Old Wall Historical Society President To Be Honored By County

WALL, NJ – Monmouth County Clerk Christine Giordano Hanlon recently announced that Old Wall Historical Society President and Museum Director De Hearn won the 2021 Jane G. Clayton Award. Hearn will be honored during the County Clerk’s 26th Annual Archives and History Day on Saturday, Oct. 2, at Brookdale Community College’s Collins Arena in Lincroft.

Named for the former County Clerk who established the Monmouth County Archives, the Jane G. Clayton Award has been given annually since 1997 to an individual who has made a major contribution to the preservation and knowledge of Monmouth County history.

“De Hearn has played a crucial role in preserving Wall Township history through the preservation of key historic structures in the township and through the programs and activities of the Old Wall Historical Society,” Hanlon said in a statement.

Hearn has been with the Old Wall Historical Society since 1975 and was instrumental in the acquisition of the Algor-Barkalow Homestead, built in 1800, which currently serves as the Historical Society’s headquarters and museum. In 1984, she succeeded in getting the homestead placed on the state and federal Registers of Historic Places.

In the late 1990s, Hearn played a pivotal role in helping the Historical Society to acquire the Blansingburg Schoolhouse, built in 1856. Since then, Hearn has hosted many class trips to the farmhouse and schoolhouse, and every year, every second-grade class in Wall Township visits the museum to learn what life and school were like in the 1800s.

In 2010, Hearn helped the Historical Society acquire and restore the Morris-Algor-Kittell Wheelwright Shop property, which became the third building owned and operated by the Historical Society. The property dates back to 1840 and is the oldest brick commercial building in Monmouth County.

Hearn has also published two books, “Wall Township…A Quieter Time” and “A Pictorial Guide to Old Wall.” Hearn also writes a quarterly newsletter, “The Storekeeper’s Ledger,” and an annual publication, “Journal.”

“The efforts of De Hearn have made a significant impact on the preservation of Wall Township history, and I am delighted that she will be receiving this year’s Clayton Award,” Hanlon said.