Public Exhibit – Fri, Mar 31 – Sun, Apr 2 (Fri 11am – 8pm, Sat 10am – 8pm, Sun 11am – 5pm); Bridgewater Commons, Community HUB (Main Level next to Verizon Wireless)

The Hobbs Family Union, in partnership with Bridgewater Commons, present Hobbstown: Past, Present, Future, a historical and cultural exhibit celebrating the centennial and future of one of the most unique and historical African American communities in Bridgewater Township, New Jersey. Free and open to the public, the exhibit will feature a vast collection of historical items, heirlooms, photographs, and videos collected by the Hobbs Family over generations, as well as interactive family activities and a glimpse into the future of Hobbstown. The weekend’s special events to include:

Sat, Apr 1, 4pm – Panel Talk with Bennie Macklin, Radio Host WIMG AM 1300 to discuss emerging ideas, observations, and questions on the role that cultural heritage and its preservation can and should play in the growth of our communities.

Sun, Apr 2, 10:30am – Honor and Praise Service hosted by Macedonia Baptist Church

The Hobbs Family Union. Inc. was organized in 2017 to research, preserve, and edify the history of Hobbstown, Bridgewater, New Jersey. Their mission is to record and depict the little-known aspects of a community formed by Blacks in the early 20th century as a haven from racism and economic oppression within the larger American story. Amos, General Washington, and Robert Hobbs were emigrees from Georgia early in the Great Migration, eventually settling in rural Bridgewater Township, New Jersey during 1920’s. They founded a community that included their families and friends and called it ‘Hobbstown’. There they established a village of fellow travelers all in pursuit of economic and social empowerment. Hobbstown became a source of support, encouragement, and pride for generations of families. In 2018, Bridgewater Township officially recognized the neighborhood as Hobbstown. The exhibit acknowledges the contributions, the successes, and the legacy of those early settlers and the vison for the continuity of this legacy for future generations.