Sussex County Historical Society

First Visited 2024
My first observation at the Sussex County Historical Society’s museum was the helpful and knowledgeable museum guide who led me around the building. The Society’s museum, library, and archives are centrally located in Newton, New Jersey, making them easily accessible to the local community. They are all housed within one historic structure, a specially constructed Georgian mansion-type structure, the Hill Memorial Building. The rooms and lobby are not very large but accomplish their purposes. The lobby has information pamphlets and posters about future events, such as preservation projects at the Newton Academy, a building undergoing significant repairs, and the ongoing maintenance of the old cemetery in Newton. The room to the left serves as a library and research area following one of the primary missions of the Sussex County Historical Society, which is to preserve and research historical records and artifacts from Sussex County, primarily genealogical and historical papers. During the visit, the room was full of people researching documents.
We next visited the other large room containing cultural objects that told a community’s story. This room included objects from an entire community, including local veterans, those who worked in the mining, farming, and other industries in the county, and those who attended the local schools. I sensed that this vast collection of objects is essential to tell the community's story and provide a visual history of Sussex County. Also included was a wide assortment of local memorabilia, such as high school photos and those of the local downtown and buildings. Importantly, showing us how they changed throughout the years. The living room has a famous fireplace that contains locally quarried stones from the numerous mines in the area. The museum guide and I then returned to the lobby, where a grand, solid wooden staircase reminded visitors that they were in a historic building with deep ties to the community.
This staircase leads to the second floor, where they will be amazed to find a mastodon skeleton discovered in Sussex County. This fossil adds an extra differentiating element to this museum. Additionally, a small collection of Indigenous artifacts and rock specimens enhances the overall enjoyment of the visit. Anyone interested in paleontology, geology, and Indigenous culture will be pleasantly surprised by the diverse range of objects within this small micro museum, which also includes comprehensive genealogical and historical records from Sussex County.
I found all of these aspects interesting, but more importantly, people can meet their neighbors in a pleasant and engaging environment. This often-overlooked benefit of a museum holds great significance for me. While I appreciated the Indigenous collection, rocks, and fossils, the opportunity to connect and build relationships within the community was even more critical. Sharing ideas and learning about historic preservation projects, such as the Newton Academy, allows me and other visitors to engage with our community, meet our neighbors, and discover our shared history.

I'm biased because I volunteer here, but it is a vitally important resource for preserving the rich local history of Sussex County. Run by some amazingly dedicated volunteers, it is definitely worth a stop if you're ever in the area on a Friday. And if you're researching family members from the area, the SCHS should definitely be your first stop

My step dad works here and we visit him, nice historical place

Great museum. Lone of a kind artifacts and a wonderful guide. A must see!!!

This is a wonderful historical society! My husband and I traveled from Utah to New Jersey and Pennsylvania to research his German ancestor in early Sussex County. Every single one of the volunteers at the Sussex County Historical Society helped us research, whether locating books, helping us make copies, tracking down things on a database for us, or just sharing their knowledge about early Sussex County. Thanks to everyone who helped us with our research on Friday, May 20th!!