By David Veasey
NEWS RELEASE
New Book Illustrates State’s Colonial Architecture
As New Jersey Celebrates Its 350th Birthday
(May 26, 2014) —New Jersey’s wide variety of 17th and 18th century extant architecture is the focus of a new book, New Jersey’s Colonial Architecture Told in 100 Buildings.
In this the most crowded and developed state in the union, a substantial number of buildings remain from our colonial past, including the Royal Governor’s Mansion in Perth Amboy, the still functioning Black Horse Inn, Mendham; the meetinghouse style Fairfield Presbyterian Church in Salem County, to Nassau Hall on the grounds of Princeton University, to Washington’s Headquarters in Morristown, to the Sandy Hook, Lighthouse, the oldest lighthouse in the country. Buildings from every county in the state are included in author David Veasey’s book, including clusters of historic buildings in Mendham, Princeton, Mount Holly, and Salem County.
New Jersey’s first settlement began in 1636 when Dutch residents of Manhattan crossed the Hudson Rover and built houses in what is now Jersey City Heights. Swedes and other Scandinavians began moving into the southern part of the state several years later in 1643 from their initial base in Wilmington, Delaware. Eventually, the Dutch and Swedes lost their possessions to the English. The English settlement in Elizabeth in 1664 marks the official founding of New Jersey.
Sandwiched between Philadelphia and New York City, New Jersey often doesn’t get due credit for its contributions to colonial and early American life, including its rich and diverse architectural heritage. This diversity reflects its early settlers who were the most varied in all the colonies, except perhaps for New York City, coming from The Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, France, Ireland, Scotland, and a number of English regions, including English Quakers. Each group brought their building traditions with them.
The book’s author, David Veasey, is a life-long New Jersey resident and has written other books about the state. He lives in Morris Plains, and was graduated from Drew University, Madison, and holds a Master’s Degree from New York University. Veasey has worked as a journalist, UN information officer, advertising writer, and financial writer in New York City. His book tells the story of New Jersey’s rich colonial architectural heritage in more than 100 color photos and in-depth captions. It sells for $24.95, and is published by Fonthill Media, www. Fonthillmedia.com
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Contact: David Veasey, 973-538-0723
or VeaseyD@verizon.net
