The Wayne Museum

The Wayne Museum The Wayne Museum consists of three unique local landmarks preserving the history of Wayne, NJ.

A Wayne Early Strip Mall? This black and white picture from 1909 shows a three story building with the signs, "John L Be...
09/06/2026

A Wayne Early Strip Mall? This black and white picture from 1909 shows a three story building with the signs, "John L Beal Real Estate and Insurance”, “The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company” “John L. Beal, Confectionary, Ice Cream Soda Real Estate. For sale and rent easy terms. Bungalows. Building Sites. Local Agent". Three men are standing in front of the building. A "sticky note" on the back reads, "Boonton Road to left at Stahl Plaza across from Erie R.R. Station. John Beal Real Estate Office. A & P Store, Sugar 10 cents lb. Flour 99 cents. Corn Flakes 6 cents box". It’s always about “Location, Location, Location” and being near the train station made Beal’s businesses very successful. This was especially true when Wayne was a popular summer tourist destination.

For additional reading:
Cacioppo, Richard K., “Wayne Lions Present: Scenic Crossroads, The History of Wayne”, “Mead’s Basin and Mountain View, The Great Junction”. Dream City Publishing Company, 1997, p. 123.

Tobin, Cathy, “Images of America, Wayne Township”. Arcadia Publishing, 2001, p. 41.

For our 250th Anniversary, we are not only wondering where George Washington stayed but where Maj. Gen. Marquis de Lafay...
09/03/2026

For our 250th Anniversary, we are not only wondering where George Washington stayed but where Maj. Gen. Marquis de Lafayette stayed. Lafayette may have stayed at the Samuel Van Saun House in Wayne.

The original Samuel Van Saun House was built in 1770. It had hand-hewn beams and fieldstone, mortared with clay and straw. The house had a natural spring which fed into the Singack Brook running behind the house. There was a milling operation on the property.

In 1780, while George Washington had headquarters at the Dey Mansion, it is believed Major General Marquis de Lafayette stayed at the Van Saun home. However, Lafayette’s stay is not documented. Since the Van Sauns had nine children, it is possible he and his men stayed on the grounds but not the house.

In the 19th Century, the home was part of the Aaron Laauwe Farm.

The first photograph taken in 1936 was part of an American buildings survey. As documented in our files, “The façade was drastically altered during Victorian times and with characteristic Victorian taste. The gambrel roof was replaced with a steeply pitched one and the dressed stone outer walls covered over with stucco.”
The second photograph taken in 1988 shows more of a Dutch restoration. From our files, “The restoration of the Van Saun House was completed by Mr. George Mitchel (in 1948) who became interested through the enthusiasm of his young daughter…much time, money, and effort went into the work but the results as seen today were well worth the expenditures.”

The house is a private residence today.

For further reading, see Tobin, Cathy. “Wayne Township, Images of America”, Arcadia Publishing 2001, pgs. 16-17.

Some “Back to School” Thoughts: We have certainly come a long way in education. When Wayne Township was established in 1...
08/28/2026

Some “Back to School” Thoughts: We have certainly come a long way in education. When Wayne Township was established in 1848, there were four teachers, all male in their twenties. School textbooks included “The Elementary Spelling Book”, “American Common School Readers”, “Daball’s Arithmetic”, “Morse’s Geography”, “Smith’s Grammar”, and “Hale’s History”. A female teacher was first documented in 1900. This 1910 classroom (from Upper Preakness School) has an American flag and a photograph of Abraham Lincoln. The next picture shows an old Wayne school desk on display at the Wayne Museum. The desk top is slightly angled and has a hole for the inkwell. There is a shelf underneath the desk top to hold books. The metal legs have bench mounts and there is a bottom runner which supported the seat.
Berce, William. “Under the Sign of the Eagle”. Louis J. Vorgetts, 1964, pgs. 222-23.
Tobin, Cathy. “Images of America: Wayne Township”. Arcadia Publishing, 2001, pgs. 98-99.
Wayne Museum.

The staff at the Wayne Museum recently ran across these two maps of Wayne.The first map shows the title, along with the ...
08/26/2026

The staff at the Wayne Museum recently ran across these two maps of Wayne.
The first map shows the title, along with the text "by George Cipolletti". It is set onto a scroll in the bottom right-hand corner of the map. There is a circular emblem on the bottom left-hand corner of the map, with a triangle set into it. The triangle has a half circle pattern cut into its base, and the text "Wayne Tercentenary Comm. 1964" is printed on it. See if you can expand the picture so it can be more easily read. (See the first two pictures.) (The title mentions the 1780 encampments but there are items on the map such as the Van Riper Hopper House which were built later.)
The second map is a painting. This picture shows many historical houses in Wayne's past and present. It is presumed the painting was prepared before the Mead Van Dyne House was moved to its present site on the grounds of the Wayne Museum (1974). There is a partial key to the drawn structures. (See the third and fourth pictures.)

Why was “Wayne” named “Wayne”? Well sure, it is named after “Mad” Anthony Wayne, a general who did meet with Washington ...
08/23/2026

Why was “Wayne” named “Wayne”? Well sure, it is named after “Mad” Anthony Wayne, a general who did meet with Washington at Dey Mansion . However, Anthony Wayne was never a resident and was more known outside the area.

To give some brief background on the township, Wayne was part of Saddle River before 1837. With the formation of Passaic County in 1837, the community became known as Manchester. On April 12, 1847, the present township broke away from Manchester and "Wayne Township" was established.

