A Formal Tea to Cure the January Blahs

History is fun, but it's even more fun when you can partake of a high tea while you're imbibing the atmosphere.

A stone's throw from is the , a historical mansion that once housed Benjamin Franklin's son, the former governor of NJ during the American Revolution. 

The brick manse has been around for centuries and has done double duty as a hotel, an office site, and a home for birds during various abandonments. Now the mansion is owned and administered by the state's Department of Environmental Protection.

A boatload of volunteers dedicated to preserving the mansion - the Association of Perth Amboy - maintains the site. As you might expect, a historic house of this vintage has a few ghost stories, and the volunteers make the most of it around Halloween with various ghost talks. Christmas is also a special occasion, with the house decorated for the holidays.

But for a fun, relaxing afternoon, the volunteers hold Wednesday Teas from 1 pm to 4 pm. They offer a variety of teas and desserts, with a tour of the Proprietary House thrown in for good measure.

The cost is a reasonable $7 per person.

The Proprietary House is located at 149 Kearny Avenue. The phone number for more information or guest reservations is 732-826-5527.