New Jersey Historic Trust

10/15/2026

Get excited, the 2027 New Jersey History and Historic Preservation Conference is planned for June 10 & 11 in Middlesex County!

We are excited to announce that the 2027 New Jersey History and Historic Preservation Conference will be held in Middlesex County on June 10 & 11!

Get ready for two days of:

📌Hands-on workshops
📌Educational sessions
📌Marketplace sponsor and vendor exhibits
📌Student poster competition
📌Local and regional tours
📌Networking opportunities

The New Jersey History and Historic Preservation Conference is the annual state-wide educational opportunity for history and historic preservation professionals and volunteers in the fields of architecture, planning, heritage site and museum management, public history, archaeology, municipal preservation commissions, county heritage offices, developers, students, and more.

Stay tuned for information about how you can participate in the conference by submitting a session proposal or becoming a sponsor! We can’t wait to see you there!

Follow along for more information!

10/15/2026

Applications for the Discover New Jersey History License Plate Fund are due November 1, 2026. Eligible applicants can receive up to $7,500 to develop and promote visitor ready sites as heritage tourism destinations.

The grant program is supported by income from sales and renewals of the Discover NJ History License plate, which was established in 1995 to support historic preservation activities in the State. The plates feature a Victorian-style row house image, from a painting by New Jersey artist Harry Devlin.

For more information, please visit www.nj.gov/dca/njht/programs/discover.

10/13/2026

The Bayshore Center's historic shipping sheds and wharves, built in 1904-1916 by the Central Railroad of New Jersey, were the centerpiece of the Maurice River Cove oyster industry that employed thousands and defined the regional economy. Listed on the New Jersey and National Registers for its significance to commerce and maritime history, the sheds are a rare example of speculative industrial development and represent a forgotten chapter of American history when oysters were the nation's chief fishery product in the early 1900s. The Bayshore Center acquired and restored the sheds between 1995 and 2011, transforming them into their headquarters, museum, and educational facility, as well as the base of operations for New Jersey's official tall ship, the A.J. Meerwald.

A 2026 Preserve New Jersey Historic Preservation Fund grant will help fund Phase I structural engineering study and rehabilitation of pilings beneath the four wharves. The engineering study will determine the weight of the wharves and roof to assess equipment needs for performing the piling repair work.

10/06/2026

The William Trent House, built in 1719 as a summer home for wealthy Philadelphia merchant William Trent, is a well-preserved early Georgian house and National Historic Landmark where "Trent's Town" (later Trenton) was established. The house, which was home to enslaved people who worked there, served as a field hospital during the Revolutionary War's Battle of Trenton and later hosted prominent figures including George Washington. The site includes original architectural features, a later-built Carriage House, and rich archaeological resources spanning from pre-colonial Native American settlement through the 19th century.

A 2026 Preserve New Jersey Historic Preservation Fund grant will help fund the preparation of a Historic Site Master Plan.

10/05/2026

Preservation New Jersey’s Heritage Tourism Workshop Series continues this fall, helping historic sites, museums, nonprofits, municipalities, preservation commissions, and community organizations build the skills they need to become stronger, more sustainable heritage destinations.

As New Jersey commemorates the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution and continues major historic anniversaries through 2033, we have an extraordinary opportunity to introduce new audiences to the places and stories that make our state unique.

But successful heritage tourism takes planning.

How do we create a welcoming visitor experience?
How can technology help us interpret places that have been lost or dramatically changed?
How do we market historic sites to new audiences?
How can neighboring communities and organizations collaborate instead of working alone?
And how can increased visitation ultimately help sustain the historic places we're working so hard to preserve?

Those are the questions at the heart of PNJ's seven-part Heritage Tourism Workshop Series.

📅 COMING UP IN OCTOBER

October 10 — Visitor Experience and Site Readiness

October 24 — Contemporary Technologies in Reconstructing Lost Architecture

And the series continues in November and December with programs focused on marketing and public awareness, and sustainable operations and community-based tourism.

FREE for PNJ members | $20 per session for non-members

➡️ Learn more and register:
https://preservationnj.org/programs/

The Heritage Tourism Workshop Series is made possible through funding from the New Jersey Historic Trust's Discover New Jersey History License Plate Fund.

10/01/2026

The New Jersey Historic Trust is pleased to announce the 2026 grant recommendations from the Preserve New Jersey Historic Preservation Fund for 77 preservation planning, heritage tourism, and capital projects to save and promote historic sites throughout the state. To read the official press release, visit https://www.nj.gov/dca/njht/news/press/! We are excited to work on these projects!

09/24/2026

Mount Pleasant Cemetery, the first "rural cemetery" in the Newark area and a leader in the Rural Cemetery Movement in New Jersey, is among the finest surviving examples of its type in America. As Newark City's oldest cemetery—a distinction it assumed in 1959 following the conversion of the Old First Presbyterian Church Burial Ground into a parking lot—Mount Pleasant is the final resting place of many leading figures in Newark and New Jersey, as well as American history. In 1962, the Cemetery property was designated a Newark Historic Landmark by the Newark Historic Sites and Buildings Committee, forerunner of the Newark Preservation and Landmarks Committee, and placed on a list of Newark sites and structures deemed worthy of preservation. Its entrance gates, office, and the Opkyke and Cook monuments were included in a photographic survey conducted in 1967 by the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS).

The Friends of Historic Mount Pleasant, Inc. was awarded a 2025 Preserve New Jersey Historic Preservation Fund grant that will help fund the preparation of a Preservation Plan.

09/22/2026

6 stories high, 90 tons, and 140+ years old—Lucy the Margate Elephant is a rare example of architectural "folly”! 🐘 The last of her kind, this National Historic Landmark is a Jersey Shore icon. Happy Elephant Appreciation Day!

09/17/2026

The James Marshall House in Lambertville is estimated to have been constructed in 1816 by Philip Marshall. James Marshall, his son, lived in the house as a boy and young man. He then traveled from New Jersey to northern California, serving in the Bear Flag War that hastened California’s entry into the United States. After serving in the war, Marshall built the sawmill attributed to the discovery of gold, which would alter the character of California and the nation. The James Marshall House is listed individually under criteria A, B, and C and is also a contributing resource to the Lambertville Historic District. The house is listed under Criterion A for retaining the style of the eighteenth century despite having undergone various remodeling campaigns. The house is listed under Criteria B and C for its associations with the 1849 Gold Rush and consequent westward expansion.

The State of New Jersey acquired the building in 1966 and restored it to its 1816 appearance. The Lambertville Historical Society has leased the James Marshall House from the State of New Jersey since 1973 and currently operates the building as a museum interpreting Lambertville’s early nineteenth century history and development.

A 2025 Preserve New Jersey Historic Preservation Fund grant will help fund roof replacement.