As you taste the iced teas and sample the sweets, you can stroll along the great lawn and front porch, chat with friends, and relive a slower pace of life. Wander through the first floor of this magnificent home and take part in a behind the scenes tour of the restoration of this magnificent turn-of-the-century house. Montclair Then and Now:
These and many other facts about Bloomfield Avenue--its changes over time dating back to the late 18th century--are featured in this exhibit debuted at the Montclair Historical Society on June 7, 2009 and will be on view through December 2009. The exibit is included in the price of the Israel Crane House tour. |
Happy Fourth of July!
At the end of the 19th Century Montclair provided travelers with four hotels: the Washington Hotel on the Old Road, Grand View Hotel high on the mountain, and the Central Hotel on the southwest corner of Valley Road and Bloomfield Avenue. In 1884 in fact there was a debate in Town Committee as to whether or not the four were sufficient to meet the considerable needs of the "motoring public." Winter guests were chiefly transients, but during the summer important Newark or New York families came to spend the season. Amenities at the Mansion House included livery stables, retiring rooms for both ladies and gentlemen, a dinner menu set for royalty, as well as in 1888 the innovative “Florida System” steam room. 
