Swedesboro, New Jersey, USA

Who built the first long cabins in America? The Swedes of New Sweden (which included many Finns) on the lower Delaware River. This may be the second oldest (ca. 1654) to survive. It is smaller than the Nothnagle cabin, but both are single-pen structures, originally with dirt floors. If you are into today's minimalist movement, this might be your ideal home. [2005]

Gibbstown, New Jersey, USA

The Nothnagle single-pen log cabin may be the oldest surviving log structure in the United States. (Attached house built much later.) Date: ca. 1640. Size: Larger than most. Builder: An immigrant from Sweden (though probably a Finn). The Swedish Empire (see the flag?) attempted to colonize the lower Delaware River, calling it New Sweden. [2016]

Asbury Park, New Jersey, USA

Abnormal is how you might describe this street sign. It's hardly standard issue. Its placement at ground level comes as a surprise, and its form is reminiscent of a frieze, even down to the mosaic tiles. Perhaps for this neighborhood, normal street signs would be just too pedestrian (that means "commonplace," according to Merriam-Webster). [2008]

Beemerville, New Jersey, USA

Odds and Evens, Ones and Twos, Singles and Doubles, Which one be You? Here is another single animal with two names: The cuter ones, like this guy, are woodchucks. All others are groundhogs. The setting: a private zoo in northern New Jersey. [2018]

Hamilton, New Jersey, USA

Odds and Evens, Ones and Twos, Singles and Doubles, Which one be You? Here's a couple coupling (sort of!). The setting: the Grounds for Sculpture at the entrance to the Hamilton Transit Station, right where thousands can see and enjoy them daily. [2018]

Cape May, New Jersey, USA

Cape May casts itself as America's original seaside resort. What's that have to do with this mailbox? Before railroads came into existence, there was no way for anyone to get to the seaside. However, when a rail line was built to connect Philadelphia to the New Jersey shore, patrons appeared and a resort for the elite was born. [2020]

Cherry Hill, New Jersey, USA

What is the strangest thing about this mailbox canine? (a) It has morphed into a Dalmatian even though there is no firehouse in sight. (b) It has established a 401K (stands for Kennel) for its canine alter ego even though he is still a puppy. (c) It takes the form of a roadside mailbox even though it is located on someone's front porch. [2006]

Bridgeton, New Jersey, USA

♫ These Are a Few of My Favorite Things ♫ ~ Murals: An otherwise blank slate has been turned into a cross between an historical marker and a wall painting. It is a reminder of Bridgeton's industrial past. Mural art can commemorate the past, mimic the present, or anticipate the future. And, sometimes, murals are just fun. [2016]

Cape May, New Jersey, USA

The Cape-to-Cape ferry across the mouth of the Delaware River connects Cape Henlopen, Delaware, with Cape May, New Jersey, where an historic light tower and beautiful broad beaches beckon the year around. [2020]

Cape May, New Jersey, USA

"Thank You to everyone helping to get through this pandemic especially all the frontline works, delivery people, pharmacy and grocery employees, teachers and medical and essential employees. You are all Heroes!" And, thank you for spelling out what we all wanted to say. [2020]

Woodstown, New Jersey, USA

Hope springs eternal. At least some of these ubiquitous yard signs are clever. Now, let's hope they all disappear. Maybe we should think creatively about non-election yard signs that emphasize unity over division. [2020]

Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA

 

All cities look for a way to put their signatures on the landscape. A wave-like script helps if you are on the coast, but the key to getting recognition is the ability to play up anything unique. Atlantic City's tall-and-proud Absecon Lighthouse fits the bill perfectly. [2016]

Princeton, New Jersey, USA

Wonder what that man is reading? Check it out below. Forty-six years ago today, Richard Nixon resigned: "He urges a time of healing." How the world has changed since then! The printed newspaper has almost become a thing of the past, and Presidents now defy the rules of law and ethics with impunity. [2018]

Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey, USA

Could it be a Ford Fairlane? Perhaps a little too humble to be a Cadillac. But, in the 1950s and 1960s dozens of models had fins. And, that baby blue was popular, too. Now, the era is nostalgically mimicked by a mailbox. [2008]

South Bound Brook, New Jersey, USA

There he goes, pedaling off into the future. Lost: never. Ultracautious: never. Courageous: always. Adventurous: always. Sensible: we'll see. And, at four years into it, he repeats to himself a few lines from a great poet: "And miles to go before I sleep. And miles to go before I sleep." [2018]

Morristown, New Jersey, USA

The Ford House served as General Washington's headquarters during the winter of 1879-80. With 24 snowstorms, it was the worst winter in anyone's memory. It seems fitting that George stayed in a Georgian-style mansion, a huge farm house that came to hold upwards of a hundred people. The remaining 10,000 troops were encamped 5 miles away. [2019]

Beemerville, New Jersey, USA

Real Animal Characters: Do you recognize an aoudad when you come face to face with one? You may recognize his more common name: Barbary sheep. But, he's not really a sheep; nor is he a goat; he is simply an aoudad. [2018]

Trenton, New Jersey, USA

Only three states ratified the new U.S. Constitution the same year it was written. New Jersey was the third, which it did on this date in 1787. Three years later, Trenton became the official state capital. The capitol building itself has served for over 200 years. Recognize the dome (restored as of 1999) as it appeared in 1937 on the postcard below? [2018]

Beemerville, New Jersey, USA

Sika deer: stag and hind. They are overabundant in Japan (sika means 'deer' in Japanese) but almost gone from Korea. In the U.S., they thrive on Virginia's Assateague Island (and the nearby Eastern Shore) where they were introduced in the 1920s. Want to see one in captivity? Try Space Farms in northern Jersey. Stag and hind? Guess what: They are really elk! [2018]

Shiloh, New Jersey, USA

Here's the American flag as we know it: 50 stars for the 50 states, 13 stripes for the 13 originals. It's a very geographical design. In fact, it's almost a map, or what geographers call a cartogram. The scene itself is a re-creation of New York City firefighters hoisting the stars and stripes above the ruins of the World Trade Center in the days after 9-11. [2006]