In celebration of the Summit Free Public Library’s 150th Anniversary, Patricia Meola, President of The Summit Historical Society, will present a free lecture—in person and online—on Sunday, April 28, at 2 p.m. in the Summit Free Public Library’s Liss Meeting Room. With limited seating and online attendance, reservations are requested. Reserve your place here.

A lifelong Summit resident and Free Public Library supporter, Ms. Meola will explore the details of some historic homes of Summit and the residents who lived in them, plus more, including:

• How Brayton School and the Brayton Brook got their names
• The local tie to the invention of the player piano
• The conversion of a private home on Locust Avenue to a sanitarium
• Contributions to the city’s streetscape from noted architects
• The time a Summit man teared up when he had to give away his horses
• How the first train came to make its way over “The Summit of the Short Hills”
• Why the Grand Summit Hotel was once called the Blackburn House

In a continuation of the library’s 150th Anniversary celebration, Patricia Meola will also present a lecture, “Summit: A to Z,” on Sunday, May 19, at 2 p.m. at the Summit Free Public Library. Reservations for this lecture can be made here.

Blackburn House

This historic hotel was built in 1869, on the former land and incorporating the former farmhouse of John Blackburn.