In our second edition of the History and Heritage Spotlight, our readers will get another cross-section of some of the things that have made New Jersey what it is—whether for better or worse. Museums, cultural centers, and historical education in general boil down to a major theme: telling our story.

Pigeonholing is a common human habit. There is a certain comfort in knowing “things are in their place” and applying a label to X, Y, and Z to ease our understanding. “This is this and that is that” is a useful way of organizing if you’re dealing with a toolbox or a filing cabinet. But, as in life overall, the reality is that our human experience is not so easily compartmentalized. So often, “black and white” are varying shades of grey.

True absolutes and extremes are rare anomalies. This also applies to how we understand our history—a history which is, whether we realize it or not—a shared one, no matter what that subject may be, by virtue of living in a society of interactions.

Last year’s History and Heritage Spotlight tried to touch on a variety of places in New Jersey which hold special significance to understanding who we are and how we came to be so in our often-maligned Garden State. The purpose was simple, but, in the hopes of the author, a worthy one: to promote a sense of unity at a time when divisions run so deep. This edition continues that mission.

Download the 2025 History & Heritage Spotlight or view it below: