Following, are online walking tours of significant places in Westfield; and videos of various events held by the Westfield Historical Society presented here for your education and enjoyment. Stop back often as more are added.
African American History Tour of Westfield
Westfield Downtown Walking Tour
Created in partnership between the Westfield Historical Society and the Downtown Westfield Corporation, this walking tour highlights the many historic buildings and features of the Westfield downtown district.
MICHAEL ROSIN VIDEO PRESENTATION
ON "THE HISTORY OF MUSIC IN THE UNITED STATES, ITS EFFECT ON THE POPULACE DURING DIFFERENT TIMES AND HOW IT RELATES TO THE MUSIC OF EUROPE (THE OLD COUNTRY)”:
Michael Rosin was scheduled to present this talk at the Reeve House, in April of 2020, but it was cancelled due to the pandemic situation. He has graciously agreed to film his presentation and make it available to our members. Michael Rosin is a music historian, writer, educator and professional keyboardist. He is active as a music scholar, writing and producing content for WQXR, New York's Classical Music radio station, and the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. He has written music and scholarly articles for ensembles & organizations around the US and Europe, and has served as music director, producer & consultant for concerts & recitals. Holding two degrees in Music Composition and Theory, Rosin has given talks on music in the US and UK, and has performed recitals on piano, harpsichord and organ. He is the Music Historian at the New Jersey Festival Orchestra, and provides pre-concert lectures and program notes for their concerts. Rosin has also been published in national and local music journals, and continues to research and deliver music presentations to schools local arts events. He maintains an active private studio of piano, flute, and music theory students, tutoring all ages in musicianship.
As part of the The Westfield Historical Society’s First Wednesday Luncheon series, Dr. Jonathan Mercantini, Acting Dean, College of Liberal Arts and Associate Professor of the Department of History at Kean University, spoke on the topic Washington’s Crossing for the 21st Century on December 5, 2018 at the Echo Lake Country Club.
Dr. Mercantini presented a re-telling of Washington’s Crossing for the 21st Century. Considering that triumph as an origin story will enable the audience to better understand the legacies of New Jersey’s history and prompt a discussion on how that history can better inform the present and influence the future.
New Jersey was the ‘Crossroads of the American Revolution’; the site of more fighting than any other state, including the war’s most important victory: Washington Crossing the Delaware and the ensuing Battle of Trenton. While justly celebrated, this seminal event in the history of the state and the nation has entered the realm of mythology. As a result, much of the received wisdom about that battle and its meanings is wrong. In particular, it is important to note that New Jersey was divided along many fault lines in 1776. New Jersey’s residents were both patriots and tories while many, perhaps a majority, sought to remain neutral and stay out of the fray. Today, as its residents confront new but no less serious challenges, it is both appropriate and crucial to use the state’s vibrant history to help shape our shared future.
As Acting Dean, College of Liberal Arts and Associate Professor in Kean University’s Department of History, Jonathan Mercantini has taught there since 2007. He teaches a wide variety of courses: Colonial and Revolutionary America, The New Nation, Pirates in the Atlantic World, New Jersey History, and the Civil War and Reconstruction to name just a few. Prior to his appointment at Kean he taught at the University of Miami and Canisius College. He has also taught at Princeton University. He earned his Ph. D. in American History from Emory University.
