With the 225th anniversary of the Battle of Monmouth only days away, the June 27 parade to mark the occasion promises to be an historic event, not to be missed.
"This was the American path of the Battle of Monmouth," said Jayne Carr, executive director of the Freehold Center Partnership, Freehold Borough, sponsor of the parade.
There will be four locations for parking along the route. They are the Manalapan-Englishtown Regional School District Board of Education offices at Main and Pine streets, Englishtown (access from Gordons Corner Road); the Manalapan municipal building, Taylors Mills Road and Route 522; Manalapan High School, Church Lane, (access from Tennent Road); Old Tennent Presbyterian Church, (access from Craig Road through the cemetery); and Lafayette Place parking lot, off Court Street, Freehold Borough.
The Village Inn, Water Street, Englishtown, will be the initial site for the parade. Breakfast will be served at 10 a.m. Friday. The inn will be open to tour.
Carl Closs, of Kennett Square, Pa., aka George Washington, will attend a breakfast from 10-11 a.m, after which an opening ceremony will take place.
Washington will mount his horse, Royal Blue, a gray-white Arabian owned by Teri Summers of the Royal Blue Farms, and lead the parade to Freehold. Two horse-drawn carts will follow with a militia of walkers joining the parade. Militia will continue to come on at all points during the 5-mile march.
Heading down the street, marchers will arrive at 7 Main St.
The Englishtown Grist Mill was located by the side of Lake Weamaconk. The site can be found behind the house at 7 Main St.
In the 20th century, the mill became a power station and was later demolished.
The parade will proceed back to Route 522 and head toward Freehold.
The Manalapan Arboretum, the next stop at about 12:30 p.m., will be a break for lunch and drinks, which will be served.
After a lunch paraders will continue on Route 522 where they will pass the original road taken by Washington’s troops, which turns up Church Lane. However, the parade will continue on Route 522 east.
"From Church Lane (on Route 522) to Freehold Borough is a new road which was laid out in the 1800s," said Walling. "The original colonial road which the troops used was Church Road. During the battle, Lafayette’s men were ordered to fall back, because they believed the British were flanking them on the northern part of the battlefield. There was a tremendous amount of troop activity here before and during the battle."
At Old Tennent Church, Tennent Road, paraders who arrive at about 1:30 p.m. will hear a speech, given by George Washington.
Tennent Church was within close proximity, about 1 mile, to the British scouts who were located at the hedgerow area, the boundary between Freehold and Manalapan townships.
The church cupola was used as a lookout tower during the battle.
Continuing east on Route 522, Molly Pitcher’s well is located near the border of Manalapan and Freehold townships.
"We’re all familiar with the legend of Molly Pitcher, based upon the exploits of a real person," said Walling. "But, with the need to have a legendary heroine, at least six local farmers have identified a well or spring that they believed was Molly’s. About 70 years ago, local people built a decorative well that still stands on Route 522 along the railroad tracks."
St. Peter’s Church, Throckmorton Street, Freehold, also served as a battle hospital.
Since the church was an Episcopal church, meaning that it was a Church of England or Anglican Church, the British soldiers did not damage the church.
Walling said other churches and homes in Freehold were destroyed, but the Episcopal church went untouched, out of respect.
The new Liberty Triumphant Park, next to the Monmouth County Hall of Records Annex, Main Street, Freehold, will see the unveiling of the original Liberty Triumphant statue that at one time sat atop the Battle of Monmouth Monument, Court Street.
Paraders are expected to arrive between 3:30-4 p.m. at Liberty Triumphant Park. George Washington will deliver a 13-star flag to go up, along with an American flag that will fly permanently at the park.
The Monmouth County Historical Association Museum, 70 Court St., Freehold, will be the last stop on the parade route. An exhibit on the Battle of Monmouth will be open to the public.