Historical re-enactments are set for July Fourth in river towns

Historical re-enactments are
set for July Fourth in river towns

As part of the Road to Monmouth campaign and to honor the 225th anniversary of George Washington’s visit to the Raritan River communities of Piscataway and New Brunswick, a celebration featuring daylong events on both sides of the Raritan River will begin at 11 a.m. on July Fourth. The public is invited.

Colonial troops will set up camp and perform living history demonstrations starting at 11 a.m. at Johnson Park, Piscataway. Two homes with roots to the colonial era will be available for tours. Buccleuch Mansion, New Brunswick, will open its doors from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Metlar-Bodine House Museum, Piscataway, will be open from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. East Jersey Old Towne, located in Johnson Park, will celebrate the opening of the Williamson Wheelwright Shop and will offer programming throughout the day.

Troops will assemble at 2:30 p.m. for the 1-mile walk from Piscataway, across the Landing Lane Bridge and into Buccleuch Park, New Brunswick. At 3 p.m. the troops will gather in front of Buccleuch to recreate the feu de joie (fire of joy) musket volley. On July 4, 1778 more than 12,000 soldiers and 35 cannons lined the banks of the river as shots were fired individually in a running volley from one end of the line of soldiers to the other end. Because it was the new nation’s second birthday, the volley was fired again in the same way.

The living history portion of the day will end at 5:30 p.m. when the troops return to their Piscataway camp.

The Metlar-Bodine House will host a Colonial Punch Party from 6-8 p.m. to raise funds for the installation of the Ross Hall Wall. Ross Hall was Gen. Washington’s headquarters at Raritan Landing, Piscataway, during his stay in 1778.

Although the house was demolished in the late 1950s, a parlor was saved and exhibited for many years at the New Jersey Historical Society in Newark. The parlor was returned to Piscataway and will become a major exhibit at Metlar-Bodine in the near future. Tickets for the fund-raiser cost $30 per person. Attire is either colonial costume or office casual.

The day’s festivities will end with fireworks celebrations at Boyd Park, New Brunswick, and at Piscataway High School.

For more information on the July 4 celebration, call the Metlar-Bodine House Museum at (732) 463-8363 or Buccleuch Mansion at (732) 745-5094. For details on East Jersey Olde Towne events, call (732) 745-4489.