History of the Rockaway Borough Free Public Library
The History...
The building was built in the early 1800's by
Colonel Joseph Jackson, Iron King of Morris County, for his son,
Stephen Joseph Jackson and his wife, Mary Ann Gleason Jackson.
Stephen and Mary Ann's daughter, Caroline Amelia, was married in
the house. Caroline's cousin, Edmund Drake Halsey, served in the
Civil War. The Library is honored to house the Halsey Collection
of Civil War letters. Dr. and Mrs. George H. Foster purchased the
house in 1885 from Colonel Jackson's granddaughter, Mary. The
doctor's office was on the ground floor in the right hand wing.
In 1939, the late Mrs. Marie Alice Foster, widow of Dr. Foster,
willed their three-storey residence to the Borough to be
used as a library and museum, now known as the "Foster
Memorial Library." In 1975, the building was designated a
National Historic Site.Today, the Library and Museum blends the
latest library technology with the charm, grace, and beauty of
the past.
The
Architecture...
The exterior of the building has the original
clapboard, a slate roof, and brick chimneys. There are numerous
double-hung 6-over-6 windows, many of which have the original
hand-blown glass panes. The lower level features a brick
fireplace with a beehive oven. On the main level, note the
simple, yet graceful, hand-carved mantle over the fireplace, as
well as the delicately carved dentils and moldings around the
windows and ceiling. This simplicity in ornamentation, use of
symmetry, and rather plain exterior, except for the front
entryway, is characteristic of the restrained Federal era style.
Additional
Resources...
Rockaway Borough: a history by Rockaway
Borough Centennial Committee, Rockaway, NJ, 1975.
Remembering Rockaway, village to borough: 100 years of memories, 1894-1994 by Pictorial Book Committee, Rockaway, NJ, 1994.
Brother Against Brother: The Lost Civil War Diary of Lt. Edmund Halsey by Bruce Chadwick, NY, NY, 1997.
Gone to Wear the Victor's Crown: Morris County, New Jersey, and the Civil War edited by David Mitros, Morris County Heritage Commission, Morristown, NJ, 1998.
Made in Morris: 18th and 19th Century Trades, Industry and Products of Morris County by Macculloch Hall Historical Museum, Morristown, NJ, 1997.
All materials are available at the Rockaway Borough Public Library.
Museum
The
Collection...
The Museum's holdings include photographs, letters,
tools, furniture, rare books, and maps of local and national
significance, as well as artifacts from local trades, merchants,
churches, and schools. Several special collections are
particularly noteworthy: The Jackson Family Collection; The
Halseys and the Civil War Era; Dr. and Mrs. Foster Collection.
Administration...
The Museum is managed by the Director of the
Library and supervised by the Library Board of Trustees. All
museum policies and procedures are established by the Board of
Trustees.
Funding...
Funding for the Museum is made possible by
individual and organizational contributions. You may support the
Museum by purchasing a Remembering
Rockaway book for $10.00, available at the library's main
circulation desk.
Museum Hours...
The Museum is open on the first Saturday of the
month from 11am-1pm, for special events, and by appointment.
Please call and ask for the Director to arrange an individual
or group tour.
Programs and
Tours...
The Museum hosts visits from individuals, as well
as local school groups, Cub Scouts, Daisies, Brownies, and
foreign exchange students. The Museum has participated in Borough
anniversary celebrations, Holiday Open Houses, and Historic House
Tours.