Officials will unveil circa 1819 painting of Joseph Bonaparte in its original frame that has never before been seen in public
D&R Greenway Land Trust welcomes community members to the public opening of the new Discovery Center at Point Breeze on Saturday, May 20 from 1- 5 p.m.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at 1 p.m. in front of the paneled mahogany doors at the entrance to the Discovery Center, 101 Park St., Bordentown.
Barbara “Blue Jay” Michalski will offer a Lenape blessing. Bordentown City Mayor Jennifer Sciortino will be joined with state and local dignitaries to cut the ribbon, along with D&R Greenway President and CEO Linda Mead who oversaw the design of the new museum.
“The two years it took to renovate the 200-year-old house, that was lived in by nuns and priests for the past 80 years, was a flash compared to the property’s 13,000 years of history,” Mead said. “It was a flash that has now put the Bordentown community on the world stage, with a welcoming place full of stories and discoveries that will delight history lovers, nature buffs, and artists alike.”
Preservation of the former estate of Joseph Napoleon Bonaparte, exiled King of Spain and older brother of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte of France, by the state, City of Bordentown and D&R Greenway in 2020, was heralded in the New York Times, the Times of London and the Spanish News Service.
Following two years of renovations by D&R Greenway, the land trust is opening the former Gardener’s House, the only remaining structure from the Bonaparte era. Guests will be treated to stories of the Crown Jewels, archaeological displays and a circa 1819 painting of Joseph Bonaparte in its original frame that has never before been seen in public.
Local artists…