FRIENDS OF MONMOUTH BATTLEFIELD
NEWSLETTER APRIL 2014
BUSY WEEKEND SCHEDULED MAY 3-4
FOR “WEEKEND IN OLD MONMOUTH” PROGRAM
Once again the first weekend in May will feature “A Weekend in
Old Monmouth” programming and open houses sponsored by the
Monmouth County Historical Commission. Over 40 historical sites will be
open on Saturday May 3 and Sunday May 4 representing the county’s
rich culture and history.
The sites are divided in four tour groupings, northern shore,
central shore, southern shore, and western. Monmouth Battlefield State
Park, including both the Visitor Center and historic Craig House, are
part of the western tour. Other nearby sites connected with the Battle of
Monmouth include Old Tennent Church, the Village Inn in Englishtown,
Covenhoven (General Clinton’s headquarters in Freehold), and the
Monmouth County Historical Association.
More information on sites, locations and hours can be found at the
Historical Commission’s website, www. Visitmonmouth.com.
The Friends of Monmouth Battlefield will be participating in the
weekend’s events as follows.
CRAIG HOUSE, our historic 1740s farmhouse that witnessed the
Battle of Monmouth, will be open Saturday from 10-4 and Sunday from
11-4. It is located on Route 9 at Schibanoff road.
MONMOUTH BATTLEFIELD GIFT SHOP, located at the Park’s
Visitor Center at 16 Business Route 33 in Manalapan Township, NJ
07726, will be open Saturday 1-4 and Sunday 1-4.
OVER HERE MOLLY PITCHER program by living history historian
Stacy Roth will be presented at the Visitor Center at 1:30 on Saturday
and 1:30 on Sunday. This program is sponsored by the Friends with the
aid of a grant from the New Jersey Historical Commission (see additional
article).
WALKING TOUR OF THE BATTLEFIELD led by FOMB President
David Martin will be given on both Saturday and Sunday. Meet at the
Visitor Center at 3 PM. It will last about an hour and a half.
A BIRD WALK AND NATURE TOUR led by FOMB Vice President
George Dawson and his wife Barbara, will be held Saturday at 8 AM.
Starts at the Visitor Center (see additional article).
Take advantage of the weekend’s events to come and see the new
Visitor Center if you have not done so yet, and while you are at it visit
nearby sites associated with the battle!
HISTORY FAIR TO BE HELD AT
WASHINGTON CROSSING STATE PARK MAY 10
This year’s tenth annual “Spirit of the Jerseys” History Fair will be
held at Washington Crossing State Park on Saturday, May 10. Over 200
different historical organizations and sites representing colonial times to
the present (including FOMB) will have display and information tables.
Hours are 11 AM to 5 PM, rain or shine. There is a small parking fee.
Let’s hope the weather will be better than last year, when bad weather
held down attendance. Stop by and say hello at our table!
While you are there, be sure to visit the museum inside the Park’s
Visitor Center. The artifacts and exhibits there, sponsored by the Swan
Foundation, are quite interesting, and include a few items from the
Battle of Monmouth.
You might also want to visit the newly renovated Visitor Center on
the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware River in Washington Crossing
State Park, PA. Pennsylvania’s Visitor Center was closed for some time to
carry out their renovations and just recently opened. It has a lovely
wooden floored entry with large glass windows providing a view of the
river. It in fact looks like a large impressive hunting lodge with its high
wooden beams. It also features a large new auditorium, with a digital
copy of the 1851 version of Leutze’s famous painting of George
Washington Crossing the Delaware. A 13 minute orientation film is
shown there. There is also a gift shop that is quite a bit larger than ours
at Monmouth. The only down side is that their exhibit area is still not set
up. The building is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 to 4.
CRAIG HOUSE OPEN FOR THE SEASON;
WINDOW REPAIR PROJECT IN PREPARATION
The historic Craig House, interpreted by volunteers from the
Friends, reopened for the season on Sunday, April 6.
And quite a
successful opening it was, with 17 visitors the first day and 33 the next
Sunday.
Great thanks are owed to Kathy and Eric Doherty for serving as
docents and guides at the Craig House. Kathy also recently completed an
updated inventory of the house’s furnishings. We also owe thanks to
FOMB member Pete Michel for helping with tours at the Craig House.
Work is proceeding, albeit slowly, on the paperwork required by
the Department of Historic Preservation to replace three damaged
windows at the Craig House. The project is being funded with the aid of a
matching grant from the Monmouth County Historical Commission.
Hopefully the work will be able to be done in June.
