Preserve America Community: Wall Township, New Jersey
Wall Township (population 25,261) is the first Preserve America Community to be designated in the state of New Jersey. The township’s history is featured on the official township seal, which includes images of four historic properties. The first two reflect the community’s early history. The Allaire Iron Furnace (1788) represents 18th-century industry, and the Allgor-Kittell Blacksmith Shop (one of the earliest brick structures in Monmouth County) exemplifies the 19th-century growth of the Township’s small villages.
The other two properties on the seal highlight Wall Township’s role in the development of 20th century technology. The Marconi Tower represents the trans-Atlantic radio transmission complex built in Wall Township by inventor and radio pioneer Guglielmo Marconi, and the Diana Radar Tower is the tower used to bounce the first radio signal off of the moon.
These historic towers are part of the Camp Evans Historic District, a former military post that has just been transferred to Wall Township. The Township is working with InfoAge, a group of non-profit organizations, to develop an interactive learning center focused on information age technologies at Camp Evans. The site will become a major heritage education and heritage tourism asset.
To help foster an appreciation for local history in children, the Old Wall Historical Society has developed a coloring book of 20 historic sites within the town, complete with descriptions, study questions, and driving directions. Each township student is given a coloring book in second grade, and those who visit each site to answer the questions receive a certificate.
For more information:
Wall Township www.wallnj.com
InfoAge Science-History Center www.infoage.org
Posted May 23, 2006