MCCC Gallery to Kick Off County's 175th Anniversary with MAPPING MERCER Exhibit Jan. 23 to Feb. 14

The County of Mercer officially kicks off a yearlong celebration of its 175th Anniversary year with "Mapping Mercer!", an exhibition of historic and contemporary maps that trace some of the history of Mercer County, New Jersey. The exhibit will be on display at The Gallery at Mercer County Community College, 1200 Old Trenton Road, from Jan. 23 through Feb. 14. It starts with an Opening Reception on Wednesday, Jan. 23, from 5 to 7:30 p.m.

On display for the first time since the early 1930s will be two of the county's hand-rendered Master Plan maps. Other featured maps include a 1719 map of "Pensilvania, New-Jersey, New-York, and the Three Delaware Counties"; Victorian bird's eye view maps of Hightstown, Hopewell Borough and Trenton; the last official map of New Jersey (1833) before Mercer became a county in 1838; and a county map from the 1860s. One of the three gallery rooms will be dedicated to the mapping of Bear Tavern Road, dating from the 1700s when the road was called River Road. The newest map will reflect the recent merger of Princeton Borough and Princeton Township.

An interactive computer installation will allow visitors a first-hand experience of contemporary mapping techniques.

The Gallery will host two lectures in conjunction with the exhibit. The first, entitled "Planning and Engineering Today," takes place on Thursday, Jan. 31 at noon. Featured speakers are Donna Lewis, director of the County's Planning Division, and Paul Pogorzelski, Hopewell Township's administrator/engineer.

The second talk, to be held Wednesday, Feb. 13 at noon, will feature Maxine Lurie, Ph.D., and Michael Siegel, editor and cartographer, respectively, of the book Mapping New Jersey: An Evolving Landscape. They will discuss their book and the power of maps in telling a complex story.

The exhibition and all events are free and open to the public. More information about Mercer County's 175th Anniversary celebration is available at www.mercer175.org. For more information about The Gallery at MCCC, visit www.mccc.edu/gallery, contact by email at gallery@mccc.edu, or call 609-570-3589.