Author Richard K. Cacioppo discusses what might be some reasons for the name “Wayne”. The eastern valley was long known as “Preakness” but people in the western part of the township may have been against using this name. “Captain Arent Schuyler” (who negotiated land from Native Americans) could have been a name for the township. However, the people on the eastern Preakness side may have been against using “Schuyler”. By 1847, the names Passaic, Pompton, Pequannock, Ramapo, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Washington, Franklin, and Lafayette were used by many other New Jersey communities and areas. Therefore, the name “Wayne” for Anthony Wayne was very original.

General Wayne met with Washington at Dey Mansion, Wayne in 1780 in order to propose a strike at the British on the Hudson. However, the plan didn’t work.

Among General Anthony Wayne’s accomplishments, he and his soldiers held a defensive stand against the British in an apple orchard outside Monmouth, New Jersey in 1778, and had led the American Army to victory at Stony Point, New York in 1779. After the Revolution, Wayne was brought out of retirement as a General by then President George Washington in 1791. His army was successful at the Battle of Fallen Timbers and negotiated the Treaty of Greenville in 1795.

Although Wayne had a reputation for being over eager and rushing into battle in various campaigns (which accounts for the “Mad” nickname), he was on a whole, a very respected general and a suitable choice for naming a new township.

As we follow the progress of this year's Bayonne Little League Team, we are reminded of the 1970 World Championship Wayn...
08/22/2026

As we follow the progress of this year's Bayonne Little League Team, we are reminded of the 1970 World Championship Wayne Little League Team. In addition to Wayne, New Jersey championship teams have included Hammonton in 1949, Lakewood in 1975, and Toms River East in 1998. We wish the Bayonne Team continued success! From a previous posting: "In 1970, Wayne’s Little League team became international stars when they won the Little League World Series Championship in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Led by coach Tom Deangelis and manager Gene Cancellieri, the team included Mark Epstein, Mike Fantau, Len Fruci, Brian Hurtt, Ron Houghton, Jim Kinney, Craig Kornfeld, Bill Lees, Steve O’Neill, Tom Olsen, Glen Otte, Dave Parrelli, Dave Shaver, and Ron Webb. Upon their victorious return to New Jersey, the team were treated to a parade down the Hamburg Turnpike, accompanied by bands and fire companies, as well as a special 'Wayne Little League Day' at Yankee Stadium".

The Wayne American Red Cross was organized in 1936. The first picture shows the 1952 dedication of its headquarters in a...
08/20/2026

The Wayne American Red Cross was organized in 1936. The first picture shows the 1952 dedication of its headquarters in a Quonset hut. Quonset huts were prefabricated structures and were initially used by the United States Navy during World War II. This Quonset hut was located at the Parish Oval and was renovated in 1960. In addition for use by the Red Cross, it was often used as a community meeting room. The second picture is a converted “Woody Station Wagon” serving as the Wayne Township Memorial First Aid Ambulance. Take note of the “Red Cross Doll” on top of the car. The third picture is the Kip Blain Nellis Farmhouse which became the Red Cross headquarters from 1979 to 1990.

Continuing “Wayne N.J. Neighborhood 250” – An Oral History Project!Are you a current or former Wayne resident? The Wayne...
08/17/2026

Continuing “Wayne N.J. Neighborhood 250” – An Oral History Project!
Are you a current or former Wayne resident? The Wayne Museum wants to hear from YOU! A little over a year ago, we started collecting stories residents and former residents may have about Wayne. We thank you for your support!
The Wayne Museum on Berdan Avenue is still collecting stories from all eras of Wayne’s rich history — from its colonial roots to today’s neighborhoods. We’re especially interested in memories from the 20th century, a time when Wayne transformed from an agricultural town into a thriving residential community.
In recent years, our team has enjoyed researching local leaders like LeGrand Parish and Robert Brubaker, and educators John Van Dyken and Randall Carter. We have been building a digital library to preserve the voices, stories, and experiences of our community. This past year, we have been collecting for our library and are asking again.
If you have a story to share, please email Paul Maloney at [email protected]. Please be sure to use this email and not a social media service. We do not have access to many of the services available about Wayne. The email will be more effective. Thank you!

HOORAY WAYNE HOMEFRONT HEROES! The Mack Molding Company (later the Mack-Wayne Plastics Company) bought two of the DuPont...
08/13/2026

HOORAY WAYNE HOMEFRONT HEROES! The Mack Molding Company (later the Mack-Wayne Plastics Company) bought two of the DuPont Gunpowder Factory buildings in the 1920’s. Cathy Tobin reports in “Images of America, Wayne Township” that the company later lead the nation in supplying plastics for war materials during World War II. Details on the “Homefront Heroes”:
Picture #1. This is a 1950 picture of employees posing in front of the factory and with a service flag and a prestigious “E” award.
Picture #2. Army and Navy Officers presented the “E” award to the company for outstanding production at the original Anthony Wayne Junior High.
Picture #3 Employees donated $577.25 to the Red Cross.
Picture #4 The U.S. Army and Navy took out an ad congratulating the Mack Company for the “E” award.
Picture #5. The Mack Molding Company receives a “Minute Man Pennant” for 91% of employees who purchased war bonds.
Picture #6. The company honors the 167 employees (but the pennant is labeled 157) who served in the war.
Wayne is very proud of the greatest generation!

The Wayne Museum will be closed August 12–16 while we join the festivities at the Passaic County Fair. Come visit us at ...
08/11/2026

The Wayne Museum will be closed August 12–16 while we join the festivities at the Passaic County Fair. Come visit us at the Fair August 13–16 and see what’s happening across Passaic County!

The Wayne Museum will reopen Wednesday, August 19, for normal business hours.

Address

533 Berdan Avenue
Wayne, NJ

Opening Hours

Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm
Sunday 10am - 5pm

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