Walking tour of Cranbury brings history to life

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Even amid cars and electricity, Cranbury's historical side shone through

The day started like every other time I chose to defy my navigationally inept nature: I got lost in Cranbury. Again.

It wasn't like I was stuck in unfamiliar territory. I knew where I was; I just didn't know how to get from where I was to where I was supposed to be.

This completely negated the purpose of my adventure on Saturday, which was to take the Cranbury Historical Society's tour of the town in the hopes of learning about Cranbury's history while also learning my way around the area .

But even with a misguided detour, I still arrived at the Historical Center at noon, a full hour before the tour started. My early arrival meant that one of the guides, Ginny Swanagan, offered me the beginner's guide to Cranbury's 309-year past.

During my hour as Ms. Swanagan's tutee, I got to poke around the History Center, scan the shelves of its library, admire the textile collection, look at paintings and photographs that captured images of Cranbury over the last three centuries, and ask as many questions as I could.

As the other tour-takers filed in, we split into two small groups. My group, led by Peggy Brennan, began its history-laden excursion by learning about some of the town's late-eighteenth-century homes and their history before taking a stroll through the Brainerd Cemetery.

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