A new United States flag flies above the Princeton Battlefield.
But it is not just any flag.
The flag is the one that has flown above the nation’s Capitol Building.
In a ceremony that was held on May 4 at Princeton Battlefield State Park in Princeton, students, local officials and residents gathered to watch the flag being raised and honor the history of the Battle of Princeton.
“The flag raising, as far as I am concerned, is just the start. This is a launching period for us to recognize the work we all have to do to watch over our historic sites,” said Roger Williams, President of the Cranbury Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution. “Not only the Princeton Battlefield but the Battle Monument to tell the story. This is Princeton’s story and it is important for all of us to understand that we are all stewards of this land. We can explain to visitors of Princeton how we are a part of American History.”
Local officials who were in attendance included Princeton Mayor Liz Lampert, Assemblymen Roy Freiman(D-Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Somerset) and Andrew Zwicker (D-Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Somerset), and State Senator Linda Greenstein (D-Mercer and Middlesex).
“Having these legislators honor us with their presence is great. It was not just a phone call or an email, we have been meeting with these legislators now for a few weeks,” Williams said. “We have done that because there is some serious work still to be done here at the park.”
He said the most important item on the agenda is the Clarke House.
“The house needs a full-time research interpretive specialists, right now there is only one person there part-time. This is also a great opportunity for Princeton to have Heritage tourism as well,” Williams said.
According to park officials, the house was refuge for wounded American and British soldiers during the Battle of Princeton during the American Revolution.
“Today was a turning point for us in terms of the recognition of the American Revolution in New Jersey. In the recent past we have had a lot of focus on that aspect of history,” said Mike Russell, Site Committee Chair of the Princeton Battlefield Society. “Now we are going to be more concentrated in making certain the public knows the value of the Princeton Battlefield State Park. We want to continue the education of future generations so they know the value and the history of the park.”
He said the park needed to replace the previous U.S. flag above the battlefield due to the natural fading and weathering of the flag.
“We had an opportunity to talk with Assemblyman Freiman, who offered to talk to Senator Bob Menendez to get a flag from the Capitol Building in Washington D.C. We immediately seized upon this opportunity because of what it represented,” Russell said.
During the event the new flag was raised by Will Krakower, a resource interpretive specialist at the park and the Color Guard of the New Jersey Society of the Sons of the American Revolution.
“I hope people understand that history is something that should never die. History should be passed on from generation to generation,” Russell said. “Stories should be told of the human condition, human suffering and human condition. I think it is important to let our students, children, grandchildren know about events that have happened.”