Ringwood Manor
Programs &
Presentations for
2015-2016
A Historic House Museum,
A National Historic Landmark District
& State Historic Site
This manual was assembled by the Staff of Ringwood Manor &
Ringwood State Park
Ringwood, New Jersey
August 2015
Ringwood Manor
Ringwood State Park
New Jersey State Park Service
Division of Parks and Forestry
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
Thank you for you interest in Ringwood Manor!
The history of Ringwood Manor spans several hundred years. This provides unique learning
experiences for visitors of all ages! The Ringwood Manor staff have developed a number of on
site and off site programs, presentations, and tours that suit a variety of ages and interest
levels, from kindergarten students to adults and anyone in between. Below, you will find a title
and description of each program, along with recommendations on what grade level or age the
program is best suited for, length of the program, and applicable fees. Programs meet various
common core curriculum standards. Prices listed apply to any programs scheduled after
August of 2015.
You may wish to choose an individual program, or combine two or more during your visit.
Please note that if you choose multiple programs, you should add the times together to
determine how long your group would need to be at the site, as well as add the fees together
for the total cost of the program. Also note that programs may be substituted if the weather is
inclement. Should you have questions, or wish to customize your visit further, please contact
the historic site staff at 973-962-2240 or rspris@verizon.net
**Please note: The availability of the following programs is contingent on the number of staff we
have available for the requested date.
On Site Programs………………………………………………………………………………….. 3
Half Day Visit…………………………………………………………………………….... 3
Full Day……………………………………………………………………………………. 3
Mix & Match Options ……………………………………………………………………. 4
Off Site Programs …...…………………………………………………………………………… 10
On Site Programs
These programs are meant to complement and supplement information presented in the
classroom before the groups arrive at Ringwood Manor. It is helpful for the participants to
have a general knowledge of various historical events when they arrive. Programs are not
intended as substitutes for classroom educational lessons. Should you wish, information can
be sent in advance of the visit to prepare the group for the on-site program(s).
Half and Full-Day Visits
These are our most popular programs, particularly for school groups. These programs were
designed to fit into school schedules and ensure that buses return as needed.
Half-Day Visit
Description: This half-day program discusses Ringwood’s role throughout history for
the past 250 years. Half-day visits consist of two different lessons focusing on two
major periods of history at Ringwood. First, the Revolutionary War portion discusses
the iron industry and its impact on the area, the contributions of iron master and
Surveyor General Robert Erskine during the American Revolution, and includes a
march to the historic cemetery with wooden muskets where students will be shown how
to take grave rubbings. The second portion includes an interior Manor House tour
where 19th century social history and life at Ringwood, the impact of the Cooper &
Hewitt families on 19th century social and political history, and the interior furnishings
are discussed. Scavenger hunts are provided to the students during the house tour in
order to engage their observatory skills further.
Time: 2 ½ hours is preferred, but can be completed in 2 hours if there are time
restraints. Half-day visits generally begin around 9:30am and end before noon, with
students returning to school for lunch and afternoon lessons.
Best suited for grades: 4th, 5th, & 6th grades (7th & 8th grades to a lesser extent)
Fee: $5 per person
Notes: Please note that only two groups/classes of 25 can be accommodated for this
program at a time.
Full-Day Visit
Description: Full-day visits require participants to bring their lunch and eat on site,
but also have the benefit of additional hands-on history activities. The full-day
program discusses Ringwood’s role throughout history, specifically during the late 18th
century and late 19th century. During the first half of the day, participants discuss
Ringwood’s iron industry and role in the American Revolution, including the
contributions of Robert Erskine. Participants will learn how to take grave rubbings at
the historic cemetery and how to make a map using 18th century survey equipment and
basic math skills. The second half of the day will focus on 19th century social history of
the Cooper & Hewitt families at Ringwood Manor. Included with the interior tour of
Ringwood Manor, participants will learn about the tradition of calling cards and their
etiquette, “the language of the fan” used to send messages across parlors and
ballrooms, and 19th century dress and manners.
