The Princeton Battlefield in
Princeton
Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ni ...
,
Mercer County,
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
, United States, is where American and British troops fought each other on January 3, 1777 in the
Battle of Princeton during the
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
. The battle ended when the British soldiers in
Nassau Hall
Nassau Hall, colloquially known as Old Nassau, is the oldest building at Princeton University in Princeton, Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. In 1783 it served as the United States Capitol building for four months. At the time it was built ...
surrendered. This success, following those at the
Battle of Trenton on December 26, 1776 and the
Battle of the Assunpink Creek
The Battle of the Assunpink Creek, also known as the Second Battle of Trenton, was a battle between American and British troops that took place in and around Trenton, New Jersey, on January 2, 1777, during the American Revolutionary War, an ...
the day before, helped improve American morale.
[ With ]
Princeton Battlefield State Park
Princeton Battlefield State Park is a
state park located in Princeton. The park preserves part of the site of the
Battle of Princeton (January 3, 1777), which was a victory for
General George Washington's revolutionary forces over British forces. The park is maintained by the
New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry
In the state of New Jersey, the New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry is an administrative division of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. In its most visible role, the Division is directly responsible for the management and ...
, and is located on Mercer Road (Princeton Pike), about 1.5 miles south of
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ...
and 3.8 miles north of Interstate 295/95. The park was established in 1946 on approximately .
Highlights of the park include the Princeton Battlefield site; the Clarke House Museum; the site of the
Mercer Oak The Mercer Oak was a large white oak tree that stood in Princeton Battlefield State Park in Princeton, New Jersey. The tree was about 300 years old when it was torn by strong winds in March 2000. It was the emblem of Princeton Township and appeared ...
, a tree which stood in the middle of the battlefield until recent years; the Ionic Colonnade designed by
Thomas U. Walter (fourth
Architect of the U.S. Capitol); and a stone patio marking the grave of 21 British and 15 American soldiers killed in the battle. A poem was written for the site by
Alfred Noyes
Alfred Noyes CBE (16 September 188025 June 1958) was an English poet, short-story writer and playwright.
Early years
Noyes was born in Wolverhampton, England the son of Alfred and Amelia Adams Noyes. When he was four, the family moved to Ab ...
, Poet Laureate of
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
.
The park's hiking trails lead to the
Delaware and Raritan Canal
The Delaware and Raritan Canal (D&R Canal) is a canal in central New Jersey, built in the 1830s, that served to connect the Delaware River to the Raritan River. It was an efficient and reliable means of transportation of freight between Philadelp ...
and to the adjacent property of the
Institute for Advanced Study
The Institute for Advanced Study (IAS), located in Princeton, New Jersey, in the United States, is an independent center for theoretical research and intellectual inquiry. It has served as the academic home of internationally preeminent schola ...
.
The
Princeton Battle Monument is located in town near
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ...
on non-adjacent park property at Stockton Street and Bayard Lane.
Clarke House Museum
The Thomas Clarke House Museum was built in 1772 by the third generation of
Quakers
Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belief in each human's abil ...
at Stony Brook. The house is furnished in the Revolutionary period and contains military artifacts and battle exhibits, as well as a research library.
During the battle
Hugh Mercer
Hugh Mercer (16 January 1726 – 12 January 1777) was a Scottish-born American military officer and physician who participated in the Seven Years' War and Revolutionary War. Born in Pitsligo, Scotland, he studied medicine in his home country ...
was brought to the Clarke House and treated unsuccessfully by
Benjamin Rush
Benjamin Rush (April 19, 1813) was a Founding Father of the United States who signed the United States Declaration of Independence, and a civic leader in Philadelphia, where he was a physician, politician, social reformer, humanitarian, educa ...
.
Threatened development
Part of the battlefield is now a state park, while other portions remain under threat of development.
[ For several years, the ]Institute for Advanced Study
The Institute for Advanced Study (IAS), located in Princeton, New Jersey, in the United States, is an independent center for theoretical research and intellectual inquiry. It has served as the academic home of internationally preeminent schola ...
has been attempting to build faculty housing on the portion of Princeton Battlefield known as Maxwell's field. The Princeton Battlefield Society is protesting the project in court, and national and local preservation organizations are working to prevent construction on the property. The American Battlefield Trust
The American Battlefield Trust is a charitable organization ( 501(c)(3)) whose primary focus is in the preservation of battlefields of the American Civil War, the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 through acquisition of battlefield land. Th ...
, based in Washington, D.C., has reached agreement with the institute to purchase almost 15 acres of the land for $4.5 million, more than $1 million above the site's appraised value. The Trust and its partners had already acquired and preserved of the battlefield. On May 30, 2018, the Trust announced that it had finalized the purchase after raising almost $3.2 million from private donors, which was matched by an $837,000 grant from the National Park Service
The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propert ...
and the Mercer County Open Space Assistance Program. The completed purchase ended the long dispute over how and whether the battlefield land would be developed.
Princeton Battlefield / Stony Brook Village Historic District
In 1989 the National Register of Historic Places designation of the Battlefield was expanded to form the Princeton Battlefield / Stony Brook Village Historic District. Princeton's original settlers were Quaker farmers along the Stony Brook immediately to the south and west of the battlefield. The Stony Brook Meeting House and Cemetery was well established at the time of the revolution and in full sight of the battle. The meetinghouse and associated farms are part of the contiguous preserved area that includes the battlefield.
Gallery
File:PrincetonBattleb.jpg, The Princeton battlefield with its map
File:Mercermemorial.jpg, Mercer Memorial and Clarke House
File:Historic American Buildings Survey Nathaniel R. Ewan, Photographer April 24, 1936 WEST ELEVATION - Stony Brook Quaker Meetinghouse, Quaker Road, Princeton, Mercer County, NJ HABS NJ,11-PRINT,5-1.tif, The Stony Brook meetinghouse in 1936 from the Historic American Buildings Survey
Heritage Documentation Programs (HDP) is a division of the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) responsible for administering the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), Historic American Engineering Record (HAER), and Historic American Landscapes ...
See also
*
References
External links
Official website
Save Princeton Battlefield
{{authority control
American Revolutionary War sites
National Historic Landmarks in New Jersey
Historic districts in Princeton, New Jersey
State parks of New Jersey
Parks in Mercer County, New Jersey
Museums in Princeton, New Jersey
American Revolutionary War museums in New Jersey
Institutions accredited by the American Alliance of Museums
National Register of Historic Places in Mercer County, New Jersey
Historic districts in Mercer County, New Jersey
New Jersey Register of Historic Places
American Revolution on the National Register of Historic Places
Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in New Jersey