Museum

POMPTON LAKES MUSEUM

Established 1955

In 1955, a Museum to collect and display artifacts and historical letters, maps, paintings, and pictures of Pompton Lakes was established by the Pompton Lakes Woman's Club. A long time advocate of such an undertaking, Ethel Vreeland, persuaded the president, Anita Reilly, and the members of the Club that such a step should be taken. Since then the Pompton Lakes Museum began its long service to the people of Pompton Lakes.

The Museum opened with a reception at the Library. Many articles of historical interest were on view, a large percentage donated by Annie Bartholf Moffett. Over the years, generous contributions were received and were added to the memorabilia under the care of the Museum.

Much of the "Ironworks" artifacts, such cannonballs, shot, footwarmers, bootjacks, pistols and holders, and Hessian shackles were favorite articles used to illustrate talks given about our Heritage to children in Pompton Lakes Schools. These articles, and many more were put on display in school cabinets, especially in the High School.

The displays were first shown in the Library. Later, at the invitation of Mayor John Spinnager, the Museum was moved to the foyer of the new Municipal Building.

From 1955 until the present, there has been in the cabinets donated by E. I DuPont a continuous display of Pompton Lakes historical material from the Museum collection, each article described briefly and marked with the name of the donor.

Some of the accomplishments of the Pompton Lakes Museum have been:

Collection and protection of all materials given to the Museum by Pompton Lakes residents and others.
Encapsulation of such material within two sheets of Mylar to protect and preserve each. About 1000 articles of all sizes have been encapsulated with the knowledge that all will be fully protected for posterity from the destructive elements in the atmosphere.
Research in order to answer questions of a personal historic nature
Different displays have been mounted every 6 to 8 weeks in cabinets in the Municipal Building lobby.

On loan to the Borough of Pompton Lakes are several paintings as follows:

A portrait of Hester Schuyler Colfax by Henry Inman, an early American artist.
A portrait of Anice Terhune, wife of Albert Payson Terhune.
Two paintings of the Roomes Hotel.
A nineteenth century pastoral scene.