Wallisch Homestead event highlights history
WEST MILFORD. Artifacts from the Revolutionary War, Civil War, World War II, the Battle of Little Bighorn and Native American cultures were on display.
| 25 Oct 2023 | 08:00
Blacksmith Bill Barrett hammers a billet into a wall hook during a demonstration Sunday, Oct. 22 at the Wallisch Homestead in West Milford. (Photo by Fred Ashplant)
Joe Jorgensen explains a detail on a recovered antique tool. (Photos by Fred Ashplant)
Peter Schichtel displays antique rifles that have been identified as relics from the Battle of Little Big Horn.
Kenneth Le Soine, left, and Darryl Henkel were members of the 199th Light Infantry Brigade, a highly effective and decorated unit in the Vietnam War.
Items discovered by detectors on the Wallisch Homestead property.
A display of relics found by Peter Schichtel and Joe Jorgensen.
From left are Andy Ciffer, vice president of the East Coast Research & Discovery Association; Michael Van Hooker, Mark Lynch, Sue Lynch and Ron Perez, all of the Friends of Wallisch Homestead; and Joe Jorgensen, president of the ECRDA. (Photo provided)
Bill Barrett shows off his prized hand-forged hammer.
Bill Barrett describes the art of smithing.
The Friends of the Wallisch Homestead (FOWH) hosted the mobile museum of the East Coast Research & Discovery Association (ECRDA) and offered free activities Saturday, Oct. 21 and Sunday, Oct. 22.
The event raised $9,500 for the nonprofit group, which is dedicated to preservation and adaptive reuse of the homestead at 65 Lincoln Ave.
The mobile museum displays historical artifacts from the Revolutionary War, Civil War, World War II, the Battle of Little Bighorn and Native American cultures.
Peter Schichtel and Joe Jorgensen, two members of the ECRDA, showed off some of the relics and artifacts that have been recovered by association members. They included items from the Paleolithic era, stone tools, hand knapped (the skill of flaking small bits of stone to create knives and arrow point) arrow points and hide scrapers. There also were antique and vintage coins, buttons, buckles, tokens and badges.
Schichtel had a display of antique rifles that have been identified as relics from the battle of Little Big Horn.
During the rainy weekend, association members did some detecting on the Wallisch property, finding horse shoes, farm tools, buttons and buckles.
On Sunday, classically trained blacksmith Bill Barrett showed his hand-wrought items and demonstrated the nuances of skilled manipulation of hot iron to create tools and weapons.
He described the differences between true blacksmithing and mass-produced items, and he swung his prized hand-forged hammer to the delight of onlookers.
Sue Lynch, chairwoman of FOWH’s board of directors, said donors have offered to match funds contributed to the group’s campaign to restore the Red Timber Barn, the oldest structure on the grounds.
Donations for the barn project may be mailed to FOWH, P.O. Box 63, West Milford, NJ 07480.