Local History

Vincent Dicks, author, photographer, researcher

Explore the life of Robert Field Stockton, a naval leader, innovator, and political figure whose legacy reflects the contradictions of early America. A champion of expansion and progress, he also embodied the tensions of a nation shaped by competing ideals. His story offers a compelling lens through which to examine ambition, power, and identity in a rapidly evolving United States.

Thursday, Monday, July 27, 10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
XHUMN 382, $49

Dan Radel, history instructor, journalist

Discover Red Bank’s history on this walking tour of the vibrant downtown nestled against the banks of the Navesink River. Tour will include the Red Bank railroad station, one of the last remaining examples of the Stick Style station houses built by the New York and Long Branch Railroad in the1870s. Stop by the Count Basie Theater, opened on November 11, 1926 as a vaudeville theater and cinema and named after Jazz legend and Red Bank native William James “Count” Basie. See the Lollipop Clock, built by a Swiss clock inspector and jeweler in 1902, and the Second Empire style architecture of the Dublin House. Wear comfortable walking shoes and be prepared to walk at least two miles.

Friday, August 7, 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
XHUMN 383, $39

Meeting place in front of The Dublin House: 30 Monmouth Street, Red Bank. Rain Date Friday, August 14. Please note: no refund will be given if rain date is used.

Michael C. Gabriele, author

Step into the lively world of colonial taverns, where politics, debate, and daily life intersected. Often called the “Crossroads of the Revolution,” New Jersey’s taverns served as meeting places, military headquarters, and centers of revolutionary thought. Discover how these spaces brought together Patriots and Loyalists and helped shape the ideas that fueled independence.

Tuesday, September 22, 10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
XHUMN 384, $49