MANALAPAN — Relics of the Battle of Monmouth could be buried just beneath the surface on a piece of property in Manalapan.
Members of the Battlefield Restoration and Archaeological Volunteer Organization (BRAVO) would like the opportunity to retrieve and preserve those pieces of American history.
During the public comment portion of the March 13 meeting of the Manalapan Township Committee, Glen Gunther, of Nazareth, Pa., representing BRAVO, asked the committee to allow the group to conduct a survey of the Gentile property.
The township owns the Gentile parcel that is at the corner of Tennent Road and Route 522. The parcel is also bordered by Church Lane. Municipal officials have not revealed what use, if any, they may be planning for the Gentile property.
The Battle of Monmouth was fought by British and American forces in portions of present-day Freehold Township and Manalapan on June 28, 1778, in the area along Route 522 (Freehold-Englishtown Road), generally between Wemrock Road in Freehold Township and Tennent Road in Manalapan.
“We have been requested to do a survey of the Gentile farm,” Gunther told the committee. “We have been doing surveys at Monmouth Battlefield for years. Old Tennent Church served as a hospital during the (battle) … We want to recover any artifacts (that may be on the Gentile farm) and put them in a museum.”
Gunther said BRAVO members would use metal detectors in an attempt to locate artifacts, and he said they would not dig deeper than 1 foot to recover an item. The types of artifacts that could be found on the Gentile farm include parts of guns and musket balls, he said.
Gunther said the location where an artifact is found can help historians determine where the British and American forces were operating during the battle that was fought in the oppressive heat of a day in late June 235 years ago.
The committee members asked Township Engineer Greg Valesi to comment on Gunther’s request regarding the Gentile property.
Valesi said his firm, CME Associates, has reviewed BRAVO’s plans for the site and determined it is a reasonable request.
Later in the meeting, Mayor Susan Cohen, Deputy Mayor Jordan Maskowitz and Committeeman Ryan Green voted to permit BRAVO to conduct the survey of the Gentile property.
According to its Internet website, BRAVO is a nonprofit organization whose members are interested in the preservation and correct interpretation of New Jersey’s historical past. BRAVO volunteers gain a great deal of archaeological experience working at various sites throughout New Jersey as well as in other states and countries, but its main focus is battlefield archaeology. Through the use of metal detectors, total station laser transits, and standard archaeological work, BRAVO members are uncovering clues to the state’s past and correcting many misconceptions in written history.
Contact Mark Rosman at [email protected].