Historic Village at Allaire

ABOUT

Founded in 1957, the Historic Village at Allaire is New Jersey’s premiere living history museum. The nonprofit village personifies the 19th century industrial community that was once Howell Iron Works. The village includes 13 original structures built between 1750 and 1835, 40 acres of land and more than 20,000 historic objects.

The Historic Village at Allaire is responsible for the development, restoration, preservation, interpretation and operation of the buildings and property.
In addition to the American flags, the Historic Village at Allaire proudly preserves four centuries of art, antiques and furnishings, archaeological items, Native American objects and primary documents relating to the founding families of Monmouth County.

Highly skilled volunteers, in period-appropriate clothing, conduct authentic demonstrations that include basket weaving, blacksmithing, carpentry, cider pressing, hearth cooking, leatherworking, tin smithing and much more.

The Mission of the Allaire Village Corporation is to strive to energize current and future generations in their understanding of the site’s history through immersive educational and recreational experiences in a way that makes it accessible to all members of the community.

HISTORY

The Historic Village at Allaire was once an iron-producing, factory-town known as the Howell Iron Works, Co. The Village was a self-sufficient community containing a carpentry and pattern making shop, a blacksmith shop, a bakery, a boarding house, a blast furnace, mills to finish iron products, a school, a church, a general store with a post office, and workers’ home.

Iron produced at the village was shipped to New York City by wagon and steamship. It was used to produce steam engine parts in a factory also owned by our proprietor, James P. Allaire. The Howell Iron Works, as a community, speaks to the experiences of the economic and social changes of those who experienced early Industrial America.

The historic village and surrounding property was gifted to the State of New Jersey by Phoebe Brisbane in 1940 as a memorial to her late husband, famed Hearst newspaper editor Arthur Brisbane. Nearly 20 years would pass before the village opened to the public. Today visitors can experience history directly through hands-on activities.

GRANT PROJECT

The Americana Corner Preserving America Grant awarded to the Historic Village at Allaire helped to restore and preserve their Star and Eagle flag, one of the village’s oldest and most cherished artifacts.  The flag, authenticated by the Smithsonian Institution, dates to the 1850s and was created in the style of an Indian Peace Flag.

Americana Corner is proud to assist Allaire Village with its mission to preserve the Great American Story and to help our fellow citizens grow their love of country.