Our first stop was to the brand-new Roebling Museum.
The museum is easy to find from the RiverLine train station. It is not hard to find by car, either.
After decades of sitting empty, the building and grounds were turned over to
the Township of Florence and the Roebling Museum in June 2009. This building served as the gateway for the factory shift workers every day from its beginnings as just a gate in 1905, until the factory closed in 1947 (after many additions had been built around the original gate).
The building looks sparkling new. The visit began with a brief movie filled with much oral history as told to the producer, Clifford Zink (whom I met a couple of days later at Art All Night). He interviewed factory workers and children of factory workers. Some of whom have since passed away.
Inside there is a room dedicated to the Roebling family. The Roeblings are most famous for creating the steel ropes that built the Brooklyn Bridge in 1883. They went on to create other famous suspension bridges, such as the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.
A second room focused on working in the factory.
A third room taught us about living in the town of Roebling. This was my first visit to the town, though I have passed it when I drive down Route 130. It was built as a factory town for the workers of the factory. People lived in the town according to the jobs they held. They started off in a tiny row home. After a promotion they moved up to a semi-detached home and then a few lived in free-standing homes. Everyone knew each other no matter their ethnicity. It sounded idyllic.
The museum is small, but it is amazing what they have created in such a short time.
Ashley's favorite part was the building where the workers received their shoes. You cannot go in the building, and there is not much to see through the window, but the thought that it housed lots of shoes appealled to her.
The highlight for me was the scavenger hunt at the end. Something to keep in mind is to always ask the staff if there are activities for kids. I find it helps keep us focused, too.
I will admit that Ashley and I moved this to the top of the list because we received free passes (for voluntering at Rockingham) that were set to expire at the end of the month. Even with the movie, we still only spent about an hour at the site. Everyone was very friendly. They have done a terrific job in a short time. I wish them much luck in the future.
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