Stafford Historical Society

06/24/2026

We can’t wait to see everyone this evening!

We are very excited to announce our June meeting. Stafford Historical Society will be celebrating America’s 250th with a very special evening concert in the historic Old Baptist Church & Cultural Center with The Navesink Brass on Wednesday June 24 at 7 pm!

Our special program will feature “250 Years of American Music and Culture”. It begins with an arrangement of Revolutionary War tunes. We will spotlight American culture through the centuries including Jazz, popular, Broadway, television, and cinema. The concert ends with audience participation during a salute to the armed forces.
Light refreshments will be served and entry is limited to the first 100 guests.

While this special celebration is free, we are requesting donations to the historical society so that we may continue our mission of preserving Stafford’s centuries of historical significance and our museums.

06/18/2026

We are very excited to announce our June meeting. Stafford Historical Society will be celebrating America’s 250th with a very special evening concert in the historic Old Baptist Church & Cultural Center with The Navesink Brass on Wednesday June 24 at 7 pm!

Our special program will feature “250 Years of American Music and Culture”. It begins with an arrangement of Revolutionary War tunes. We will spotlight American culture through the centuries including Jazz, popular, Broadway, television, and cinema. The concert ends with audience participation during a salute to the armed forces.
Light refreshments will be served and entry is limited to the first 100 guests.

While this special celebration is free, we are requesting donations to the historical society so that we may continue our mission of preserving Stafford’s centuries of historical significance and our museums.

06/08/2026

Beautiful colorization of the original Manahawkin School House!

"School House Post Card" Manahawkin, New Jersey - circa 1910

The old Manahawkin School House at the intersection of Beach Avenue & Center Street, a wood-framed building and well-known local landmark for many years, was the fourth public school in the town.

According to locals who attended the school, each floor had four classrooms that were heated with coal stoves. Many remember it not having indoor plumbing and recall an out-house.

In the 1950s a more "modern" school, The Oxycocus Elementary School was built on Route 9, and became the public primary school for more than a couple of generations of Stafford kids.

The quaint old School House on Beach Ave was converted into a warehouse for a local furniture and bedding company until it was destroyed by fire. While the fire department fought the blaze, neighbors of the old school were said to be soaking their homes with hoses because of the danger of airborne ash through the small, dense, historic neighborhood.

The site today is a small park.

06/03/2026

The forecast looks perfect for a parade, it's not too late to enter and the parade will kick off Founders Day and Stafford's 250 celebration in style!

Print the application from the post and email to Krista Waters, [email protected] today!

https://www.staffordnj.gov/428/Founders-Day

06/02/2026

Summer Concert sponsorships are still available!

The Stafford Historical Society, in partnership with Stafford Recreation, is thrilled to announce our new and exciting lineup for the 2026 Summer Concert Series at Lake Manahawkin pavilion.

This year our nation turns 250 years old and we’ll be celebrating all year long, especially this summer! We invite you to stake your claim in the Stafford Township history books and be a part of the celebration by sponsoring the nearly 30-year tradition of summer concerts in the park.

These concerts have become a summer mainstay on Monday nights for the gathering of friends, family and neighbors. They show residents and visitors alike why for centuries our town has been such a special place for generations to call home. The local businesses of Stafford Township are the foundation of our community and we want you to be a part of this very special year. It’s sure to be one to remember!

For a Stafford Township Business, the Summer Concert Series is a great way to bring our town together and a terrific opportunity to make your business or organization visible throughout the summer. This can be done by becoming a sponsor. We ask for your help to continue to grow our Summer Concert Series and its traditions for the entire community.

https://www.staffordnj.gov/430/Summer-Concert-Series

05/29/2026

On Thursday May 28 board members of the Stafford Historical Society presented our 2026 scholarship recipients with their awards.

This was the society’s 34th year participating in this amazing community event. We are always proud to be part of this wonderful program. Over $960,000 in scholarships were awarded last evening!

We congratulate our recipients of the Edna Hazelton Memorial Scholarship in Honor of Doris F. Cranmer, Cooper Adams and Hadley Marti.

Miss Stafford Brooke Borusovic and Francis DeSena received the Stafford Township Historical Society Town Crier Scholarship in Memory of Steve Brescia and His Legacy of Civic Service.

We look forward to hearing about all the wonderful things our recipients and the entire class of 2026 is going to contribute to the world in the future.

Finally, a heartfelt thank you to all of our members, donors, and participants in our fundraising events that make this scholarship possible! A huge shoutout to the staff of the Southern Regional School District whose dedication all year long make this program the success that it is.

05/18/2026

Just a reminder, our park cleanup is this Wednesday evening, May 20 at 6:30 pm at Heritage Park (by the Train Station).

Join us as we participate in the NJ Clean Communities Program and give our park a little spruce up for the season. If you cannot be there right away, please join us when your schedule allows that evening.

Trash bags and pickers will be provided. Dress for the weather, as we will be outside. Please bring any yard cleaning tools, including leaf blowers/vacuums if you have them!

The Stafford Historical Society will receive a grant from the New Jersey Clean Communities program following the cleanup that will help us maintain our beautiful properties.

We look forward to seeing you on Wednesday May 20!

04/28/2026

PARK CLEANUP RESCHEDULED

Update: Due to the forecasted rain and storms for Wednesday evening, we will be moving our park cleanup to Wednesday May 20 at 6:30 pm at Heritage Park (by the Train Station).

Join us as we participate in the NJ Clean Communities Program and give our park a little spruce up for the season. If you cannot be there right away, please join us when your schedule allows that evening.

Trash bags will be provided. Dress for the weather, as we will be outside. Please bring any yard cleaning tools, including leaf blowers/vacuums if you have them!
The Stafford Historical Society will receive a grant from the New Jersey Clean Communities program following the cleanup that will help us maintain our beautiful properties.

We look forward to seeing you on Wednesday May 20!

We are very excited to announce our June meeting. Stafford Historical Society will be celebrating America’s 250th with a very special evening concert in the historic Old Baptist Church & Cultural Center with The Navesink Brass on Wednesday June 24 at 7 pm!

Our special program will feature “250 Years of American Music and Culture”. It begins with an arrangement of Revolutionary War tunes. We will spotlight American culture through the centuries including Jazz, popular, Broadway, television, and cinema. The concert ends with audience participation during a salute to the armed forces.

Light refreshments will be served and entry is limited to the first 100 guests.

While this special celebration is free, we are requesting donations to the historical society so that we may continue our mission of preserving Stafford’s centuries of historical significance and our museums.

04/23/2026

It's time for our annual Spring cleaning!

Join us for our April monthly meeting as we participate in the NJ Clean Communities Program and give our park a little spruce up for the season.

We will meet on Wednesday, April 29 at Heritage Park (by the Train Station) beginning at 6:30 pm.

If you cannot be there right away, please join us when your schedule allows that evening.

Trash bags will be provided. Dress for the weather, as we will be outside. Please bring any yard cleaning tools, including leaf blowers/vacuums if you have them!

The Stafford Historical Society will receive a grant from the New Jersey Clean Communities program following the clean up that will help us maintain our beautiful properties.

We look forward to seeing you on Wednesday April 29!