According to Township Historian Winona Nash, the state program is not the best fit for Lawrence Road.
Lawrence residents seeking recognition for the southern end of Route 206, also known as Lawrence Road, should focus on the historic aspects of the road, not its scenic virtues.
By: Lea Kahn
That’s the opinion of Township Historian Winona Nash, who attended a special meeting to discuss the state Department of Transportation’s Scenic Byways program at Princeton University last week.
According to Mrs. Nash, the state Scenic Byways program is not the best fit for Lawrence Road. Special recognition is more likely to come from its inclusion in a plan for a proposed national heritage area than the Scenic Byways program, because it has more historic significance than scenic value, she said.
Scenic Byways is a relatively new program, said David Byers of the DOT, who outlined the program for the 50 people gathered at Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School on March 8.
"When you hear ‘scenic,’ it’s not just scenery. It is more than that," Mr. Byers said. To be identified as a scenic byway, a road must have at least one of six intrinsic qualities. The road must be significant for its scenic, natural, recreational, cultural, historic or archeological impact.
The Kings Highway which some area residents and officials would like to have named as a Scenic Byway has most of those qualities, Mr. Byers said. The 10-mile-long Kings Highway Historic District includes the northern portion of Route 206, between Franklin Corner Road and the Princeton-Lawrence border. It ends at Raymond Road in South Brunswick Township.
According to Mrs. Nash, there may be sections of the Kings Highway Route 206 north of Franklin Corner Road that could qualify for the Scenic Byways program. But Lawrence Road has no such significance, she said.
A stretch of older houses that lines Lawrence Road is somewhat scenic, but that stretch of Route 206 would benefit more from inclusion in the proposed Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area, Mrs. Nash said.
Scenic Byways can be nominated by local, county, state or federal officials, or by a grassroots group. A nomination should be accompanied by a map, which lists the starting and ending points. The significant features along the road, such rivers or lakes, should be noted. A description of the proposed Scenic Byway, pointing out how the road is unique, must be included.
The application is submitted to the state Scenic Byways Advisory Committee. After it has been reviewed by the committee, it will be sent to the DOT commissioner for approval or disapproval. If the application is approved, a corridor management plan, which makes landscaping recommendations, addresses safety issues, roadway design and measures to improve traffic flow is developed and Scenic Byways signs are posted along the road.
The benefits of the Scenic Byways designation include access to federal funding, recognition, increased tourism, planning for protection and managed growth, and consideration for financial assistance for plan implementation.
While the Scenic Byways designation has its perks, Lawrence residents should focus their attention on obtaining recognition for Lawrence Road under the proposed Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area program, according to Mrs. Nash.
That proposal would seek to identify and preserve Revolutionary War sites. There were several skirmishes along Lawrence Road between American and British soldiers during the Revolutionary War. Every year, the delaying action of Col. Edward Hand and his band of Pennsylvania riflemen is celebrated by township historians. Col. Hand kept the British at bay after the second Battle of Trenton in January 1777.
"Lawrence Road continues south into Trenton, following the route of the old Maidenhead Road. There is no scenic significance, but there is historic significance," she said