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The History of Howe House: A Panel Discussion IN PERSON

Find out about the first Black-owned home in Montclair dating back to the 18th century, learn about local history, and hear about the plans for this historic structure. Zoom option also available.

IN PERSON REGISTRATION IS CLOSED. Please come to the library auditorium and we will do our best to accommodate you. 

This hybrid program is co-presented by The Montclair Public Library Foundation, The Friends of Howe House, The Montclair History Center, The Montclair African American Heritage Foundation, St. Mark's United Methodist Church of Montclair (The Mark) and The Universalist Unitarian Congregation at Montclair. Attend in person or livestream on Zoom. Registration is required. Masks are optional but strongly encouraged at all Library programs. 

Join our panel discussion on the history of the Howe House with historians, genealogists, community scholars and a descendent of the Crane and Howe families, and participate in an audience Q&A.

The James Howe House at 369 Claremont Avenue is the first African American-owned home in Montclair, dating back to the 18th century. Formerly enslaved by Major Nathaniel Crane, a member of Montclair’s founding family, Howe received his freedom and the house in Crane’s will in 1836. Recently the Howe House featured prominently in the news: it came up for commercial sale and a group of local preservationists successfully banded together to buy it at the last minute. 

The story of the Howe House invites timely questions and reflections about local history: Did you know that New Jersey was the last Northern state to abolish slavery? Did you know that enslaved people helped to build Montclair? Did you know that the Underground Railroad ran directly through New Jersey's communities of free Blacks and abolitionists? The history of the Howe House takes us to all these places and more.

Moderator: Dionne Ford, a journalist, author, and a board member of The Friends of the Howe House. She co-edited "Slavery's Descendants: Shared Legacies of Race and Reconciliation" and is the author of the forthcoming "Go Back and Get It: A Memoir of Race, Inheritance, and Intergenerational Healing." 

Panelists:

• James Amemasor serves as research specialist at The New Jersey Historical Society and teaches political science at Rutgers-Newark. 
• Janice C. Gilyard is the president of The Afro American Historical and Genealogical Society (NJ Chapter), a member of the James Howe House Research Team, New Jersey Genealogical Society, charter member of The Harriet Tubman Chapter of Sons & Daughters of the US Middle Passage, and The National Genealogical Society, and a descendent of the Howe and Crane families.
• Betty Holloway, a retired teacher, is a member of the Montclair African American Genealogy Group and the Montclair African American Heritage Foundation. She has created several projects about Montclair's African American community that reflect her interest in genealogy and historical research.
• Geoffrey Zylstra is an associate professor of history at New York City College of Technology at CUNY. His research includes the formation of free Black neighborhoods in New York City and Philadelphia. He is a member of The Friends of Howe House.

The Friends of the Howe House is a community coalition dedicated to the preservation of the historic home of James Howe, the first African American homeowner in Montclair, and to the legacy of the local African American community. They are activists, community leaders, historians and ministers who came together with the hope of achieving State and National landmark status for the James Howe House. 

The Montclair History Center is a private, nonprofit organization that promotes the preservation, study and appreciation of local history. They serve as stewards of three historic houses in Montclair: the Crane House and Historic YWCA, the Nathaniel Crane House, and the Clark House.They preserve Montclair’s historic buildings, artifacts and documents, educate the community on local history and its importance through programs, advocacy and exhibits, and share the stories of the individuals and groups in Montclair. 

The Montclair African-American Heritage Foundation (the MAAHF) is a non-profit organization supported by a diverse committee of volunteers living both in and outside of Montclair.The MAAHF serves as an outreach organization to broaden minds and spirits. To preserve history, they recognize and promote cultural resources as an essential element of Montclair's economic and social well-being.​ 

St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, often called The Mark, was established in Montclair in 1880. The congregation prides itself on its spirit of innovation and a risk-taking mindset, bringing their legacy as trailblazers within their community to be active and relevant in an ever-changing world. 

The Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Montclair was founded in 1897 by women interested in providing their children with a liberally religious education. Grounded in faith but not held by doctrine, spiritual seekers come together to nurture the soul, inspire hope and bring into being a more just and loving world.

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