Step inside these historic homes at Flemington house tour
Flemington is undergoing a development boom with the Union Hotel, apartments on the former Agway site and the Liberty Village project.
But the borough isn’t forgetting its storied past in 309-year-old Hunterdon County. From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 3, visitors can take a self-guided tour through 11 of Flemington's historic homes and public buildings.
“Flemington has the largest concentration of Victorian architecture in the state outside of Cape May, and we also have just about every major type of architectural style within our one-square-mile,” said Todd Cook, who is on the house tour committee of the Historic Preservation Commission, which is hosting the event. “With the concentration of revitalization throughout the borough, we wanted to create awareness for our town and help our businesses by bringing people in.”
Before taking the House Tours of Historic Flemington, visitors need to check in at the Chamber of Commerce, 119 Main St., for their guide booklet. They can then start the tour by walking, driving or hopping on a trolley that will stop at each home and building every 20 minutes.
Tour stops include the Fleming House Museum, which was the home of Sam Fleming, the first Flemington planner; the Flemington Methodist Church; and homes featuring Victorian, Greek Revival, Second Empire, and Queen Anne styles. Over 65% of Flemington’s buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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Some rooms in homes will not be open for the tour. A docent will be on hand to provide additional details. A tour guide will be on the trolley to share information about the borough.
Up to 500 visitors are expected to take the tour. Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 on June 3. Nearly 20 local businesses will offer discounts to ticketholders that day, including Stangl Factory Farmers Market, Within Spirit, Skunktown Distillery, Lone Eagle Brewing, Humdoo Ice Cream and Bread & Culture. Guide booklets will include information on the discounts.
This collaboration with local businesses is a new addition for the tour, which is returning after a seven-year hiatus. It was originally planned to be an every-other-year event, but it fell off the calendar in 2018, and the pandemic didn't help.
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“With the 300 volunteer hours it takes to put this together, it requires an intense amount of planning and energy,” Cook said. “We thought now was the time to bring it back since we are on the cusp on a renaissance in Flemington.”
Go: House Tours of Historic Flemington, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 3, $25 advance, $30 day-of; bit.ly/45c8H07.
Contact: JIntersimone@MyCentralJersey.com
Jenna Intersimone has been a staff member at the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey since 2014, after becoming a blogger-turned-reporter following the creation of her award-winning travel blog. To get unlimited access to her stories about food, drink and fun, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Flemington NJ historic house tour is June 3
