SPOTSWOOD Acting as an educational pillar in its community for more than 100 years, the Spotswood Heritage and Cultural Commission continues to highlight local historic monuments.
“Our responsibilities are to make sure that no one forgets those who came before us in this borough. We have chosen to erect memorials honoring several significant ‘firsts’ that were associated with this area. The first railroad in the United States ran through Spotswood, and our town has an industrial past involving various mills making tobacco products and grinding grain. Our current project is a monument honoring Lawrie’s Road, possibly the first road in New Jersey,” Jack Eichenlaub said, the chairman for the Spotswood Heritage and Cultural Commission.
Each member of the commission is appointed by the mayor to serve a three-year term. Currently the commission has eight members, according to Eichenlaub.
“You have to be appointed by the mayor. We invites any resident who is interested to come to a meeting and see what we all about. We will be glad to recommend your appointment to the mayor if we agree it is in our mutual interest to do so. Residents can show their support by visiting our monuments, attending our meetings, and letting the council and mayor know that we could use an increase in our yearly budget. We also would like your support in our effort to teach borough children about our history in our grammar schools,” Eichenlaub said.
The commission meets monthly and typically holds its meetings on the third or fourth Thursday of the month at the Polish American Club located at 66 Adirondack Ave., according to Bruce Eckman, a member of the Spotswood Heritage and Cultural Commission.
“Originally back in the 60s or 70s. [The commission] fell dormant for a while, but we recreated it with the help of former mayor Barry Zagnit in 2004. Our first task was to run the 2008 100th Anniversary celebration. This celebration was a big success and we have moved on to create several permanent monuments around town,” Eckman said.
“We [Eichenlaub and I] are natives of Spotswood, and have literally lived here during more than half of the Borough’s existence, 65 of 109 years. We remember talking to some of our older neighbors as a child, and hearing of what happened during their early lives and being fascinated. We both was raised in civically active families and learning our duty to give something back to the town in the way of service,” Eckman said.
For more information about the Spotswood Heritage and Cultural Commission visit www.spotswoodboro.com/culturalheritage.html or contact Jack Eichenlaub IKenj@comcast.net.
For more about Spotswood’s history visit www.spotswoodboro.com/culturalheritageoralhistory.html.
Contact Vashti Harris at vharris@newspapermediagroup.com.