Time: a minimum of 5 hours is needed for this program (which includes time for the
participants to each lunch on site). Pre-visit packets with calling cards should be given
out to participants before the visit with time allotted to have participants read them
over (20-30 minutes needed before visit). Full day visits generally begin around 9:30am
and end at 2 or 2:30pm.
Best suited for grades: 6th, 7th & 8th grades (can be modified for 4th & 5th grades)
Fee: $8 per person
Notes: Lunch must be brought to the site by participants. In case of inclement weather,
the map making and grave rubbing activities will be substituted for another
Revolutionary War themed activity that will take place indoors. See Program D listed
below).
Mix & Match: Your Options
The following programs can be done as stand-alone or mixed-and-matched to create your own
group’s custom visit to Ringwood Manor.
Program A: Ringwood Manor house tour
Two variations to allow for time:
A1.
Description: A private, guided interior house tour of Ringwood Manor is given of the
30 rooms currently open to the public. Topics discussed include the owners of the
home, the development of the house, famous friends and guests, and information on
interior furnishings and artwork. Tour guides are assigned just for your group.
Time: An hour and 15 minutes to an hour and a half
Best suited for grades: 3rd grade through college, and other adults groups
Fee: $4 for adults, $2 for children ages 6-12, children ages 5 and under free.
A2.
Description: Same as description listed except that a “scavenger hunt” is given to
children to assist them in looking for various items found inside the Manor.
Time: An hour and 15 minutes to an hour and a half
Best suited for grades: 3rd through 6th grade
Fee: $5 for adults, $3 for children ages 6-12, children ages 5 and under free.
Program B: Cemetery/Revolutionary War at Ringwood Program
Two variations to allow for time:
B1.
Description: Participants march as soldiers with wooden muskets to the historic
cemetery on the property. Along the way, participants discuss Ringwood’s role in the
Revolutionary War, with a focus on Robert Erskine. Topics include: Ringwood’s
magnetite iron and its benefits to the War effort, along with the difficulties it
presented for navigating the area; the iron implements that
were made and supplied to the war effort which included
cannonballs, camp stoves, and chain links; Ringwood’s
location between West Point, NY and Morristown, NJ;
Robert Erskine’s roles as iron master, Surveyor General,
and inventor. The historic importance of cemeteries and the
information they contain is discussed as well.
Time: 45mintues to 1 hour
Best suited for grades: 4th, 5th, & 6th grades
Fee: $4 for adults, $2 for children ages 6-12, children ages 5 and under free.
B2.
Description: Program consists of everything listed above AND grave rubbings at the
historic cemetery.
Time: 1 and a half hours
Best suited for grades: 4th, 5th, & 6th grades
Fee: $5 for adults, $3 for children ages 6-12, children ages 5 and under free.
Note: This program cannot take place during rain due to the materials used for the
grave rubbings. Program may be substituted OR a rain date may be chosen if
available.
Program C: Historic Surveying & Map Making Program
Description: Best suited to be used in conjunction with the above listed
Cemetery/Revolutionary War at Ringwood program, but can also be done as a standalone program. Participants learn how to do basic surveying based on the equipment
used by Surveyor General Robert Erskine. Reproduction compasses, chains, and pins
will be used to survey an area of the property, and participants will use math and
drawing skills to complete a map.
Time: 1 hour
Best suited for grades: 7th & 8th grades, high school students.
Fee: $5 for people ages 10 and up (not suitable for children ages 9 and under)
Notes: This program cannot take place during rain. Program would be substituted for
the Hudson River Obstruction program listed below OR a rain date may be chosen if
available.
Program D: Revolutionary War in Ringwood & the Hudson River Obstructions
Best suited to be used in conjunction with the Cemetery/Revolutionary War at
Ringwood program OR in place of the Cemetery/Revolutionary War at Ringwood
program in case of inclement weather.
