Little Silver's Parker Homestead Hosts Holiday Open House

LITTLE SILVER, NJ - The Parker Homestead at 235 Rumson Road, has scheduled its traditional holiday event from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 10. The four fireplace mantels will be decorated by the Little Silver Garden Club and the tree with ornaments made over the years by students from Point Road School. Carolers from Embury Church will entertain. Light refreshments will be served. This event marks four years since the house was first opened to the community so Mayor Robert C. Neff Jr . is urging people to come and view the progress made at this state and national historic landmark since the borough received it as a gift from the last owner in 1995.

It has been a busy Fall at the homestead, which was first established when Peter and Joseph Parker and their brother-in-law John Slocum came from Rhode Island to purchase land and settle in 1667-68.

The original homestead of the Parker family, built on this land was added on to over the years, but remained in the Parker family until 1995 when the last owner, Julia Parker, passed away, gifting it to the town. New Jersey

Parker Homestead 1665 – Inc. in early November brought volunteers in to continue to help inventory the contents of the storage trailers and empty them so the charity could get the trailer rental fees discontinued.

For those who preferred not to have to wear work gloves when experiencing history, the Homestead’s Fall Harvest Celebration convened on Nov. 19, with a lecture on the Homestead’s historic property.

The house and barns were open for tours, the Tuther End Boutique sold Holiday gift items and children were encouraged to play authentic Native American games with help from Monmouth University students. A special presentation was held in the Horse Barn on the year-long project, "Tracing the History of the Parker Homestead Ownership."

The Christmas Tree at the Parker Homestead will be decorated with ornaments made by school children. Image via Shutterstock.