DAR finishes stablization of museum's second floor

WANTAGE — The Chinkchewunska Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, recently completed the stablization of the second floor of The Rev. Elias Van Bunschooten Buseum.

The Reverend Elias Van Bunschooten House was built in 1790 and deeded to the Chinkchewunska Chapter in 1970. The house was placed on the State and National Registers of Historic Sites and Places and is now known as the DAR Van Bunschooten Museum. The second floor has been stabilized and visitors will no longer have to be broken up into smaller groups to enjoy their visit and experience all the museum has to offer, especially the Musket that was used during the Revolution War.

"Our goal was to stablize the second floor so we could offer larger groups to visit the museum safely and our goal has been accomplished," Chapter Regent Bonnie Matthews said. "Life for the 1790 house is again safe for our community.”

The Chinkchewunska Chapter was awarded a $9,350 grant by the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution on April 17, 2013. Funding for the project was made possible through the sponsorship of Chinkchewunska Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, located in Wantage Township, New Jersey.

The ceiling of the first floor had been removed and all the beams had been examined. A slow process of “jacking” took place to see if the beams would give a little before new beams were placed next to them. New beams were then installed next to the original beams and a new ceiling was installed and painted.

The DAR grants program was started in 2010. Funding is awarded to support projects in local communities that promote the organization’s mission areas of historic preservation, education and patriotism.

For more information, contact Matthews at 201-874-1428 or visit http://www.rootsweb.com/~njdar/Chinkchewunska/chapter.html.