Your Friends & Neighbors

Preservation Maven

A town historian is passionate about keeping bygone eras alive around us—and turning children on to their magic.

Twenty Eagle Scouts and countless schoolchildren can all vouch for Wall Township’s De Hearn as a champion of history. The Jane G. Clayton Award issued by Monmouth County, which Hearn won in 2021, was just icing on the cake. This grandmother of four and longtime jewelry-store owner was instrumental in saving three sites, all built in the 1800s. Wall residents know them as the Allgor-Barkalow Homestead Museum, the Blansingburg Schoolhouse and the Morris-Allgor-Kittell Wheelwright Shop. And though Hearn is president of Old Wall Historical Society and museum director, you’ll find her plastering like the best of them to maintain the sites—even though she’s in her late 70s.

What first inspired you to go to bat for the preservation of local historical sites?

I joined the Historical Society in 1975, and that was at the beginning of the state’s bicentennial celebrations. But I have loved history since I was in grammar school. I went out to the Old Tennent Church, and I could see the blood stains on the pews. I just felt a kinship to it—that I belonged there—and I was 10, 11 years old.

What can historic sites teach?

The Wheelwright Shop is on our township seal and flag. Since we’re an old community—we were established in 1851—the children should see what was here before. We used to be nothing but big farmland, but now there’s been development after development.

How have you reached out to schoolchildren?

We approached the schools to bring the children there to teach as if it was 1850. We dress the girls in pinafores and the boys in suspenders to get a real feel for what it would have been like. The girls curtsy to the teacher, and the boys bow as per their morning routine after they say the flag salute.

What’s a typical school day like?

We talk about the Lenni Lenape Indians, our first settlers. We let students do reading out of primers. We try to write as many words that rhyme with Wall as they can fit on their chalkboard. My three daughters and two grandsons went to Wall schools. In fact, I made my grandson wear the dunce cap—not as a punishment, but as a privilege to see what it was like.

What do you consider the greatest accomplishment in preservation?

Just keeping the history of Wall alive. We’re lucky we have Allaire Village [a living history museum in Allaire State Park], and we have InfoAge [a science and history museum in Wall]. We’re concentrating on Wall itself, from the Indians to today. I think it’s good to know where we came from, what was here and what our forefathers had to do to get us here.

What is there about Wall specifically that makes its history worth saving?

I just feel we have so much that’s gone on here. The Revolutionary War was down by the Manasquan River, and the Allen family was trying to save the salt works that the English wanted to take over. Wall was so massive; it used to be from the Manasquan River to the Shark River, from the Atlantic Ocean to Howell Township.

You have devoted many years to Wall Township’s past. What keeps you motivated?

The constant upkeep of these buildings, and to watch these children come in that are so delighted and happy. Hopefully we’ll trigger something in their brains that will turn them on to history. Twenty Boy Scouts have earned their Eagle Scout rank by doing projects around the building, and most have been on one of those class trips, so I’m very encouraged.

How did you feel about the county award?

It’s nice to get recognition for a lot of years of hard work. I have painted, I have plastered, I have set brick. I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty. —Donna Rolando