Thanksgiving is coming soon.  It is a special time when loved ones share a big meal.  We all give thanks for our blessings.  During this American holiday, we celebrate our homes.  No matter where we live, our homes are always special.  We decorate our homes during Thanksgiving.  Our guests are happy when they see our home.  As we decorate, we create an ambiance for the holiday season.  If you want to celebrate a traditional Thanksgiving, the best place is in a colonial home.

Before the first Thanksgiving on October 1621, American colonists built colonial homes.  American colonial architecture began in 1600 and lasted until the 19^th century. There are many types of colonial homes such as French Colonial, Spanish Colonial, Dutch Colonial, German Colonial, Mid-Atlantic Colonial and Colonial Georgian.

Located in Newark, New Jersey, the Plume House is a Dutch Colonial home.  This home was built before 1725.  Dutch Colonial homes were created around 1630.   The Plume family created the Plume House.  In 1850, the House of Prayer purchased the Plume House.  They transformed it into a rectory.

In 1887, Reverend Hannibal Goodwin made history.  He invented celluloid photographic film at the Plume House.  In 1972, the Plume House was added to the National Register of Historic Places.  This bricked residence still stands.  It is a wonder in Newark, New Jersey.  Many Newarkers are proud of this colonial home that remains.  That is the good news.

But there is also bad news.  Located four feet away from overpass I-280, the Plume House has been damaged.  It continues to be destroyed each day.  When one passes this historic home, one can feel the vibrations caused by the transportation.  Even though the Plume House still serves as rectory for the House of Prayer, it is an unsound structure.  Despite the fact that the Plume House has survived, it will disintegrate if it is not moved to another location.  If this house falls, part of our American history will vanish as well.

The best solution is to move it to an empty lot near the House of Prayer.  However, moving this house costs money.  This estate needs a charitable person who will save it in order to preserve our history.  The person who salvages the Plume House will forever be an American hero.  This American Colonial home is a legacy that should be left to other generations.

If the Plume House is relocated, it will become a secure structure.  This colonial home can become a museum bringing tourism into Newark, New Jersey.  Visitors worldwide will visit this historic treasure.  They will learn about American Colonial history.  Across America, children will take educational school trips to the Plume House.  Like the Ballantine House at the Newark Museum, the Plume house should be preserved.  It is a time capsule of our colonial past.