HOWELL – “A Weekend in Old Monmouth” featured 59 historical sites from across the county that opened their doors and offered free admission to the public. The event featured several color-marked trails that people could follow to visit related historical sites around the county.
The weekend was hosted by the Monmouth County Historical Commission, in partnership with the Monmouth County Board of Commissioners, MonmouthNJ250, and several local, town-based historical societies.
Two of the sites that took part in the event were located in Howell, just down the street from one another on the green trail. They were the MacKenzie house and museum, located off of Lakewood-Farmingdale Road, and the Old Ardena Schoolhouse, which is on the corner of Old Tavern Road and Preventorium Road.
The MacKenzie house and museum was originally built in 1805, with the earliest known occupants being the Nesbit Brothers in 1854, who also owned the local mill. They also added to the house during the same year, essentially doubling its size from when it was first built.
After the conclusion of the Civil War, Captain William A. Prickett, who was the captain of the first Colored Soldiers in the Civil War, purchased the house along with some local farm land in the area, as well as the mills, which he converted into canneries. After his cannery burned down in 1920, Prickitt rented the house until he passed it down to his daughters in 1929. In 1940, they sold the house to Greta Sackett, who passed it down to Jesse MacKenzie. MacKenzie would end up donating the house to the township for a museum and a library, which they named after her.
Those who visit the house will get to see a display meant to honor Captain Prickett for the 250th anniversary of America.
The Old Ardena Schoolhouse was built in 1855, and was originally located across the road from the present-day Ardena Baptist Church on Rt. 524. As with most one-room schoolhouses of its era, all different levels of learners were taught together in one room.
The building itself has actually been moved several times during its lifespan, serving different purposes to the people who owned it. In 1972, the Howell Historical Society purchased the schoolhouse for $3,000, and in the middle of the summer in 1974, moved it to the corner of Old Tavern Road and Preventorium Road, where it currently sits today.
The school underwent major repairs in 2022-2023, when it had a new lighting system installed, received a fresh coat of paint, and was updated with new displays.
The Mackenzie house is open the third Saturday of every month from 1-4 p.m., with private tours available on request, while the school house is open the last Sunday of every month from 1-4 p.m. The Howell Historical Society does a lot of work to preserve these two buildings and educate those who come through their doors. Information about how to get involved and how to give donations is available on the group’s website, howellheritagehistoricalsociety.org.
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