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A Happy Birthday to King George III

History buffs take on traditional celebration in historic Marlpit Hall

And a gala regal birthday was celebrated by all ...

It was the 35th birthday celebration of King George III that was feted in Middletown yesterday, but the king actually would have been 273. It's an annual event hosted at the historic Marlpit Hall by the Monmouth County Historical Association.

For the era's sake, each year, the Association celebrates the king's birthday as if it were 1773 again, when he turned 35. And they keep him that age year after year, just to catch the spirit of the times a couple of centuries ago. It's an event which is dressed up to suit the 18th century motif by historical reenactors and guides.

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At this year's, visitors enjoyed live music and refreshments typical of the 18th century, and got an informative tour of the house that sits on Kings Highway and was built in 1756, though portions of the original structure can be traced back to the 1600s.

The estate once belonged to Edward and Mary Taylor, wealthy landowners who were born in America but were loyal to the crown and rejected the independence movement.

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They maintained a strong cultural affinity with Great Britain, and idolized the hated king to whom the Declaration of Independence was addressed. Their son George raised a militia of loyalist Americans from Middletown and fought as a colonel on the losing side of history. He was forced to flee to Canada after the war ended.

The house was passed on through the descendants of the Taylors until it was donated to the Monmouth County Historical Association, on behalf of a Margaret Moore Riker Haskell, for preservation in 1936. Patch will soon feature a full historical account of the home.

See more of Marlpit Hall and scenes from the birthday party in the Viewfinder photo gallery above.

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