THE STATE WE’RE IN
By Michele S. Byers
George Washington and his troops spent much of the Revolutionary War crisscrossing this state we live in. Finally, the federal government is recognizing New Jersey’s core role in the birth of our nation. The Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area is a new federal designation, and once it’s signed into law will authorize up to $10 million to preserve its history.
Almost every part of New Jersey was involved in the Revolutionary War. The state was the scene of the battle that marked the war’s turning point, countless small skirmishes fought across farms and forests, and the production of supplies and war material for the Revolutionary Army.
And New Jersey has retained more of its Revolutionary War history than most states, including one national park, Morristown National Historical Park; five state parks, Princeton Battlefield, Monmouth Battlefield, Washington’s Crossing, the Wallace House and the Old Barracks in Trenton; 13 National Historic Landmarks and more than 250 other sites and districts on the National Register of Historic Places. New Jersey even had its own "tea burning" in the picturesque South Jersey village of Greenwich.
The Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area will highlight the history from 213 towns and 14 counties from Bergen in the north to Gloucester in the south and create a coherent story of New Jersey’s Revolutionary history that will provide an unprecedented opportunity to experience life as it was at the time of our nation’s birth.
"Unlike national parks, which are owned and operated by the federal government through the National Parks Service, heritage areas are designed to offer a framework for partnerships and collaboration," explained Cathleen R. Litvack, executive director of the Crossroads of the American Revolution Association.
"Ultimately," she added, "the Crossroads National Historic Area raises popular understanding of the historical significance of these sites, provides an areawide network between established historic sites, state parks, private property owners, local governments, not-for-profits and other civic organizations in order to facilitate further preservation (including open-space preservation), and offers a forum for new initiatives on site use, management, education and historical interpretation."
The $10 million federal commitment to Revolutionary War-era preservation, recreation and education efforts around New Jersey will catalyze state and local funding as well as corporate and private foundation support. Special recognition should go to New Jersey Reps. Rodney Frelinghuysen, R-11th, and Rush Holt, D-12th, who worked hard to get enabling legislation passed. Once the proposal is finalized, the legislation will go to President Bush for signing into law.
Yes, George Washington has slept here, but he never stopped at a strip mall for a giant squishy-freeze and bag of chips. Passage of this bill marks an important opportunity to preserve and promote New Jersey’s many Revolutionary historic sites, before we lose them to neglect and further sprawl development.
Find out more about New Jersey Revolutionary War history from the Crossroads of the American Revolution Association at www.revolutionarynj.org.
Michele S. Byers, a Hopewell Valley resident, is executive director of the New Jersey Conservation Foundation. For more information, contact her at [email protected], or visit NJCF’s Web site at www.njconservation.org.