Description: Participants gather in the small coffee shop next to Ringwood Manor. A
short lecture is given (about 20 minutes) on Ringwood’s role in the Revolutionary War,
with a focus on Robert Erskine. Topics covered are listed in the description of the
Cemetery/Revolutionary War at Ringwood (see Program B above). Particular focus is
paid at the end of the lecture to the various Hudson River obstructions that were
constructed during the Revolutionary War. Participants are then broken into smaller
groups and given a variety of materials with which they have 45 minutes to design and
construct their own obstructions to stop a boat. Each group’s design is then weighed,
placed in water, and tested by a small boat. Students are taught how to use a basic
efficiency equation to determine which structure was the most efficient at stopping the
boat.
Time:
1 hour to an hour & 15 mins.
Best suited for grades:
5th, 6th, and 7th grades.
Fee:
$5 for people ages 10 and up
(not suitable for children
ages 9 and under)
Notes: This program is used in place of the Historic Surveying & Map Making
program in case of inclement weather. However, this program is also available to
groups that wish to book it or in conjunction with other programs. Please note that the
coffee shop can only hold 28 people total. Arrangements can be made for larger
groups.
Program E: A Child’s Life at Ringwood Manor
Two variations to allow for time:
E1.
Description: This is a private, guided interior house tour of Ringwood Manor, with a
focus on the children of the Cooper & Hewitt family, the activities they were involved
in at the Manor, and what a typical child’s life would be like during the late 19th
century. All 30 rooms of the house are shown along with the information presented.
Time: 45 minutes to an hour
Best suited for grades: Kindergarten to 6th grade
Fee: $3 for adults, $1 for children ages 6-12, children ages 5 and under free.
E2.
Description: Same as description listed except that a “scavenger hunt” is given to
children to assist them in looking for various items found inside the Manor
Time: An hour to an hour and 15 minutes
Best suited for grades: Kindergarten to 6th grade
Fee: $4 for adults, $2 for children ages 6-12, children ages 5 and under free.
Program F: 19th Century Social Life & Ringwood Manor
The following programs may be added to a Ringwood Manor House tour (Program A) for
additional emphasis on the Gilded Age customs of the late 19th century. Please add additional
time noted for each program below to the time allotted for the Ringwood Manor house tour.
F1.
Description: Calling Cards: Unlike the business
cards used today, calling cards served a social
function during the 19th century. This short
program explains how and why they were used. A
pre-visit packet is mailed to the group leader ahead
of time with calling cards to be distributed to
participants. Each calling card lists a name of an
actual visitor to Ringwood Manor, along with a
short biography. The participant “becomes” that
person and uses their calling card to introduce
themselves as part of this program.
Time: 15 minutes onsite (distribution of cards and allotting time for participants to
read them ahead of time: 30 minutes)
Best suited for grades: 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, & 8th grades
Fee: $1 per person
F2.
Description: Historic Dress: Fashion of the late 19th century was much more
complicated than it is today, with various outfits for various occasions, loads of
undergarments, and yards of fabric. This program shows how men and women
dressed, using reproduction 19th century clothing to dress a mannequin.
Time: 20 minutes
Best suited for grades: 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th
Fee: $1 per person
F3.
Description: Language of the Fan: We live in an era of instant communication: text
messages, social media, emails, etc. But in the late 19th century, people could convey
messages instantly, too! Learn how a fan was used to send messages across a room full
of people, with participants using one to send messages to each other.
Time: 15 minutes
Best suited for grades: 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th
Fee: $1 per person
Program G: Historic Games
Description: This program is best used as an “add-on” to one of
the Ringwood Manor house tours (Program A). At the end of the
tour, children are given the opportunity to play with
reproduction historic games (hoop & stick, games of graces,
quoits, ball & cup, etc.) on the front lawn of the Manor (weather
permitting).
Time: 20 minutes
Best suited for grades: Kindergarten to 6th grade
Fee: $3 for adults, $1 for children ages 6-12, children 5 and
under free.
Program H: In Washington’s Footsteps
Description: This program highlights our nation’s first President, George Washington.
