BRIDGEWATER – As part of Somerset County’s ongoing 325th anniversary celebration, the Bridgewater Commons Mall is hosting a colorful collage depicting scenes from all 21 municipalities.

The collage greets visitors as they enter and exit the elevators on the mall’s second level.  The 8-foot-long banner was designed by county graphic artist Linda Brady Deutsch with photos provided by each town.  The collage will remain on display at the mall through the end of the year.  The collage also is hanging at the Bridgewater Library and in the parking-deck entranceway to the county Administration Building in Somerville.

“We invite you to stop by and find your town’s picture on the collage,” said Freeholder Director Peter S. Palmer.  “Do you know what year your town was founded or incorporated? What is the oldest municipality in Somerset County? The collage can serve as an educational tool for both children and adults.”

“Bridgewater Commons is proud to be a part of Somerset County history and to help celebrate 325 years,” said Troy G. Fischer, the mall’s general manager.  “We invite our shoppers to visit the collage and learn more about what makes our county a great place to live and work.”

Founded in 1688, Somerset County is marking its 325th anniversary with a variety of activities as well as a special anniversary website at www.co.somerset.nj.us/325th.html The website features historical information about the colonial-era county, the courthouse, the Board of Freeholders, famous people who have called Somerset County home and links to demographic data.

A new “My Somerset County” online scrapbook, a joint project of the Board of Freeholders and the Somerset County Library System, was launched in May as part of the anniversary celebration.  Visit www.mysomersetcounty.org to post your favorite photos, old or new, of life in Somerset County.  All photos will become part of an ongoing digital history project maintained by the library system.

Anniversary events held earlier this year included a concert on the courthouse green and an art gallery exhibit. Two upcoming fall events have been dedicated to the 325th anniversary as well:  the Oct. 6 1770s Festival at the Park Commission’s Environmental Education Center in Basking Ridge (www.somersetcountyparks.org) and the Oct. 12 and 13 Weekend Journey Through The Past (www.schistoryweekend.com), a free series of historic-sites tours, demonstrations, exhibits, art and more sponsored by the county Cultural & Heritage Commission.  More complete information will be posted on their respective websites closer to the event dates.