Hi, Millie again! In this adventure in the historic Museum at Buccleuch Mansion I want to share with you some my adventures at the house.

Do you see me in the interesting stove? The family would load coal into it and light it to stay warm. I would NEVER have been able to hide in it back then! Now I like to hide and peak out at all the visitors when they leave the door open. Maybe I will see you there!

I am so excited to share with you that the new Museum at Buccleuch is open to the
public, and the DAR ladies have been conducting tours since April! The first and second floors are set up and ready for visitors! I am hoping that YOU will plan to visit soon!

When you come to visit, be sure to look for me. I will be in residence and watching all
of the goings on to report back in my future notes here!

I heard the ladies talking about hosting school tours - especially after the students have studied all about the American Revolution in the spring. I do hope that means that I will be able to meet some of the area children. I love to watch them in my historic home and see their excitement at discovering the many Colonial items we have on display.

When you come to visit, be sure to look for the cannonball display and the Civil War
drums! There are lots of interesting things to look at in the Museum. When the
Battle of Bound Brook took place on April 13, 1777, and British soldiers were staying in
the mansion, I was so scared to hear the cannons firing in the distance. I tried to stay away from the men, and they would try to capture me! But I was too quick and always got away!

​Until next time! 

Hi! Millie again!

I have been looking out the windows and thought you may like to take a look at what I can see from the historic Museum at Buccleuch Mansion.

The front of the house faces George Street and the Raritan River. I see many cars, trucks and busses on the busy streets of New Brunswick. When the house was built (over 275 years ago!), the front door faced the river and opened out to a
carriage drive where guests would pull up and come into the house to visit. No one but the family used the back door!

In the Victorian Parlor I can also see out the front of the house and to the side yard
where there are many trees and part of the carriage drive. The Colonial Parlor looks
toward the west and I see where the barns, carriage house and other small buildings of the main house used to stand. The Carriage House is where the family’s carriage was stored, and the horses were stabled when they weren’t pulling the carriage.

Out the back windows of the house, I see beautiful gardens with many colorful flowers. The gardeners from the Buccleuch Parks Department keep the gardens planted, weeded and trimmed for all our guests to visit, just as they were back when the house was new. 

Today, I see many busses going up and down the streets, that have a large red “R” on
the side – the DAR ladies have talked about the "university" and "Rutgers," so I think they may be the same. Rutgers University buildings, classrooms and activities
are a big part of the city where I live. I see many students walking through the park, and many running – I don’t know why they run, seems like life is very fast paced these days!

Not like when the first family lived here, when they would stroll through the grounds of Buccleuch Park!

Come visit me soon and see all the sights I pointed out through the beautiful windows!

Hi! Millie here, and I wanted to introduce you to my ladies of the DAR and give you a little background on who they are and all they do in our local community.

The Jersey Blue Chapter, named to honor the New Jersey troops of the colonial period, was organized in New Brunswick, New Jersey, with 13 members on February 14, 1894. The name ‘Jersey Blue’ was used to honor the New Jersey units that had uniforms in a blue color with tan trim. They were called 'Jersey Blues' during the war.

The chapter has faithfully worked to meet the objectives (or goals, as I say) as set by the National Society: to serve God, Home, and Country, through historical, educational, and patriotic endeavors. During its early years, the Jersey Blue Daughters participated in the restoration of the Wallace House in Somerville, the Old Barracks in Trenton, the Memorial to Lafayette in France, and the restoration of the Parish Chapel in Mt. Vernon. 

These ‘early daughters’ (who I call my Ladies) raised money and contributed it to the
DAR Hospital Corps for work during the Spanish American War. The Jersey Blue
Chapter then went on to organize the Visiting Nurse Association in New Brunswick in
1907.

They have been involved in working in many community organizations since 1894 and
the work continues. Since 1914, the chapter has been custodians (custodians means that they ‘manage’ the operations of Buccleuch Mansion), built circa 1735-39* (circa means about or around). The house was the home of Washington's Aide-de-Camp (assistant) Anthony Walton White. The Mansion was later occupied by the British during the Revolutionary War and was taken over by the Americans after the Revolution. 

*Since there were no local government records kept at the time the house was built, and my family has been here so long I don't remember the exact year (it was a very long time ago!) we have been unable to verify through tax records or other government documents when the house was actually built. Hope you find the background of the mansion (and my home) as interesting as I do!

Hi – Millie again! Thanks for coming back and continuing with me on my adventures in the historic Museum at Buccleuch Mansion.

The office on the third floor is where the ladies will do their work of the DAR Chapter and the Museum. I heard the ladies discussing that due to the stairs and fire regulations, visitors will not be allowed to tour the third floor. At least guests coming in will not get too tired out climbing the stairs! AND since I live in the house, I know that the stairs can be very tiring to go up and down. I try to do only one flight of stairs a day, sometimes it takes me three days to get downstairs from the top floor! 

While scampering around on the third floor one night, I noticed that things are moving along in all the rooms of the mansion. I am sure I will continue see many new and interesting things coming now that the the new Museum at Buccleuch has opened.  

A large desk was moved up the stairs to the new office, along with file cabinets and worktables for spreading out research papers and exhibit items.  They are excited to have work space in the office to sort and organize all of the papers gathered since the Jersey Blue Chapter started (way back in 1894)!  

Many of the papers are clippings from newspapers, and I learned from the ladies that newsprint degrades over time so they are planning to digitize many of these pieces to preserve them for further research. I saw new machines, supplies and file cabinets arriving and being moved upstairs. The ladies sure are busy getting everything into the right place and organized. They are excited to get the office set up and have a spot to do their “DAR work” – I am not sure what that means, but I will be reporting back to you soon, as I learn more about it.

Hi – Millie again, thanks for coming back to continue with me on my adventures in the historic Museum at Buccleuch Mansion.

I have been away visiting cousins ‘in the country’ and have recently returned. I was able to get a photo when one of my DAR ladies was arriving at the mansion for more workdays. This photo is me returning from my trip. I hope my cousin will visit soon and you can then meet her too!

Work continues weekly at the Museum house. The ladies have both the first and second floors of the house set-up and ready for visitors. I do enjoy listening to them discuss where to place the furniture and all of the paintings and rugs. The house will soon look like the home I remember, but certainly better! I can’t wait to meet more  ‘visitors,’ or as I like to call them, “company." Tours have been going since late March 2019. Many have never visited the house before and are impressed with everything they see.  Everyone loves to see the markings left by the British troops from the time of the American Revolution.

The DAR ladies lead tours and point out all of the repairs and upgrades that happened during the recent restoration work at the building.  They also discuss the families who lived in the house and a bit on information on the furniture and furnishings. I also heard the ladies pointing to boxes of things and taking ‘pictures.’ I hope to have my ‘picture’ taken again soon and share it with you! Have to scamper for now – they are coming in to do a ‘good cleaning’ before more visitors arrive.  

I guess the house was ‘sagging’ a bit at the seams and looking a bit sad and faded after almost 300 years, and now it stands straight and proud overlooking the Raritan River, just as it did when George Washington visited here in the 1700s. I remember seeing him sitting in an arm chair and enjoying refreshments. I do miss the crumbs that would fall when they served cake and cookies. I heard the DAR ladies talking about a meeting ‘at the Mansion soon’ and I am hoping for some goodies then! I am off to survey more of the changes and update and will report back to you soon.  Until next time!