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Community Corner

Wanted: Snapshots of Millstone's History

Historic Commission seeks historic postcards, views to display in Borough Hall "gallery."

With the restoration of the Millstone Borough Hall in its final stages, the Millstone Historic District Commission is asking for help in creating a gallery of historic images within the building.

Tarantino Architect of Millstone River Road will curate the permanent exhibit and will scan, enlarge and frame historic postcards or photographs.

Several photos were discovered behind storage during the first stages of the building’s rehabilitation, which has been funded by grants from the Somerset County Cultural and Heritage Commission. The work included repainting and removing the acoustic ceiling and exposing a tin ceiling from the Victorian period.

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“The pictures were in very poor condition,” recalled Lawrence Tarantino. “We found that they were actually postcards that had been further enlarged and framed. Today, we can easily digitally make much better copies.”

Portia Orton, Historic Commission chairperson, said, “It’s exciting. They document the history of that period. They took pictures of just about everything – things that we wouldn’t have known about. It’s part of our history and part of our heritage. It helps us understand history a little more and makes history real to us.”

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Once scanned and enlarged, the images will be matted and framed in a consistent style and color palette and hung via a picture-hanging system that has been incorporated into the Borough Hall restoration, which will also include some old schoolhouse desks positioned like a vignette in one corner.

Millstone native Alison Whitman of Tarantino Architects said the photo collection currently includes such pictures as the original blacksmith’s shop, the boardwalk along the river and the old schoolhouse.

“We know there are a lot of postcards out there. We know people collect them,” she said, as an online search revealed.

“We are sure there are many, many more postcards and photos out there,” Orton acknowledged, adding that the commission is asking anyone with old postcards or photos of Millstone to contact her or Tarantino so they can be included in the exhibit; original photos will be returned to the owners.

Anyone with historic photos of Millstone is asked to contact Tarantino at architect@tarantinostudio.com or 908-359-2443 or Orton at 908-874-5478.

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