Community Corner

Mercer County to Celebrate Architectural Heritage as Part of Anniversary Celebration

Mercer County will honor its architectural heritage as part of its 175th anniversary celebration with a three-day event in August, county officials announced Tuesday.

The event begins with a day long symposium, Mercer by Architecture, Aug. 9 from 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m at the Lawrenceville School. The symposium, moderated by Meredith Arms Bzdak, explores a portion of the county's long history through its architecture.

The symposium begins with a breakfast and registration at 8:30 a.m., followed by opening remarks by Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes.

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W. Barksdale Maynard will deliver the keynote address, “Princeton: America’s Campus—Architecture in History and Context,” at 9:30 a.m.

The symposium features two programs.

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The first program, titled “Architecture of Place: History of Housing in Mercer,” features the following presentations:

  • Philip A. Hayden, “Vernacular Farmhouses and Kitchens, Hopewell Township, 1720-1820”;

  • Janet W. Foster, “Patternbook Housing and the Influence of Agricultural Journals in 19th Century Mercer”; and

  • J. Robert Hillier, FAIA, “Architectural Issues in Housing Today.”

  • The second program, titled “Architecture of Space: Public Architecture and Mercer,” features the following presentations:

    • Kate Nearpass Ogden, “Mercer in Context: Some Highlights of County Architecture”;

    • Michael J. Mills, FAIA, “The NJ Capitol Complex”; and

    • Michael Graves, FAIA, “Response and Closing Thoughts.”

    To register for "Mercer by Architecture," visit http://form.jotform.co/form/31834192133853. For more information, e-mail tfagan@mercercounty.org, or call 609-989-6418.

    The symposium is followed by a two-day Mercer County Open House Weekend on Aug. 10 and 11.

    For more information on Mercer County's 175th anniversary celebration, visit www.mercer175.org. Information on scanning historical photos for the county collection is also on the website.

    Scanning may also be done at Mercer County’s McDade Administration Building at 640 South Broad Street in Trenton. To make an appointment, call 609-989-6597.


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