Princeton Battlefield Plans Restorations, Will Receive $2-3M in State Funding
TURNING THE TIDE: Princeton Battlefield Park, where George Washington and his American troops defeated the British and helped to change the course of the American Revolution, will be receiving more than $2 million in state funding for preservation and renovations in the coming three years. The photo above is from last January’s reenactment of the Battle of Princeton; the next event will take place on January 8, 2023. (Photo courtesy of Princeton Battlefield Society)
By Donald Gilpin
The Princeton Battlefield State Park, site of the battle that turned the tide for George Washington and his troops on January 3, 1777 in the American Revolution, will be receiving state funding of more than $2 million for restoration and preservation.
The work, focusing on the historic Thomas Clarke House and the Colonnade that stands on the western side of the Mercer Road battlefield, will be completed over the next three years in preparation for the country’s 2026 celebrations of 250 years of independence.
“New Jersey’s contributions to our nation’s independence is undeniable. From the battlefields where the tide of the American Revolution turned, to the many other sites where our nation’s identity was forged, New Jersey was arguably more deeply involved in the cause of independence than any other state,” said New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy in his November 29 announcement of an investment totaling $25 million in 10 Revolutionary War sites throughout the state, including Washington Crossing State Park, Trenton’s Old Barracks, the Battle Monument in Trenton, and Rockingham in Kingston, along with the Princeton Battlefield State Park.
“As we celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary, it is important that our historic sites are prepared to welcome the hundreds of thousands of visitors that will undoubtedly travel from around the world to witness these sites in person on such a momentous occasion,” Murphy continued. “This investment will allow us to revitalize our historic sites and make sure we are prepared when they come.”
At Princeton Battlefield these preparations will take many forms, according to Todd Quackenbush, communications chair and trustee of the Princeton Battlefield Society (PBS). The Clarke House, the only structure on site dating from the battle, will see some much needed repair, and providing ADA-compliant access within the park and its buildings will be a priority.
The main focus of the work, however, will be the restoration of the Colonnade, which is a gateway to the Memorial Grove and grave site of an unknown number of American and British dead, Quackenbush said. The masonry of the structure is in serious need of cleaning and repointing.
The Colonnade and Memorial Grove is the site of a wreath-laying ceremony that follows the annual reenactment of the Battle of Princeton, next scheduled for January 8. Organized by the New Jersey Society of the Sons of the American Revolution and other
historical heritage groups, the ceremony brings together representatives of both American and British military units, including descendants of the Battle of Princeton, to honor the memory of the unknown dead.
“As a longtime resident of this area, it took me a long time to realize how much consequential history of the Revolution happened in our immediate area,” said Quackenbush. “People talk about New Jersey as the Crossroads of the Revolution, and that’s no joke. There was more Revolutionary War activity in this state than in any other state. It was the cockpit of the war.”
Quackenbush described the “10 crucial days” of the American Revolution — that started with Washington’s crossing of the Delaware on December 25, 1776 and led to the victory at Princeton Battlefield — as “a complete reversal of the British conquest of New Jersey, and, most significantly, the capstone of a sequence of events that saved the American Revolution from collapse.”
Continuing, Quackenbush quoted the British historian Sir George Otto Trevelyan, writing about the Battle of Princeton more than a century ago: “It may be doubted whether so small a number of men ever employed so short a space of time with greater and more lasting effects upon the history of the world.”
Quackenbush noted that the PBS is already gearing up to help host bigger and bigger audiences. The annual Battle of Princeton reenactment event on Sunday, January 8, with introductions and comments beginning at 9:45 a.m., will feature more than 200 reenactors on the field with six artillery pieces — four on the Continental side, two on the British.
“It’s going to be a little louder than usual,” said Quackenbush. “It makes a great impression. Weather permitting it will be the biggest event we’ve had for a while.”
Visit pbs1777.org for registration and further information about the PBS and the January 8 event.