County Celebrating Anniversary With Online Scrapbook

In honor of Somerset County’s 325th anniversary, officials unveiled a special online historical project Wednesday.

The unveiling was held then to coincide with the official date of the county’s founding, May 22, 1688, according to a release from the county.

In celebration, the release said, the Somerset County Library System and the Board of Chosen Freeholders are offering a “My Somerset County” online scrapbook to help in putting together a digital history project through the library system.

“We invite residents and nonresidents to share memorable experiences of Somerset County landmarks, historic sites, recreation facilities, festivals and more via photographs and comments,” Freeholder Director Peter Palmer said in the release. “These cultural artifacts will provide a glimpse into the past and in some cases will provide personal recollections about historic sites or events.”

The scrapbook, Palmer said in the release, is expected to serve as an insider’s look into the treasures of the county, and it is hoped it will span many decades.

“The Somerset County Library System has created a place on the web where anyone can share images of people and places that have made this county so rich in history, and the wonderful place it is today,” Somerset County Library System Director Brian Auger said in the release.

At the beginning, the release said, the website will serve as a scrapbook. The Library System will create more features as it grows and is enhanced by oral histories, stories and recollections, both past and present.

Residents can visit mysomersetcounty.org to learn about Somerset County as more information is posted continuously.

“The library envisions this resource to be a rich repository of images and stories about New Jersey’s best place to live,” Auger said.

Photos and comments can be submitted directly to the website. Comments should be 500 words or less.

Photos can be mailed to My Somerset County, Attn: Richard Loomis, Somerset County/Bridgewater Library, 1 Vogt Drive, P.O. Box 6700, Bridgewater, NJ 08807. They can also be dropped off at any of the county's 10 libraries.

Photos will be returned via U.S. mail.

This is not the only plan for the county’s anniversary, according to the release. The freeholders and county Cultural and Heritage Commission will be hosting a concert on the courthouse green in Somerville, featuring the Whitehouse Wind Symphony, on June 2 at 2 p.m.

The freeholders have also unveiled a collage in the Bridgewater Township Library with historic photos from the 21 municipalities.