The Lawrence Hopewell Trail is a one-of-a-kind, 20-mile hike-and-bike route that wends its sinuous way through some of the choicest rural and suburban acreage in central New Jersey’s Lawrence and Hopewell Townships (lhtrail.org). Created painstakingly, segment by segment, over more than 20 years by the local community, the LHT is beginning to tap its rich wayside history through an expanding series of interpretive signs that connects trail users to features in the cultural landscape that they might otherwise unknowingly pass on by.
Hunter Research, with graphic designer Douglas Scott, is currently developing a network of historic interpretive signs that highlight more than 30 points of historical interest along the trail. Covering topics as diverse as the late 17th-century Province Line, the cherished Brearley Oak and the mid-20th-century campuses of corporate giants Bristol Myers-Squibb and Educational Testing Services, these signs engage and inform. Each sign uses appealing historic images coupled with a brief narrative to bring local history back into the land of the living. Seven signs have been recently installed; another half-dozen are in the oven. Hop on that bike or lace up those trainers and go take a look.
