| State: | New Jersey |
|---|---|
| Address: | 336 Main St Box 312, Sparta, NJ 07871, USA |
| Postal code: | 07871 |
| Phone: | (973) 726-0883 |
| Website: | https://www.vankirkmuseum.org/ |
Great hidden gem.
Beautiful artifacts from Sparta and the surrounding area. Went for the quilt show.
Home is lovingly preserved.
Volunteers were warm and welcoming. They were very knowledgeable.
Located on the estate of the 3.5-acre old farm, which includes two outbuildings both dating from the 1930s—the red carriage barn and the white milk house—and a detached garage dating from the 1970s with two fenced-in community gardens from the Van Kirk family, the Van Kirk Homestead Museum opened in September 2014 and is operated by the Sparta Historical Society off Main Street in Sussex County. The museum is a beautiful colonial home that was built in 1780 on the site of their older log cabin, with a gorgeous view of the surrounding mountains. This establishment tells the story of America through local, industrious people and the influences of a growing and evolving nation on them over the past 200 years. Upon entering through the front door this afternoon, the older sections of the house contain several period rooms. A Victorian Parlor to the left features the original furniture and artifacts from the original family. A larger room on the right is for special exhibits. My partner and I came at the tail end of a lecture given by an artist who decoratively painted eggs shown inside a display case. In the middle room, one would find memorabilia of Thomas Edison on loan from Menlo Park, West Orange, the Edison Foundation, and private collectors. He had built a large concentrating plant and a railroad to the canal boats on Lake Hopatcong. Towards the back of the museum, it displayed farming equipment, desks, and other items from a one-room schoolhouse and a miniature farm.
It is open every second and fourth Sunday from 1-4 p.m. and is great for local history buffs, which we can recommend.
Very nice place to visit and discovered how Sparta was settled many years ago.Very interesting!
Excellent tour of the Thomas Edison exhibit bt one of their trustees. Jack did an incredible presentation of Thomas Edison's life, many many examples of this inventions - recorded music, motion pictures, electric light bulb, electric coffee maker and much more. A good portion of the presentation centered around Edison's work in Sussex County, mining and concrete development. Jack was pleasant and answered all our group's questions. We made reservations in advance, four people and all the safety protocols were followed. Will definitely return!
The museum is a beautiful colonial home that was built by the Van Kirk family in 1780 on the site of their older log cabin. The home adjoins the old farm that was originally worked by the family. It contains some rooms furnished as they would have been in the 1860's, with many of the original items from the Van Kirk family. The rooms included a parlor, child's bedroom, and parent's bedroom. Other rooms displayed farming equipment, desks and other items from a one-room schoolhouse, a miniature farm, and a larger room for special exhibits.
On the day we visited they had an exhibit of antiques from the Black Forest, highlighting the culture brought by German immigrants to the area. A historical lecture was provided by one of the on-site volunteers. All questions were answered expertly, even those posed by my 8-year-old grandson. He said it was the best museum he ever visited. We look forward to seeing the opening of the old basement kitchen, which is slated for May 2019.