Housed in a 1900 Richardsonian-Romanesque Revival building listed on the National Register of Historic places, the Museum explores 18th- and 19th-century American history, with a focus on New Jersey. Drawing on its collection of over 8,000 hand tools and their products, METC uses material culture to interpret the lives and technologies of people who lived and worked before the rise of large-scale industrialization in this country. The Museum offers visitors of all ages a broad range of changing exhibits, and related programs that address many facets of early American history, craftsmanship, and the diversity of trades performed by men and women.

The mission of the Museum of Early Trades & Crafts is to enhance the understanding and appreciation of America’s past by presenting and interpreting the history, culture and lives of ordinary people through educational programs, through preservation and stewardship of our collection, and through exhibition and demonstration of the trades and crafts practiced in New Jersey from its earliest settlement.

Since that time, the collection has grown to over 8,000 artifacts representing more than twenty-one different trades. The Museum’s mission continues to fulfill the vision of the Lands. Over 8,000 visitors a year enjoy the programs and exhibits of the Museum, and marvel at the magnificent building that houses it. The James Library is an appropriate place to house the collection of the Museum of Early Trades & Crafts. In the same way that the library’s architects looked to the past for architectural style, the Museum celebrates the trades and handicrafts of 18th and 19th century New Jersey.

Edgar and Agnes Land were residents of Madison who shared a passion for collecting 18th and 19th century objects that were made and used by ordinary people in New Jersey. Their collection had grown to almost four thousand items when they approached the Borough of Madison and requested the use of the vacated library building as a museum. Their objective was to interpret and preserve the history of the farmers, artisans and crafts people who settled in New Jersey. It was also to educate about the lives of ordinary people, an aspect of history that they felt was not being adequately addressed by other museums. On February 18, 1969, the Articles of Incorporation were filed and the Museum of Early Trades & Crafts was created.