Middlesex County, NJ

In the late 1970s, the Environmental Protection Agency was overseeing construction of a major sewer line through Middlesex County, New Jersey. The project was halted due to its unforeseen impact to a lost port community buried under a local road and a Middlesex County Park. The port community was Raritan Landing. Inhabited by slaves, tradespeople, and prominent English and Dutch merchants, this small village thrived from the early 1700s up to the American Revolution. Learn about the history of Raritan Landing and the excavation of the most studied archaeological site in New Jersey from historians, anthropologists and archaeologists. These dedicated professionals utilized revolutionary technology, such as ground penetrating radar and carefully gathered artifacts but worked as fast as possible to assist the Environmental Protection Agency in completing a vital project. Brought to you by the Middlesex County Division of History and Historic Preservation, part of the Arts Institute of Middlesex County, and the Middlesex County Board of County Commissioners.