The Historic Village at Allaire is a living history museum that interprets the Howell Iron Works Company founded in 1822. The museum demonstrates historic crafts such as blacksmithing, hearth cooking, carpentry, tinsmithing, and many others...
The Historic Village at Allaire was once an iron-producing, factory-town known as the Howell Iron Works, Co. The Village was a self-sufficient community containing a carpentry and pattern making shop, a blacksmith shop, a bakery, a boarding house, a blast furnace, mills to finish iron products, a school, a church, a general store with a post office, and workers’ home. Iron produced at the village was shipped to New York City by wagon and steamship. It was used to produce steam engines parts in a factory also owned by our proprietor, James P. Allaire. The Howell Iron Works was a typical community at the time and speaks to the experiences of the economic and social changes of those who experienced early Industrial America.
The 23-acre museum is located within Allaire State Park. The property was donated to the State of New Jersey for use as an educational and recreational center by the estate of Arthur Brisbane.
