The Historic Village at Allaire

In 1822 famed marine engine manufacturer James P. Allaire purchased a tract of land in southern Monmouth County, New Jersey as a source of raw materials for his thriving New York based business. Then called the Howell Works Company, that property is known today as The Historic Village at Allaire, a living history museum dedicated to the life and times of James Allaire and the preservation of his memory. Visitors to The Historic Village at Allaire, which is listed on both the State and National Register of Historic Places, will step back in time and experience life in a 19th Century bog iron producing community. Craftsmen in period garb; such as blacksmiths, carpenters, leatherworkers, molders and tinsmiths; demonstrate their skills for visitors while explaining how their roles affected life at The Howell Works Company and the surrounding communities. Younger visitors to the Historic Village are even afforded the opportunity to learn what life was like for the children of The Howell Works Company by becoming apprentices to the master craftsmen.

Costumed interpreters throughout the Historic Village's homes offer visitors demonstrations in various aspects of 19th Century domestic life, such as hearth cooking, spinning, quilting and sewing, laundry, gardening and even proper etiquette. The children of the village demonstrate popular games of the time as well as the chores which prepared them for later life.

Visitors can also experience, first hand, what it was like to be in a 19th Century militia unit, attend a re-enactment of an authentic 19th Century funeral and learn the mourning customs of the time or help celebrate the wedding of James Allaire's daughter Maria Haggerty Allaire. Guided tours of the Allaire Home (recommended $1.00 donation per person) will provide guests to The Village a glimpse into how an affluent family of the period lived.

The Historic Village also plays host to Holiday Candlelight Tours, Haunted Hayrides, a 19th Century All Hallows Eve celebration and a Thanksgiving Celebration complete with an authentic Church Service of the time.

The Chapel in the Historic Village at Allaire, originally known as Christ Episcopal Church, was one of the first buildings to be constructed by James P. Allaire. Allaire felt a need to provide his workers with a place to worship as well as for a village meeting hall and school. Built in two sections, the front being completed in 1832 and the rear in 1836, the building is unique in that its steeple and bell tower are located at the rear above the alter. The recycled wood used to construct the original portion of the church with its choir loft would not support the weight of the steeple or the three ton iron bell, cast at the Howell Works, forcing the steeple and tower to be placed at the rear of the building.

While no longer consecrated by the Episcopal Diocese of Trenton for holding regular Eucharist and Divine Services, the Chapel is specially sanctioned for weddings, Christenings and memorial services. Simple in its elegance, the chapel, which appears on the National Registry of Historic Places, has become one of the Jersey Shore's most popular wedding spots.

The Historic Village at Allaire is operated by Allaire Village Inc. a non profit agency dedicated to historic preservation and education. Working in a unique partnership with the State of New Jersey; Allaire Village, Inc., which relies solely on private donations to meet its operating expenses, strives to provide historically accurate interpretations of life in a 19th Century bog iron producing community through demonstrations, re-enactments and public education programs. Allaire Village, Inc. received an operating support grant in 2005 from the N.J. Historical Commission, a division of Cultural Affairs in the Department of State.

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