Revealing Honey Hollow, A Mysterious Locale

Hopewell Valley, NJ — May 22, 2019 — If you have ever hiked around Baldpate Mountain in Hopewell, NJ, you may have encountered evidence of settlement, such as an old chimney or long stone hedgerow walls. Perhaps you have heard stories of people living in the area of the mountain known as Honey Hollow. If you have ever wondered how these physical features came to exist and who the people that created them were, you will want to attend Dr. Richard Hunter’s presentation concerning the County of Mercer’s year-long program of research into this unique area. “Honey Hollow Myth and Substance: A History of Settlement and Land Use” will reveal the true nature and location of the mysterious and much vaunted Hopewell locale known as Honey Hollow. “The richness of Mercer County’s history cannot be overstated,” said Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes, “and it’s truly exciting to discover the heritage of this settlement and its people. Our ultimate goal is to share the stories of these early settlers and how they helped shape this great county.”

This free program, sponsored by the Pennington Public Library, Hopewell Museum, and Hopewell Valley Historical Society, will take place in the Kenneth Kai Tai Yen Humanities Building at The Pennington School at 3:00 PM, on Sunday, June 9, 2019. Dr. Hunter will share how his firm, Hunter Research, utilized detailed analysis of archival records and extensive examination of Baldpate Mountain’s densely wooded landscape to pin down precisely where Honey Hollow was situated, as well as who lived there and when. In this talk, Dr. Hunter will identify the seeds of truth to be found within the colorful accounts of Honey Hollow written by New Jersey folklorist Henry Charlton Beck in the 1930s. The presentation is based upon a program of historical research and landscape analysis conducted by Hunter Research for Mercer County’s Planning Division and Park Commission. Reserve your space at: https://honeyhollow.eventbrite.com.

Richard Hunter has been a Hopewell Township resident for more than 30 years. For much of that time, he lived just a stone’s throw from Honey Hollow without even knowing it. Dr. Hunter is President of Hunter Research, Inc., a Trenton-based historic preservation consulting firm founded in 1986.  The company provides historical, archaeological, and historic architectural services to a wide range of public, private, and non-profit clients throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States.  Dr. Hunter holds a Ph.D. in historical geography from Rutgers University, an M.A. in archaeological science from Bradford University, UK, and a B.A. in archaeology and geography from Birmingham University, UK.  He currently serves as a Mercer County Cultural & Heritage Commissioner, a trustee of the Hopewell Valley Historical Society, and a board member of the Trenton Downtown Association.  He is a past President of Preservation New Jersey and a former member of the New Jersey Historic Sites Review Board.  With Richard Porter, he co-authored the award-winning book Hopewell:  A Historical Geography, originally published in 1990 and updated in a third printing in 2002.  Dr. Hunter has also authored numerous articles on topics of New Jersey history and archaeology, and he lectures frequently throughout the region.

Learn more about Honey Hollow and its place in Hopewell Valley history at this free event, sponsored by the Hopewell Valley Historical Society, Hopewell Museum, and the Pennington Public Library, on Sunday, June 9, 2019, at 3:00 PM, at The Pennington School in the Kenneth Kai Tai Yen Humanities Building. The Pennington School is located off of West Delaware Avenue in Pennington. Parking is available in the lot behind the Meckler Library. Directions to and maps of the Pennington School: www.pennington.org/about-us/directions-and-maps. Reservations for this event can be made at: https://honeyhollow.eventbrite.com.

Photo:

“Honey Hollow Myth and Substance: A History of Settlement and Land Use.”

County of Mercer and Hunter Research, Inc. 

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