Lambertville: Canal, Bike Trails, and Town History

Lambertville combines outdoor activities with a rich local history. The canal provides a focal point for walking, cycling, and running; historic buildings, a museum, and a memorial site offer a look at different chapters in the town’s development. Depending on whether you want to focus on being active or on history, you can explore different sides of the town.

Canal and Outdoor Activities

The Delaware and Raritan Feeder Canal runs the entire length of Lambertville and offers space for walking, cycling, and running. Lambertville’s close proximity to the Delaware & Raritan Canal also offers many scenic bike trails. As you decide what to focus on during your trip, you can choose between walking and running along the Feeder Canal and scenic cycling routes.

Buildings and Town History

The Lambertville Historic District consists almost entirely of 19th-century buildings, reflecting the growth of the town’s trade and industry. The District therefore provides a broader context for the town’s history: alongside individual buildings, it brings the area’s economic development and composition into focus.

The Richard Holcombe House is the oldest building in Lambertville. It offers a different perspective from the Historic District: the focus here is on a single building, while the District encompasses a structure made up almost entirely of 19th-century buildings. Both perspectives help distinguish a specific historic house from the town’s broader architectural and economic history.

The Lambertville Historical Society currently operates the James Wilson Marshall House as a museum. It presents the history and development of Lambertville in the early 19th century. This places the focus on a different period from the Historic District: the museum specifically covers the early part of the century, while the District encompasses 19th-century buildings and the growth of trade and industry.

Mary Sheridan Park was established after the Civil War as the site of the City of Lambertville’s monument to fallen Union soldiers. In this way, the memorial site complements the architectural and economic history with a remembrance of the fallen soldiers. Its establishment dates to the period after the Civil War.

Shad and Local History

Shad appears in Lambertville in two different contexts. Lewis Fishery in Lambertville is New Jersey’s last commercial shad fishery on a river unaffected by tides. The Shad Fest was originally founded in 1981 to celebrate cleaner water and the return of shad. The two references have different emphases: the fishery represents a commercial activity, while the festival’s founding story connects shad with cleaner water and its return. This helps distinguish a topic in local fishing from a historic festival occasion.

Discover more destinations: Readington Township, Flemington, Frenchtown, Lebanon

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