Join us for seasonal festivities at

the Abraham Staats House and Hendrick Fisher House

It's a great way to enjoy the winter holidays with activities at two historic locations.

Tom Harabin playing the mountain dulcimer

The Abraham Staats House

The Abraham Staats House will be decked out in festive finery for Holiday at the Abraham Staats House! This historic house, c. 1740, was owned by the Staats family for nearly two centuries and is now owned and maintained by the Borough of South Bound Brook, with support and grant funding provided by the state and Somerset County, as well as other supporters. In recognition of its historic importance, the house is now on the state and federal historic registries. Its rooms will be festively decorated by members of South Bound Brook community organizations in celebration of the holiday season. Stroll through the many rooms, learn about the history of the home, and get in the holiday spirit as you enjoy the different displays and exhibits , as well as the Christmas music of the 18th century played on the dulcimer by Tom Harabin. The house will be open to the public Sat., Dec. 12 and Sun., Dec. 13 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

As a special holiday treat, musicians from Robert Morris School in South Bound Brook will play for us at 12 p.m. on Saturday and an ensemble from Bound Brook High School will play and sing for us at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday.

Admission is free, donations are accepted. The Abraham Staats House is located at 17 Von Steuben Lane, South Bound Brook. (From Route 287 N or S: Use Exit 10 to South Bound Brook. Von Steuben Lane is located off Route 527/Easton Ave. Look for the Abraham Staats House sign.) For information call Tom at 732-469-3198. www.staatshouse.org

photos by Jody Gibian-Miles

The Hendrick Fisher House

The landmark Hendrick Fisher House will also be open to visitors both days, Saturday, Dec. 12th and Sunday, Dec. 13th from 11:00 am to 4 pm. This beautiful home, located on the grounds of the St. Andrews Center of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the U.S.A., provides the setting for "The Sights and Sounds of Christmas 2009," a Nativity Holiday visit featuring soft seasonal music, village scenes, decorated evergreen trees, handmade decorations, one-of-a-kind wreaths and more to delight young and old. The Hendrick Fisher Homestead, ca. 1688, was the home of Hendrick Fisher, close neighbor of Abraham Staats. The driveway entrance for parking (in the St. Andrew Church lot) is located at 1960 Easton Ave., Somerset, NJ, about 1/4 mile south from the Abraham Staats House. For more information about this event, call 732-356-0090 and ask for Shirley or Emil Skocypec or e-mail seskonj@aol.com.

http://www.uocofusa.org/fisher_house.html.

photos by Jody Gibian-Miles