Driving or walking down West State street is like transporting back into the past. Though, not visible in plain site, the history living on West State is more incredible than one can imagine.

An evident example of such historic artifacts is the New Jersey State House. Built in 1792, it is the second oldest still in use, Maryland currently holds the number one spot.

Although the State House didn’t always look the way it looks today, for over two hundred years it has served as the place where New Jersey Senators, Governors, and Assemblymen and women have been making the laws.

In those years the State House has undergone several architectural changes. Originally built with about $400 in today’s money, the restoration of the State House dome extended from 1996 to 1999 . The most challenging part was the covering of the dome.

The dome was covered with 48,000 pieces of gold leaf. Each piece cost $1. After acquiring all monies available, the funds at hand still fell short. As a result, New Jersey school children partook in the “Dimes for the Dome” program which satisfied the cost of the renovation.

The now adults can look back and see their mark in our state’s history.

Likewise, there are many other pieces of history incorporated into our daily lives, think about that next time you zoom down West State Street.

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