The
Museum of the Cranford Historical Society is an 1845 Victorian cottage that served as a honeymoon house for Josiah Crane Jr., great-grandson of the original miller, on North Union Avenue. It is known as "The Little
House on the Rahway" adjacent to the Cranford Municipal Building. Later it was the home of Henry Phillips (from the Philips "Milk of Magnesium" family. The Phillips family owned the house from 1867 to
1928. 
The idea of having a living museum has been in the minds of
the trustees for some time and after the development of Kate's (Phillips) Room in 1993 has been in that direction. This living museum is planned to depict life in Cranford in the latter part of the 19th Century.
The trustees sought professional help in 1995 to determine what the specific needs were necessary to stabilize, preserve, and restore the Crane-Phillips House. Herbert Githens, a
Historical Architect and Preservation Planner, provided an assessment of current conditions and developed a long range
plan to achieve the goals of the society. Mr. Githens was able to determine that the architecture of the house followed the specific style of Andrew Jackson Downing.
The Cranford Historical Society has a long-range plan (1996-2002) of stabilizing, restoring and rehabilitating both the interior and exterior of the Crane Phillips house. The theme for this plan is
called "Give the Past a Future".
For a beautiful black and white photographic anthology of Cranford, pick up the "Images of America: Cranford" by Robert Fridlington and Lawrence Fuhro. You may find the book through the Cranford
Historical Society at (908) 276-0082.