Washington was known to have visited Ringwood at least five times during the
Revolutionary War period, and several of the buildings and structures that he went to
still exist! This program shows participants those features and talks about what they
were used for and why Washington visited Ringwood in the first place. Walk where
Washington actually walked over 225 years ago!
Time: 45 minutes to an hour
Best suited for grades: Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades
Fee: $3 for adults, $1 for children ages 6-12, children 5 and under free
Program I: The Architecture of Ringwood Manor
Description: Built over the course of 100 years and remodeled several times, Ringwood
Manor is an eclectic mix of several different architectural styles and features. This
program discusses the interior and exterior architectural features from the Federal,
Gothic, Victorian, and Neo-Classical periods and the various architects involved in
creating the structure as it is seen today.
Time: an hour and a half
Best suited for grades: high school & college classes, and other adults groups
Fee: $3 per person
Program J: Grounds & Gardens Tour
Two variations to allow for time:
J1.
Description: This guided, 2-hour exterior walking tour
will take visitors around the main property at
Ringwood Manor, discussing the historic objects, the
planned gardens and landscape features, the out-buildings, and the cemetery. Historic
photographs of the property will be shown throughout. Participants will have the
opportunity to see the inside of the historic blacksmith shop and carriage barn.
Time: 2 hours
Best suited for grades: high school & college classes, and other adult groups
Fee: $5 per person
J2.
Description:This shorter version takes visitors around the immediate vicinity of
Ringwood Manor, discussing the historic objects on the front lawn & the planned
gardens and landscape features to the rear of the Manor. Historic photographs will be
shown to enhance the tour.
Time: 1 hour
Best suited for grades: high school & college classes, and other adult groups
Fee: $3 per person
Note: Please note that this version does not include visits to the blacksmith shop,
carriage barn, or cemetery.
Off Site Programs
Can’t make it to Ringwood Manor for a program? Let us come to you! We have a variety of
PowerPoint presentations that highlight the history of the estate and are suitable for a range
of ages. Don’t see a program that highlights a topic you would like to hear about? Ask us
about customizing a presentation for your group’s interests!
Presentation A: A History of Ringwood Manor
Description: This presentation is a general overview of the history of the estate,
starting with the founding of the ironworks company in 1740 through the creation of
the state park and historic site in the 1930s. The various historic individuals and their
involvement on the property are discussed. Both historic and modern images are
shown.
Time: 1 hour (includes time for questions and answers)
Best suited for grades: 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, & 8th grades, high school & college classes, and
other adults groups.
Fee: $50
Presentation B: The Grounds & Gardens of Ringwood Manor
Description: Although this presentation gives an overview of the Cooper & Hewitt
family and Ringwood Manor, it focuses on the development of the landscape around
the property. The formal garden designs, natural features, landscape architects
involved in the designs, and historic items placed on the property will be discussed.
Both historic and modern images of the grounds are shown. Great for garden clubs!
Time: 1 hour (includes time for questions and answers)
Best suited for grades: high school & college classes, and other adult groups
Fee: $50
Presentation C: The Cooper-Hewitt Family and their Philanthropy
Description: This presentation discusses the Cooper & Hewitt family, their rise in the
areas of business and politics, and how they used their wealth to benefit society. Their
involvement in philanthropic causes in New York City and the northern NJ area will
be discussed. Additionally, the presentation will highlight their influence on other
wealthy Gilded Age society members to give back to others. You’ll be surprised at how
many things they were involved in!
Time: 1 hour (includes time for questions and answers)
Best suited for grades: high school & college classes, and other adult groups
Fee: $50
Other topics that can be highlighted along with the history of the Ringwood Manor estate and
the Cooper & Hewitt families include: Edward R. Hewitt’s involvement in fishing and
conservation; the Hewitt sisters/the women of the Cooper & Hewitt family; the employees and
other industries on the estate; various museum collections (artwork, furniture, etc.); the
architecture of the Manor; the political activities of Peter Cooper & Abram S. Hewitt; etc.