The Ramsayburg Homestead Summer Concert Series continues with blues guitarist Toby Walker July 25, at 3 p.m.
On the banks of the Delaware River, the Ramsayburg Homestead Amphitheater is celebrating the return of live music following the pandemic. Organizer Jeff Rusch said 2022 is his first year at the helm of the series, and that he was pleased to be a part of the revival of live music on the Delaware.
“It’s really great to see the turnout,” Rusch said, of the several hundred people who attended the opening show on May 15, with the band Yarn and their Highways of Americana show.
A veteran D.J. and music guy, Rusch said the contacts he has made over the years have helped him attract talent to the Knowlton Township venue.
Walker’s solo show on June 25 will be preceded by a guitar workshop at 1 p.m. More information on the workshop can be found at his website, LittleTobyWalker.com.
Through stories and songs, Walker brings listeners along on his journey through the Deep South, where he learned the roots of the Blues. He counts Blues guitar legends Etta James and James “Son” Thomas among his mentors.
Walker uses a variety of instruments during his show, including Toby uses a variety of instruments, including a one-string diddley bow, National Steel guitars, harmonicas and even a cigar box guitar.
A donation of $10 is suggested for the show, and concertgoers are welcome to bring lawn chairs and even arrive up to an hour early and bring a picnic to the natural amphitheater at Ramsayburg.
Located on Route 46, just south of the Delaware Water Gap, the Ramsayburg Homestead and its structures are all that remains of the 55-acre tract originally settled in 1795 by Irish immigrants James and Adam Ramsay. There, the brothers found a tavern that they continued operating, and added a store followed by a post office, lumberyard, sawmill and blacksmith shop.
The buildings still standing on the remaining 12 acres of the estate were built between 1800 and 1870 and include the tavern building, cottages, barn and other outbuildings.
The New Jersey Green Acres program took possession of the property in 2000 and included it in the Beaver Brook Wildlife Management area, the state Department of Environmental Protection lacked the resources to maintain the structures on the land. The Knowlton Township Historic Commission stepped in and arranged a lease of the property to preserve the buildings
with multiple state, federal and private grants. The hamlet is now on the National Register of Historic Places.
The layout of the property offers access to the Delaware River for canoes and kayaks and also offers pristine location for outdoor music.
Other artists scheduled for the concert series this summer and fall include the jazz of the Karl Latham Quartet on July 16, the Alex Radus Band on Aug. 28 and Don Elliker with his band, Me and My Big Ideas, on Oct. 1.
Joe Phalon, Contributing Writer
Joe was lured out of retirement by the opportunity to be a part of the Ridge View Echo. During a decades-long career in publishing and journalism, he has covered government on many levels from local school boards to the United States Supreme Court.
Along the way, Joe has worked at American Lawyer Magazine, The National Law Journal and The Record among other publications, and as the Press Officer of Columbia Law School. His work has been recognized with several first place awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and the New Jersey Press Association.
Being part of the Ridge View Echo brings Joe back to his roots and the kind of news coverage he loves: Telling the stories of people and local communities as well as keeping an eye on how their money is spent by their government officials.
Joe lives in Blairstown with his wife Rose, the founder of Quilting for a Cause, and their two wiener dogs. He is an artist in his spare time.
