too much calcium or flux, a black smoke indicated too much carbon which could be a result of too much iron ore or charcoal. Visitors to the Foreman's Cottage now visit the building's back door passing by a 19th century medicinal herb garden.

In 1836 the Foreman's Cottage was occupied by Jacob Johnson and his wife Sarah Jane Miller. The Johnsons were area residents, both children of farming families and, as foreman, Johnson and his wife would have lived an upper middle class lifestyle during their residence at the Howell Works. The Johnsons had no children while living at the Howell Works, but it is believed that Johnson's sister Emeline frequently stayed with the couple while she courted molder John Roach, according to Hal Allaire's papers. Roach went on to become known as the Father of American Shipbuilding, holding over 100 patents and producing the majority of US Naval vessels between the years 1868 and 1886.