The whole Bordentown community turned out when our Gay Pride Flag was dedicated, following the theft of the original one. A GoFundMe raised sufficient funds so that the new flag could be safeguarded against vandals. Read all about it on NJ.Com.
Our congregation has high hopes for our (relatively) new Bordentown home. More at NJ.Com.
Our congregation was named for 19th century activist Dorothea Dix. We honor her on her birthday. More at NJ.Com. and in this article from the Burlington County Times.
NEWS
Local historic women highlighted at Bordentown City events
Danielle DeSisto
BORDENTOWN CITY — History has forgotten some of the local women who made significant contributions to their communities.
But those women will finally have their day in the spotlight at the “Great Women of New Jersey History” event this weekend presented by the Bordentown Neighbors Acting Together (BNAT) community group.
Two performances on Saturday and Sunday will highlight the historic contributions of pioneering women with ties to South Jersey, portrayed by women from Burlington County.
“There’s a lot of rich women’s history in South Jersey, especially in Bordentown,” said organizer Megan Titus, of Bordentown City. “We wanted to highlight the little tidbits that are not as well-known.”
The show centers around a middle school student who goes back in time to interview significant women in history for a school assignment.
She visits four women: Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross and the one of New Jersey’s first school houses still standing in Bordentown City, who will be portrayed by city resident Bonnie Goldman; Dorothea Dix, whose research on mental illness led to the founding of Trenton Psychiatric Hospital, played by Christina Sturgis of Burlington City; Jessie Redmon Fauset, from Camden County, who emerged as one of the voices of the Harlem Renaissance through her work as a poet, essayist, novelist and teacher, portrayed by Florence resident April Seay; and Bordentown native Patience Lovell Wright, America’s first known sculptress, played by city resident Anne Lyon.
The first performance will be Saturday at 7 p.m. at Old City Hall on Crosswicks Street, followed by a reception and meet-and-greet with the actors. Tickets are $10 and benefit the restoration of Old City Hall. The show will be on the second floor, but it will be live-streamed on the first floor for audience members with disabilities.
Sunday’s show at 2 p.m. will be targeted to children, featuring more interactive components and videos. The free event will be held at the Friends Meeting House on Farnsworth Avenue.
In honor of Women’s History Month, Bordentown Neighbors Acting Together sought to celebrate impactful women in a unique way. The group partnered with the Bordentown Historical Society and Old City Hall Restoration Committee to host the event.
“We have a lot of lecture series, but we wanted to do something a little different,” Titus said.
When organizers began planning the production, they identified ten historic women as candidates to be featured. Titus hopes this performance will be the first in a series about those other women.
“It’s important to uncover women who have made contributions to American society who have been forgotten,” Titus said.
Tickets for Saturday’s adult performance will be on sale this week at Mimosa Goods on Farnsworth Avenue and may be purchased at the door.
For information on BNAT, visit facebook.com/groups/1692585537720232.