Mining & Mineral Gallery Grand Opening to be held on Oct. 27
A&E. Learn about local mining history at 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 27, with talks throughout the afternoon, at the grand opening of the Sparta Historical Society's mineral display.
Sparta would not be the town it is today without its rich history as a hub for mining iron, limestone, and zinc.
“Sparta Underground: Men, Mines, and Minerals” is Sparta Historical Society’s third new permanent exhibit gallery to be opened in 2019 at their Van Kirk Homestead Museum. This exhibit features original Edison artifacts, a scale model of Limecrest Quarry, and a large fluorescent mineral display. Through these and other rare artifacts, the exhibit explores the town’s mines and the people who worked at them. Housed in the 1780 section of the Van Kirk Homestead Museum, this exhibit has been generously underwritten by Braen Stone of SpartaThis permanent exhibit will open at 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 27, 2019, with gallery talks throughout the afternoon. With the opening of this new mining gallery, expect insights into, and understanding of, the past which supplements our understanding of our once primary industry in Sparta and elsewhere in Sussex County. It also provides a glimpse into the time-consuming, labor-intensive methods used in the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries to prepare, and ship minerals.
The final day for fall exhibit “NJ Glass: Earth, Wind and Fire” is Sunday, Dec. 8. For group reservations, call 973-726-0883 or Email: spartahistoricalsocnj@gmail.com.
The Sparta Historical Society is located at The Van Kirk Homestead Museum at 336 Main Street (From Rte. 517, use Middle School Driveway), and is open second and fourth Sundays.
For more information, visit www.vankirkmuseum.org.