FREEHOLD — A piece of local history has taken its place with the installation of a glass wall commemorating Dr. Nathaniel Scudder at Borough Hall.
“The dedication to Nathaniel Scudder will remind our residents and visitors to Borough Hall of the contributions of a Freehold resident who was all but forgotten in local history. Dr. Scudder was a patriot who served and died during the founding days of our nation,” Mayor Nolan Higgins said.
Kevin Coyne, the borough’s historian, said he came upon Scudder several years ago and was “amazed” that he had never heard of him. He said no images of Scudder have been found and no family members remain to talk about the legacy of the Freehold Borough native.
“He was forgotten because his family moved on,” Coyne said.
Coyne worked with Higgins to honor Scudder.
“The mayor is interested in local history and was taken with Scudder,” he said.
“I am so proud to be a part of the historic preservation commission in a town where the mayor recognizes the importance of American history and the role local residents have played in the foundation of our country,” said Muriel Smith, who serves on the commission.
Scudder was born in 1733 in Monmouth Courthouse (now Freehold Borough) and attended the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) and became a physician. He practiced medicine in Monmouth County until 1778 when he left medicine for the military, taking up the Patriots’ cause.
“He gave up his medical practice and his life and he deserves to be recognized by his town,” Coyne said.
Scudder died in battle near Shrewsbury in 1781. He is buried at the Old Tennent Church cemetery in Manalapan. Scudder was the only member of the Continental Congress who died during the Revolutionary War.
Last year, Higgins asked the Historic Preservation Commission to better recognize Scudder, according to Smith.
Commission Chairwoman Barbara Wagner assigned members Coyne, Smith and Nelson Kuperberg the task of designing a wall in Scudder Hall (the re-named Borough Council meeting room) to honor the physician-turned-soldier.
Kuperberg, an interior designer who created the glass wall, said that the research on Scudder, which was primarily conducted by Smith, produced limited graphics about his life.
“So, we used suggestive images of his life instead,” Kuperberg said.
Three images, the Articles of Confederation, a contemporaneous map of the Battle of Monmouth and the seal of the Continental Congress, are part of the glass wall that is about 8 feet high and 12 feet wide, Kuperberg said.
“I hope people will realize we have one of the true heroes from the American Revolution in our midst,” Coyne said.
The project took about four months to complete and two Freehold businesses assisted Kuperberg — Mac Graphic Service and Frank’s Aluminum.
“It is a tribute to Dr. Scudder for all he did for Monmouth County and the state of New Jersey,” Wagner said.
A dedication of the Scudder glass wall took place on Aug. 3, according to Higgins.