Middlesex County Historic Greenway and Trail Network

By: JOSH DIDRIKSEN CHRIS MARSHALL DANNY ROUNDS MARIA TORRES FRANCES TURNER

Historic Properties & Districts Open Space Forested Areas Wetlands Urban Areas Suitability Cost Map Connector Paths

The Van Wickle House

Evert Van Wickle, a successful Dutch carpenter of Long Island, bought 800 acres of land near the Raritan River in the late 1600s . His son Symen built the Van Wickle House facing the river in 1722. The house survived through the time of the Revolutionary War and, in 1830, the Delaware and Raritan Canal was built through the front yard. The house has been a farmhouse, colonial showplace, and home for generations of owners. The house is valued as a good example of Dutch architecture unique to the – New York area. VAN WICKLE HOUSE

Thomas Edison Park

Thomas Alva Edison was a very influential inventor and businessman of America. He developed many devices that had a great impact worldwide, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and the light bulb. This park has dedicated a museum and a memorial tower that contains the biggest light bulb in the world. This memorial is complemented by a small state park that can be used for nice strolls or short, easy hikes. EDISON MEMORIAL PARK PESPECTIVES CONCEPTUAL VIEW

Cheesequake State Park is a 1,569 acre unique site consisting of open fields, to salt water and marshes, to white cedar and Pine Barrens, to its unique hardwood forests. Cheesequake State Park opened 1940 after New Jersey first started buying land for this future park in 1938. The name “Cheesequake” comes from the Lenape Indians who occupied the site centuries before. Reported evidence of Native American usage dates back as far as 5,000 years. CHEESEQUAKE STATE PARK

Pigeon State Park Pigeon Swamp currently sits in South Brunswick Township on “Dean’s Hall Road”, with a size of 1078 acres. Its historic significance derives from its original owner, Anne Pigeon during the 1761. Pigeon swamp gets its name because it once was a major nesting site for passenger pigeons that became extinct. As of 1976 Pigeon swamp became a National Natural Landmark. Ann Pigeon was the daughter of Jeremiah Basse, the Governor of New Jersey in 1697. Currently this area is an undeveloped space with important hardwood upland forests; it also holds ponds as well as inner lower land hardwood deciduous species. Some include: Red maple, sweet gum, pin oak, and black gum trees. Pigeon swamp has great ecological significance due to the amount of amphibians it is able to host through the vernal pool habitats that exist in this site. Other variety of species like Krestels and Red Tailed Hawks are commonly found in this area. The surrounding area Pigeon swamp has neglects the use of the park. The industrial setting and large highway traffic surrounding conflicts pedestrian access into the park, giving the area an abandoned and underutilized appearance. As a result, this area needed improvement and therefore it was one of the top historical choices to restore and draw people into the site. The design intent invites people to an entrance of , where people can walk or cycle to and through and enjoy a historical landmark. -Developed Areas

-Highly Industrial Zone

- Current Access to Pigeon Swamp State Park Bike and Pedestrian Access Existing Entrance on : Deans Hall Road, US 130 and County Rd 522 New Entrance on : Deans Hall Road, US 130 and County Rd 522 Historic Cranbury

Cranbury's Main Street and surrounding area is rather distinctive, as most of the buildings date to the 18th or 19th century. The entire downtown area is designated as a Historic District, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. A deed for a sale of land and improvements dated March 1, 1698, is the earliest evidence of buildings constructed in present- day Cranbury. A home in Cranbury was used by Alexander Hamilton and the Marquis de Lafayette as a headquarters during the American Revolutionary War. CRANBURY CRANBURY CRANBURY CRANBURY Perth Amboy Ferry Slip, Perth Amboy NJ Cross Keys Tavern, Wooodbridge NJ Buccleuch Park, New Brunswick NJ Six Mile Run, Somerset NJ East Jersey Olde Towne Village, Piscataway NJ D&R Canal, Middlesex County NJ Gaimarese Farm, East Farm NJ Landing Lane Bridge, New Brunswick NJ Griggstown, NJ Any Questions? Photo Credit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:PerthAmboyFerrySlip.jpg http://woodbridge.injersey.com/about/woodbridge-history-tour-trinity- episcopal-church/tour-15/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Buccleuch_Mansion_New_Brunswick_NJ.jpg http://njdoghikes.com/index.php/news/ http://www.revolutionarynj.org/gallery/index.php?galleryID=1 http://www.tr2nb40.org/content/dr-canal-photos http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/North_America/United_States/Northeast/e w_Jersey/New_Brunswick/photo1298957.htm http://www.flickriver.com/photos/tags/k114/interesting/ http://library.byways.org/assets/79233 Chris Marshall