National Historic Landmarks of New Jersey Quiz / Test | World

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1. In 1960 Nassau Hall was designated as one of the first National Historic Landmarks in New Jersey. On the campus of what university, formerly named the College of New Jersey, was Nassau Hall built in 1754?

Answer: Princeton University

Nassau Hall was originally designed by Robert Smith and at the time of its construction it was the largest building in New Jersey. For a time in 1783 the city of Princeton was the seat of government of the United States and meetings were held at Nassau Hall. Nassau Hall is located in Princeton University, a prestigious member of the Ivy League.

2. A popular state park within New Jersey honors those who served in a battle of the American Revolutionary War on June 28, 1778. What was this battle, whose armies were led by George Washington and Sir Henry Clinton and at which Molly Pitcher famously took over a cannon post from her fallen husband?

Answer: Battle of Monmouth

The Battle of Monmouth was fought between the Continental Army and the British Army. The result was inconclusive with both sides having about 350 casualties and after the battle the British Army redeployed to New York. Monmouth Battlefield State Park was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1961 and it comprises an area of 1,818 acres. During the last weekend in June an annual reenactment of the battle is staged.

3. Our next New Jersey site is located in the city of Camden and it was the final home of an influential writer. Whose home was dedicated as a National Historic Landmark in 1962, 70 years after his death and 107 years after his famous "Leaves of Grass" was first published?

Answer: Walt Whitman

Walt Whitman was born on Long Island, New York and before his success as a writer he was a teacher and also started his own newspaper. He wrote a few novels before "Leaves of Grass" made him famous. Whitman would revise "Leaves of Grass" many times including after he moved to Camden, New Jersey in 1884.

Whitman died in 1892 and his Camden home was eventually sold by his heirs to the city of Camden in 1921; in 1926 it was opened to the public. In addition to the Walt Whitman House, the city of Camden, New Jersey has more than 90 other locations on the National Register of Historic Places including the Church of the Immaculate Conception and the USS New Jersey (BB-62) battleship.

4. Built in 1764, the oldest working lighthouse in the United States is a National Historic Landmark in New Jersey. Sharing its name with a city in Connecticut that was the site of a tragic shooting in 2012, what is this lighthouse that aided mariners entering New York Harbor?

Answer: Sandy Hook Lighthouse

Sandy Hook Lighthouse was built by Isaac Conro. It was originally administered by the state of New York and in 1790 George Washington declared that it was under federal authority. The lighthouse was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1964 and in 2000 it underwent a restoration.

5. The next New Jersey landmark was the former home of a President of the United States who served non-consecutive terms. Located in the city of Princeton and also called the Westland Mansion, who lived in this home from his retirement in 1897 until his death in 1908?

Answer: Grover Cleveland

Grover Cleveland served as both the 22nd and 24th President of the United States and was born in Caldwell, New Jersey in 1837. He was the first person to win the popular vote in a presidential election three times and his second term was marred by the Panic of 1893 in which the country fell into an economic depression.

After Cleveland finished his presidency and moved to the city of Princeton he became a trustee of Princeton University and frequently commented on political matters. The Grover Cleveland Home became a National Historic Landmark in 1965.

6. The first National Historic Landmark in Bergen County, New Jersey was formerly owned by the Prevost family who housed George Washington during the American Revolutionary War. What is this house that would be remodelled in the Gothic Revival style in 1847?

Answer: The Hermitage

The Hermitage was mainly granted its status as a National Historic Landmark in recognition of its architectural style. The fourteen-room home was opened as a museum in the 1970s after it had been owned by the Rosencrantz family for over 160 years. Interestingly, in 1782 the marriage of Aaron Burr and Theodosia Prevost took place at The Hermitage.

7. A National Historic Landmark in Morristown, New Jersey is the site where Samuel Morse and Alfred Vail first demonstrated the electric telegraph in 1838. What is this ironworks village that shares its name with a ship that transported the Pilgrims?

Answer: Speedwell

Speedwell Ironworks was acquired by Stephen Vail in 1815 and over the next few decades the company would produce agricultural and industrial machinery as well as iron tires for railway locomotives. The factory that produced the majority of these items is at the heart of Speedwell Village which was dedicated as a National Historic Landmark in 1974.

The village is likely best known for the historic demonstration of the electromagnetic telegraph on January 11, 1838 that had a range of just 2 miles at the time.

8. Located at the southern tip of New Jersey and claiming to be the oldest seaside resort in the United States, what city's historic district was dedicated a National Historic Landmark in 1976?

Answer: Cape May

The Historic District of Cape May contains over 600 buildings in styles of architecture including Late Victorian, Shingle and Bungalow. Cape May was first discovered by Europeans in 1609 when Henry Hudson made landfall and in the 1630s the Dutch had established a fishing and whaling settlement there. Cape May's appeal as a tourist destination began after steamboat routes between Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Cape May were added.

9. Within New Jersey one can find Boardwalk Hall which is the home to the Miss America Pageant as well as one of the largest pipe organs in the world. Opened in 1929 as a Convention Hall, in what city is Boardwalk Hall?

Answer: Atlantic City

Boardwalk Hall was formerly known as the Historic Atlantic City Convention Hall and it was dedicated as a National Historic Landmark in 1987. It has been frequently used for concerts but it has also housed sporting events like Wrestlemania as well as ice hockey and college football games.

10. Our final National Historic Landmark of New Jersey is a rather odd structure in Margate City. Considered one of the first examples of zoomorphic architecture, what statue stands 65 feet tall, 60 feet in length and 18 feet in width?

Answer: Lucy the Elephant

Built in 1881, Lucy the Elephant is often cited as the oldest surviving "roadside attraction" in the United States, and for five years was the tallest statue in the country. Lucy was originally named Elephant Bazaar and she was constructed to promote real estate and bring in tourists. Margate City is also home to Marven Gardens, a neighborhood that is featured as one of the yellow properties in the game Monopoly that surprisingly the game developers misspelled as Marvin Gardens.

Source: Author Triviaballer

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor stedman before going online.
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National Historic Landmarks of New Jersey Quiz

The state of New Jersey has more than 50 National Historic Landmarks (NHL). This quiz will test your knowledge of some of them. Good luck!

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