Washington's Crossing is the location of
George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River
George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River, which occurred on the night of December 25–26, 1776, during the American Revolutionary War, was the first move in a complex and surprise military maneuver organized by George Washington, t ...
on the night of December 25–26, 1776 in 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 the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...
. This maneuver led to victory in the
Battle of Trenton. The site, a
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...
, is composed of
U.S. state parks in
Washington Crossing, New Jersey, and
Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania, north of
Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County, New Jersey, Mercer County. It was the federal capital, capital of the United States from November 1 until D ...
.
[ and ][ ]
Description and history
The Washington's Crossing site is located north of
Yardley, Pennsylvania and
Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County, New Jersey, Mercer County. It was the federal capital, capital of the United States from November 1 until D ...
. The main commemorative sites are located north of the
Washington Crossing Bridge spanning the river. A reenactment of the crossing is performed every December.
Pennsylvania side
Washington Crossing Historic Park encapsulates the crossing site on the Pennsylvania side. Covering about , it includes the actual embarkation site for the main crossing, and a 19th-century inn set on the foundation of an 18th-century inn that was present at the time of the crossing. A memorial marker indicates the site of the crossing. The park also includes a detached unit north of the crossing site, where
Bowman's Hill Tower, the
Thompson-Neely House, and a
grist mill
A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and Wheat middlings, middlings. The term can refer to either the grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist is grain that h ...
that served the army are located.
New Jersey side
Washington Crossing State Park includes the New Jersey side of the crossing site. It is at over , much larger than the Pennsylvania park. It includes a broader array of recreational amenities, including a visitors center, nature center, astronomical observatory, campground, and open-air theater. Elements specifically relating to the crossing including the
Johnson Ferry House and a stretch of the original roadway traversed by the army.
See also
*
List of National Historic Landmarks in New Jersey
*
List of National Historic Landmarks in Pennsylvania
References
{{George Washington
National Historic Landmarks in New Jersey
National Historic Landmarks in Pennsylvania
Geography of Bucks County, Pennsylvania
National Register of Historic Places in Mercer County, New Jersey
National Register of Historic Places in Bucks County, Pennsylvania
George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River