Pinpointing the Garden State: A History of New Jersey in Maps

Long before GPS or Google Maps, navigating New Jersey was an art form—literally.

The history of the Garden State can be traced not just through written records, but through the evolution of cartography. From the decorative (and often inaccurate) sea charts of the 1600s to the precise engineering of the Turnpike era, maps tell us how our ancestors viewed their world.

While the landmark exhibition “Where in the World is New Jersey?” at the New Jersey State Museum has since closed, the treasures it highlighted remain vital pieces of our state’s history. These documents, held largely by the State Archives, State Library, and Rutgers University, reveal a fascinating progression from the “Golden Age” of Dutch mapmaking to the industrial powerhouse of the 20th century.

The Three Eras of New Jersey Maps

1. Surveying the Shore (The Dutch Era) The earliest maps of the region weren’t meant to be roadmaps; they were works of art designed to claim territory.

• The Look: Created during the Dutch “Golden Age” of cartography, these maps were copperplate engravings, often hand-colored by watercolor artists. They featured illustrations of Native Americans and local wildlife to “sell” the New World to investors back in Europe.
• The Accuracy: Not great. For example, George Matthias Seutter’s 1735 engraving of the “New Netherlands” placed the City of Burlington significantly farther north than it actually sits.

2. From Divided to United (The Colonial Era) As the English took control, maps became political tools.

• The John Seller Map (1677): This is arguably one of the most significant documents in state history. It was the first English printed map of the colony, the first to use the name “New Jersey,” and the first to visual the political split between East Jersey and West Jersey.

3. New Jersey on the Move (The Transportation Era) By the 19th and 20th centuries, maps shifted from political boundaries to transit systems. This era produced detailed diagrams of the Delaware & Raritan Canal, the Camden & Amboy Railroad, and finally, the promotional maps of the 1950s celebrating the newly constructed New Jersey Turnpike.

Curator’s Corner: The Stories Behind the Lines

I previously had the opportunity to sit down with Nicholas P. Ciotola, Curator of Cultural History at the New Jersey State Museum, to discuss the logistics of preserving these fragile documents and what they tell us about the past.

The History Girl: What is the oldest map in the state’s collection, and how were they made? Nicholas Ciotola: The earliest map we highlighted was printed in 1635. These are originals, not facsimiles. They were made through a process called copperplate engraving. The mapmaker would have to engrave the image backward onto a block of copper and then press the paper onto it. It often took two years just to create the printing block. It was not a color process, so all of the coloring had to be done afterward by a team of watercolor artists.

THG: Which map do you consider the most historically significant? NC: The 1677 John Seller Map is vital because it shows that early division between East and West Jersey.

But another crucial piece is Lewis Evans’ 1749 map. This is the first “reasonably accurate” map of the state. Before this, measurements were often guesses. With Evans, we finally see the shape of New Jersey as we know it today—the specific bend in the Delaware River, the curve of the coastline. It represents the moment mapmaking shifted from art to science.

THG: Why do you think people are so fascinated by old maps? NC: I believe that in this digital age, people are starting to lose their sense of direction. There is something grounding about a tangible map. These were often cut out of atlases and framed because people saw the beauty in them—they are works of art as well as tools for wayfinding.

If You Visit

While the specific map exhibit has concluded, the New Jersey State Museum in Trenton holds vast collections of cultural history, archaeology, and fine art that rotate throughout the year.

• Location: 205 West State Street, Trenton, NJ.
• Hours: Open Tuesday through Sunday, 9:00 AM – 4:45 PM.
• Admission: There is no fixed fee, but a donation is suggested to support the collections.

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For More Information

• New Jersey State Museum (www.statemuseum.nj.gov)