Whangarei, New Zealand

Look Down:   Now commemorated in a plaza-side plaque are the three anchors of social life in the 19th century.  Here is the ecclesiastical family that served the first families of Whangarei: the Church of England for the English, the Presbyterian Church for the Scots, and the Methodist Church for the Welsh.  [2011]

Trenton, New Jersey

The First of Them All:   If you can't be the first in the nation or the state, maybe you can be the first in the city.  Here's the site of Trenton's first synagogue, attested by the Har Sinai Temple Centennial Committee.  The cemetery association gave life to the Hebrew community of Trenton.  What irony!  [2006]

Galesville, Maryland

The First of Them All: If you can't be first in the nation, you can at least be first in the state.  What did Galesville have before anyone else in Maryland?  The first General Meeting of Friends.  That almost begs for some sloganeering:  "Come visit your oldest friends in Galesville."  [2008]

Honolulu, Hawaii

One City, Three Strategies:  Too bad historical markers can't talk ,because anyone reading this one might not know how to pronounce the name of the spring that attracted settlement to this site.  Yes, the narrative tells you all about the spring.  So, why is there a picture of a church in the oval?  [2011]

Brentwood, Tennessee

Under Local Authority:  It's a long and peripatetic history as outlined by the Brentwood Historical Commission and the Pep Club!  Historical markers are meant to pump up the masses and make them proud of superlative achievements like being the largest church in the Tennessee Conference.  [2010]

Middle Spring, Pennsylvania

Centered or Justified? Full justification has been chosen for this marker's text.  Over time, narratives have become longer and longer.  This one is short.  It connects the church to local history, but does little to illuminate links to migrations that were transforming the nation when this church was founded.  [1971]

Midway, Georgia

Maintenance Needed:  You've got to stand up to the enemy!  In this case, the enemy isn't the British or General Sherman.  It's a ravenous bush.  Please cut it down, soft-hearted sir.  Then, get thee to the rust frontier.  [2010]

Rehoboth Beach, Delaware

Don't be square!  'Landscape' is more common than 'portrait' when it comes to historical markers.  Nevertheless, most markers are not perfect rectangles.  Various design elements usually give them a lift at top center.  "Attracting thousands of visitors each year."  Wouldn't that go without saying?  [1995]

Emmitsburg, Maryland

Places, People, and Events:  Using historical markers, we commemorate people as the engines of history.  But only recently have women, like the United States' first native-born saint, begun to claim their share of roadside landscapes.  [2005]