As summer camp winds down, more than 30 Club kids attending the “Last Blast” summer camp program had the opportunity to spend a day on the historic grounds of the Updike Farmstead of the Historical Society of Princeton. The day trip, sponsored by PNC Bank, gave participants the opportunity to tour the grounds, participate in an arts and crafts project and scavenger hunt.

Leaving from the Club on 212 Centre Street, campers piled onto the bus and headed into Princeton to the Updike Farmstead. Eve Mandel, curator of education, guided the Club kids on a tour through the farmhouse and discussed the evolution of farming in New Jersey, from the Lenape Indians to farming today

Club kids also learned historical information about the original owners of the Updike Farm, the Clark and Updike families and how the Revolutionary War threatened the way of life of most farmers.

Following the tour, volunteers from PNC Bank assisted Club kids in making dream catchers from paper plates, beads, feathers and string before heading to the outside grounds to explore nature through a scavenger hunt. 

The Historical Society of Princeton purchased the six-acre Updike Farmstead from the estate of Stanley Updike in 2004. The Farmstead is listed on the State and National Register of Historic Places and lies within Princeton Township’s Princeton Battlefield/Stony Brook Settlement Historic District. Educational tours are given yearly for local schools and community youth.

The Boys & Girls Club of Trenton continues to partner with organizations such as the Historical Society of Princeton to provide our 2,300 members with educational and enrichment activities through our after school, weekend, and summer programs.