Join us for a fascinating evening of history and community!
Thursday, March 5, 2026
Canoe Club at Hammonton Lake Park
Free and open to the public – no membership or RSVP required!
6 PM – Monthly Membership Meeting
6:45 PM – Refreshments
7 PM – Speaker Series The Historical Society of Hammonton is pleased to invite the public to its next FREE Speaker Series presentation on Thursday, March 5, 2026, at 7 PM, at the Canoe Club, Hammonton Lake Park. The evening begins with the Society’s monthly membership meeting at 6 PM, also open to everyone for free. No membership or RSVP is required—just stop by, enjoy an engaging evening, and discover fascinating insights into our local history.
They say dead men tell no tales, but our March speaker believes differently.
In celebration of the 160th anniversary of Hammonton’s incorporation, local writer, historian, and cemetery caretaker Joseph F. Berenato will present a fascinating look at Hammonton’s four (yes, four) cemeteries before digging into the lives of some of the town’s earliest movers and shakers: who they were, what they did, and where they now rest.
From community leaders to lesser-known figures, Berenato’s talk brings Hammonton’s past to life through the stories etched in stone and preserved in local history. Join us as we dig deep into Hammonton’s past and uncover the tales our cemeteries still have to tell.
Joseph F. Berenato holds a Master’s degree in Writing from Rowan University and wrote for the local newspaper, to varying degrees, from 1997 to 2023. He is a published author and editor specializing in pop culture analysis and local history, and is the co-host of the Jersey Oddcast. Berenato currently serves as Chair of the Hammonton Environmental Commission and is the caretaker of Oak Grove Cemetery, where he also serves as Board Secretary. He is a former trustee of the Historical Society of Hammonton.
The Historical Society of Hammonton is dedicated to preserving and celebrating the rich, multi-cultural social, economic, and political heritage of our town and its people. Our mission is to increase awareness of Hammonton’s rich history and to establish public access by collecting, conserving, interpreting, and promoting it to the widest possible audience.
Our Museum, built in 1887, is a treasure in itself. Formerly the Hammonton Town Hall, it also served as a Town Library and Kindergarten. Located in Hammonton Veterans Memorial Park, it is open to the public on Saturdays from 11 AM to 2 PM. We’re open other days by appointment or happenstance. If you see the OPEN flag flying, come on in!
If you can’t attend the presentation, you can find them on our YouTube channel, or you can come in and play back recordings of this and dozens of other past presentations. Monthly meetings and presentations are typically held on the first Thursday of each month.
Funding has been made possible in part by the New Jersey Historical Commission, a division of Cultural Affairs within the Department of State, through funds administered by the Atlantic County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs.