Highland Park

Highland Park, New Jersey explores the rich history of this 2-square-mile town in an unprecedented collection of over 200 photographs.
Highland Park's history is one of growth and is best seen through the ever-tightening weaving of old and new architecture. As 19th century farmsteads gave way to residential developments, Highland Park's main street experienced considerable development and change; the horse and buggy gave way to trolleys and, eventually, to automobile traffic. In this unique pictorial collection, discover the charm of this New Jersey town through historic images of Highland Park's architecture, from mansions and churches to shacks. Also featured are collected memorabilia from local cultural events such as parades and horse races. While Highland Park acknowledges close ties to the city of New Brunswick, its small-town identity comes out from under New Brunswick's large shadow. Outstanding photographs of Ayres beach, the building of the railroad bridge, and the American Legion Drum and Bugle Corps in dress uniforms are complemented by timely graphics from maps, advertisements, and even a raffle ticket that was saved for 95 years.

As residents have come and gone, Highland Park's 150 years of visual history have become a scattered mosaic. Through the efforts of the Highland Park Historical Society, many of the pieces have been carefully reassembled from the multitude of individual photograph albums, the town's small institutional archives, and from several universities and national archives.