The Glassboro Historical Society hosted their annual Civil War Weekend on Oct. 26 and Oct. 27 at the Historic West Jersey Train Depot.
The weekend featured live music, a reenactment by the 12th New Jersey Volunteer Regiment, and a formal ball in vintage gowns and suits at the Glassboro VFW building. It also gave visitors a chance to visit the Depot and learn more about Glassboro’s history.
Glassboro Councilwoman Daniele Spence is the President of the Glassboro Historical Society. She says the depot is the perfect location for the event because of its rich history.
The depot served as a telegraph office and was the center of commercial activity in Glassboro from 1871 to 1971. The station was refurbished in 2015 and now serves as the meeting place for the Glassboro Historical Society.
“It’s important to remind people what it used to look like back in the day, things like that. Like, why is that so important to preserve that history,” Spence said.
As for the importance of Civil War Weekend, Spence says it is important to educate the younger generations about their town’s history in order to see positive progress.
“Anything historically significant to your area, where you live, is so important because we learn about moving forward in our communities from how we existed in the past,” Spence said. “Circumstances surrounding us change, but that’s why I think kids especially need to know what happened. They need to understand that there’s a bigger world out there, and something way more, more important than what we think is so imperative.”
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