The Cornelius Low House, a two-story stone house built in 1741,
is now the Middlesex County Museum, presenting ever-changing
exhibits about state and local history, with related school, outreach
and public programs.
Cornelius Low, a wealthy merchant of Dutch ancestry, was a
leading citizen of Raritan Landing, a port community that flourished
between 1720 and 1835. The Cornelius Low House is listed on the
state and National Registers of Historic Places. A major restoration
of the Low House was completed in 1996.
Museum admission and all programs are free and open to the
public. The first floor of the Low House is fully accessible for
visitors with limited mobility, and a captioned video of second
floor exhibit areas and large type and Braille guides are available.
Sign language interpreters are available for all public programs
with two weeks’ advance notice. School and group visits are by
appointment only. The museum is open from 10 am to 4 pm,
Wednesday through Friday; 12 to 4 pm on Saturday and Sunday;
and 12 to 8 pm on Thursdays during June, July and August.
Text CULTURE to 56512 for Living History Interpreter schedules.
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GREAT BEDS
LIGHTHOUSE
The area off the southern end of Staten Island,
where the Raritan River joins the Arthur Kill, has
long been known for its oyster beds. Oyster skiffs
no longer ply the waters of Raritan Bay to harvest,
but Great Beds Lighthouse, named for the oyster
beds on which it stands, continues to watch over
the area, sending forth a flashing red light every
six seconds.
A sparkling fourth-order Fresnel was installed
inside the decagonal lantern room of the 42-foot
tower, and on November 15, 1880, it cast its first
beams of red light out over Raritan Bay.
Keepers left the tower for good in 1945, three
years after the Fresnel lens had been replaced
with an electric beacon. Great Beds Lighthouse
was placed on the National Register of Historic
Places in 2008.
THE METLAR-BODINE HOUSE
The Historical Museum of Piscataway Township
1281 River Rd., Piscataway, 732-463-8363
metlarbodinehousemuseum.org
The Metlar-Bodine House is a state and national registered historic site
that serves as a historical and cultural museum for the Township of
Piscataway, one of the 50 oldest towns in America and the fifth oldest
community in New Jersey. The house represents the town’s 350-year
history through its location along the Raritan River, its superb New Jersey
vernacular design, the unique story of its owners and occupants and the
important collection of local memorabilia housed within its walls. The
museum collection includes over 1,000 artifacts with Central New Jersey
provenance, and the historic site, built in 1728 with 19th-century additions,
is treated as the largest artifact in the collection.
CORNELIUS LOW
HOUSE MUSEUM
1225 River Road, Piscataway
732-745-4177 TTY: 732-745-3888
Courtesy of Perth Amboy
Courtesy of Middlesex County Office of Arts & History
Photo by Ken Braswell, Shore Grafx
/
/metlarbodinehousemuseum.org
