Posts Tagged Scotch Plains

Local boy and his girl return home after 200 years

23 June 2012

Direct descendants of Aaron and Harriet Osborn formally unveiled and presented the two portraits to the Historical Society of Scotch Plains and Fanwood on Sunday June 3rd.  Aaron Osborn was the grandson of Jonathon and Abigail Osborn who built the house that is now Osborn Cannonball Museum.  Aaron was the oldest son of David and Charlotte Miller Osborn.  He and his 2 brothers Ezra and Jonathan and  sister Frances lived in the house on the corner of Park Ave and Front Street which is now our village green.  Aaron married Harriet Manning, a local woman, in 1810 at the Scotch Plains Baptist Church.  They only moved  a short distance away to 125 W. Front Street in Plainfield, where he ran a country store and stage line.  Aaron became the third Postmaster in Plainfield, a position he held for over 10 years.  They had 7 children in their brief 17 years of marriage.  They both died young; Aaron in 1827 and Harriet in 1829.  It is believed that their children were raised by family members in the area as the Osborn children all married into local families in the area.

Harriet Osborn
Aaron Harriet

Osborn Portraits donated by Prof. Bradner W. Coursen, a directdescendant of Jonathan and Abigail Osborn

These two portraits were painted by the well-known portrait artist Micah Williams.  They are now recognized as his earliest known oil works as he is primarily known for using pastels.  Although Micah Williams works are mostly of families from Monmouth County and Aaron and Harriet resided in Essex (now Union) County, there are strong family connections to Monmouth through both the Osborn and Manning families. The portraits are fragile and currently only in fair condition. The Historical Society of Scotch Plains and Fanwood are seeking ways to finally get them conserved to their former beauty.  Winterthur Museum/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation has agreed to assess them and make recommendations as to their conservation needs. Decisions  for their conservation will be made at a later date when all the research has been completed.

How the portraits returned to the Osborn House is an interesting tale often filled with more questions than answers.  Passing from generation to generation, Professor Bradner W.  Coursen obtained them 25 years ago.  He wondered who they were.  In researching his family tree he discovered he was a direct descendent of Aaron Osborn.  What is known is that Aaron and Harriet’s youngest daughter  Margaretta (Margaret) who was born in 1824 ended up with the portraits. In 1843 she married William Drake, whose family resided at the Drake house in Plainfield. The portraits then traveled through the Drake, Bunnell, Meyer and Coursen family until Bradner Coursen generously donated them and they have returned to Scotch Plains.

A reception was held on Sunday June 3, 2012 where Aaron and Harriet’s paintings were unveiled by 12 of the Coursen family. In the museum’s colonial garden, Eighteenth century food made by many the society’s members was offered. Under the grape arbor and amongst the lavender, herbs and elaeagnus, the Coursen family, some Scotch Plains Council officials, Society members and friends all  enjoyed an array of treats, punch and even homemade ice cream made by kicking it in a can. A brief rain shower didn’t disturb the food, fun and fellowship.

We thank the Coursen family for their gift as it will add to Scotch Plains’ rich and diverse history. We also thank all those who continue to support, preserve not only our museum but our town’s  history as without you it would be lost forever.

Please view some other photos from the reception.

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Reception for the Aaron & Harriet Osborn Portraits – Sunday, June 3, 2012, 1PM

25 May 2012

The portraits of Aaron and Harriet Osborn were passed down to Professor Bradner W. Coursen 25 years ago.  He wondered who they were.  In researching his family tree he discovered he was a direct descendent of Aaron Osborn.  Aaron’s grandparents, John & Abigail Osborn (who built the home that is now our museum), lived next door to Aaron. He married Harriet Manning in 1810.  They had 8 children in their brief 17 years of marriage (he died in 1827, she in 1828).  Aaron was the third Postmaster in Plainfield, NJ.

Please join us for the unveiling, and the reception for the Coursen family, at the Osborn-Cannonball Museum located at 1840 E. Front Street in Scotch Plains.  The reception starts at 1:00PM.

The portraits, graciously donated to the museum by the Coursen family, will be unveiled by Aaron and Harriet Osborn’s descendants, two of Professor Bradner W. Coursen’s sons.  Punch and light refreshments fitting of the period of the portraits creation will be served.

The two portraits were painted by the well-known artist Micah Williams. His portraits post-date the War of 1812.  Micah made his own pastel pigments and backed many of his portraits with layers of newspapers.  Both portraits, oil on canvas, are fragile and currently only in fair condition. They require a costly restoration.  Donations are currently being sought for this project.

Please join us in welcoming home Aaron and Harriet Osborn.

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Meeting on 22 May 2012 – Moving Mormon Panorama

15 May 2012

CCA Christensen’s Moving Mormon Panorama is one of the few to survive the 1800’s.  A moving panorama is a roll of large paintings sewn together to illustrate a lecture.  Christensen used his painting to illustrate his lecture on the history of his church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

CCA Christensen was born in Denmark in 1831 and studied at the Royal Academy of Art before his conversion.  He later immigrated to Utah pulling a handcart across the Midwest in 1857.  For the next 20 years, he farmed when he had to and painted when he could, starting the 24 paintings for his panorama in the 1870’s.  In 1879 he started exhibiting the panorama.  He spent the winters of the next three decades giving shows in communities of the West.  He died in 1912.

At the monthly meeting of the Historical Society of Scotch Plains and Fanwood on Tuesday evening May 22nd, Regina Ellis, a member of the Historical Society, a Mormon and a direct descendent of CCA Christensen, will show this Mormon Panorama saved by her uncle.  Her uncle took photography of the panorama and made slides from them.  He then gave the slides to Brigham Young University.  The University restored them.  This panorama has been exhibited all over the world.

This unique, historical and educational lecture about the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints illustrated with CCA Christensen’s panorama is free and open to everyone.

The meeting will be held at the Scotch Hills Country Club on Plainfield Avenue and Jerusalem Road in Scotch Plains,  on Tuesday, May 22nd at 8:00PM.  Refreshments and fellowship follow the meeting.   Please join us for a most fascinating evening.  Contact Connie Klock at 908-232-9489 for further information or write to us.

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