Session

About this Session

SESSION DESCRIPTION

Long before railroads became a viable transportation option, the completion of the Morris Canal gave New Jersey its first interstate transportation system. Iron-making settlements in the New Jersey Highlands grew into industrial towns, and with the delivery of Pennsylvania anthracite coal, coastal towns developed into major industrial cities. Today, the Canal Society of New Jersey (CSNJ) is working with communities, organizations, and agencies such as the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority to create a Morris Canal Greenway that preserves the Canal’s remaining features while establishing a statewide history and recreation corridor.

Over the past decade, this effort has grown from a grassroots initiative into a statewide project now reflected in planning documents across multiple counties and municipalities.

Presentation:

This session brings together three presenters representing complementary perspectives essential to making the Morris Canal Greenway a reality.

Joe Macasek, President of the Canal Society of New Jersey,  will discuss the important role the Morris Canal played in New Jersey’s history and the partnerships they have been working with to preserve the story of the Morris Canal and its historic remains.

Margaret M. Hickey, AIA, of Connolly & Hickey Historical Architects, will explore the Morris Canal Greenway through a series of historic sites that illustrate both the physical infrastructure of the canal and the broader cultural landscape that developed in direct relationship to it. In addition to canal-specific resources—such as Inclined Plane 2 East in Ledgewood and Lock 2 East in Wharton—the discussion highlights sites that maintained a symbiotic relationship with the canal and whose histories are inseparable from its operation and legacy.

These include the Boonton Ironworks and its associated industrial features, such as the railroad trestle and stone arch bridge; the Collins House in Bloomfield, a property whose significance extends beyond, yet is informed by, its canal-era associations; and the fountain at Hopatcong State Park, which emerged as part of the dismantling and re-use of canal infrastructure. Together, these and other sites demonstrate how the canal shaped industrial development, settlement patterns, and landscape evolution along its corridor.

Framed within the concept of the Morris Canal Greenway, the presentation also situates these resources within the context of the ongoing update to the National Register of Historic Places nomination for the Morris Canal, emphasizing the importance of understanding the canal not as an isolated engineering work, but as a connected system of places, industries, and communities.

Ted Ritter of the NJTPA will present “Connecting the Dots: How the NJTPA has helped make the Morris Canal Greenway Happen.”   He will also discuss the NJTPA’s two-fold focus on connecting the Morris Canal Greenway First, by coordinating the Morris Canal Working Group, in concert with the Canal Society of New Jersey; and, second, how the NJTPA works to keep the Group and other partners and stakeholders informed of any potential federal funding programs, grants, and related opportunities that can help underwrite segments of the Greenway projects with an eye toward completing the Greenway by “connecting the dots.”  The NJTPA has funded and continues to fund Morris Canal Greenway projects such including:  Mercer Park in Jersey City; Various projects in Waterloo Village; Plan 9 Bridge and trail improvements in Warren County; and the Morris Canal feeder trail in Passaic County.

Together, the presenters will examine how technology is being used to broaden access, engage new audiences, and support preservation goals. Topics include the development of a satellite greenway visitor center model; archival scanning and digitization projects that make CSNJ collections accessible through an online archival system; virtual programming and Zoom-based lectures that extend educational reach; expanded social media initiatives; and emerging interpretive tools such as archival film and AI-assisted animation. The session will also address ongoing challenges in sustaining relevance, access, and preservation of the canal’s physical remains in the 21st century.

Session Objectives:

Participants will:

• Gain an understanding of the Morris Canal Greenway as a model for integrating historic preservation, public space, and regional planning
• Learn how archival digitization and online access can support documentation, research, and public engagement
• Explore the use of virtual programming, social media, and digital communication tools to reach broader and more diverse audiences
• Examine how emerging technologies, including AI-assisted animation and archival film, can enhance interpretation while maintaining preservation standards
• Identify key challenges and opportunities in preserving linear, multi-jurisdictional historic resources for long-term public use.

Audience:  AR, H, NP, M/C, AIA

Audience Codes:

AIA      Architects

AICP   Planners

AR      Archaeologists

CRM   Cultural Resource Management Professionals

H        Historians

HPC   Historic Planning Commission Members

HT      Heritage Tourism

NP     Non-profit Heritage Sites and Museums

M/C   Municipal and County Officials

Presenter Biographies for marketing purposes:

Joe Macasek, macgraphics2@gmail.com

President, Canal Society of New Jersey

Joe Macasek is President of the Canal Society of New Jersey and former President of the Roebling Chapter of the Society for Industrial Archeology. He is an appointed member of the Morris County Heritage Commission and serves on the board of the Friends of Historic Speedwell. Joe is the author of Guide to the Morris Canal in Morris County and has led a regular series of Industrial Heritage Walks as a program of the Morris County Park Commission. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Design from the Pratt Institute and is sole proprietor of Mac Graphics in Morristown, NJ.

Margaret M. Hickey, AIA, margaret@chhistoricalarchitects.com

Principal Historic Preservation Specialist, Connolly & Hickey Historical Architects

Margaret M. Hickey, AIA, serves as Principal Historic Preservation Specialist at Connolly & Hickey Historical Architects, an architecture firm based in Cranford, New Jersey. She holds a Bachelor of Architecture from the New Jersey Institute of Technology and a Master of Science in Historic Preservation from Columbia University.

Ms. Hickey has been a principal of Connolly & Hickey since 2003 and is responsible for ensuring that all work undertaken by the firm is consistent with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. Her professional responsibilities include the design and oversight of publicly funded historic restoration and rehabilitation projects; assisting public, nonprofit, and private clients with the acquisition, administration, and compliance requirements of preservation grant funding; and the preparation of historic preservation plans and nominations to the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places.

Ted Ritter, Tritter@njtpa.org

External Affairs Manager, North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority

Ted Ritter is the External Affairs Manager for the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority. He represents the NJTPA at official meetings, conferences, and special events; develops creative videos and presentations; and manages innovative, award-winning public engagement initiatives. Prior to joining the NJTPA, Ted worked as a radio news anchor, writer, and reporter. He holds a Master’s Degree in Journalism and Public Affairs from American University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Niagara University.

A/V requirements

• Computer
• Projector
• Screen
• Microphone