“MEET” MOLLY PITCHER AT MONMOUTH
PROGRAMMING STARTS SUCCESSFULLY
On April 26 and 27 we successfully started or “Meet” Molly Pitcher
Programming, a series of ten lectures by living history historian Stacy
Roth. All together about 100 people enjoyed her talks on Molly Pitcher
and her demonstrations on how to fire a Revolutionary War cannon.
A series of ten presentations is scheduled, sponsored by the
Friends of Monmouth Battlefield with the aid of a grant from the New
Jersey Historical Commission. There is no admission charge. Each
presentation day consists of an artillery program at 12:30, an “Over Here
Molly Pitcher” storytelling program at 1:30, and another artillery program
at 2:30. Remaining presentations dates are as follows:
Saturday May 3
Sunday May 4
Saturday May 31
Sunday June 1
Sunday June 15
Saturday July 5
Sunday July 6
Sunday July 20
Stacy will also be appearing at the annual Battle of Monmouth
reenactment on June 21 and 22, and at the Battle of Monmouth
commemoration weekend on June 28-29. Presentation times will be
announced later.
BIRD WALK PLANNED FOR MAY 3
A bird and nature walk on the grounds of the Park will be
conducted on Saturday, May 3, by bird enthusiasts Barbara and George
Dawson. It will begin at 8 AM from the Visitor Center. Participants
should bring good walking shoes and drinking water. The walk will go
into the heart of the battlefield, maybe as far as Perrine Hill.
FOMB WEBSITE EXPANDED WITH
RESEARCH MATERIAL BY JOHN REES
We are much indebted to noted Revolutionary War historian and
FOMB member John Rees for permitting us to post his extensive
research and historical notes of the battle on our website. John has been
researching New Jersey’s role in the Revolution for quite a number of
years. He has also compiled a valuable reference history of the battle
action by gathering primary source material from both sides on the
different segments of the battle. Thanks, John! (Our website address is
www.freindsofmonmouth.org).
TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF STEUBEN
STATUE TO BE CELEBRATED MAY 17
It is almost hard to believe that it is already ten years since the
Steuben Monument was set up at the Park! To celebrate this
anniversary, a commemoration sponsored by the New Jersey Steuben
Society will be held at the park at 11 AM on Saturday, May 17.
Speakers will be on hand from The National Council of the Steuben
Society of America, The Peter Muehlenberg Unit of Clark, New Jersey,
The Molly Pitcher Unit of Yardville, New Jersey, and The Friends of
Monmouth Battlefield. We are proud to have taken a role in helping set
up the monument ten years ago, and we are pleased to be invited to
participate in this ceremony. It will be held in front of the General’s
statue, which is located just south of the Visitor Center. The ceremony is
planned to last more than an hour, so attendees are requested to bring a
comfortable lawn chair. A luncheon will be held afterwards at the
German American Society in Yardville, NJ. Cost is $25 and reservations
are required. They must be made by May 1. For more information,
contact David Martin at dmartin@peddie.org.
MEMORIAL SERVICE TO BE HELD AT PARK
SUNDAY MAY 25
As we have been doing the past several years, a brief memorial
service will be held at the park to honor the soldiers who fought and died
at the Battle of Monmouth on June 28, 1778. The service will be held
this year in front of the Visitor Center at 3 PM on May 25.
NEXT GENERAL MEETING WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4
CHARLES LEE: GUILTY OR NOT GUILTY?
The next general meeting of the Friends of Monmouth Battlefield
will be held at 7 PM on Wednesday, June 4, at the main branch of the
Monmouth County Library, located on Symmes Drive, near Route 9, in
Manalapan. The meeting’s program will consist of a “round table”
discussion on the role of General Charles Lee at the battle. If you have
strong feelings about whether he was guilty or not guilty of the charges
for which he was put on court martial after the battle, or just what to
learn about his controversial role in the battle, come and join us!
The program at our last general meeting, held on March 19, was
given by our President, Dr. David Martin, on the topic, “Women of the
Army: The Role of Women Folk in the Continental Army.”
REGULAR MONTHLY GUIDED BATTLEFIELD
WALKS CONTINUE TO BE OFFERED
Our popular walking tour program instituted last year, giving
guided tours of the battlefield on the first Sunday of every month, have
continued to be offered during the Visitor Center construction project.
Usually tours go to the Hedge Row and Parsonage areas; other times we
caravan by car to walk the north side of the park or other areas nearby.
On March 23 we offered a tour to Perrine Hill and the Molly Pitcher
overlook. 23 people took part. About 10 people participated in a walking
tour to the Hedgerow and Parsonage areas of the battlefield on April 6.
Another 10 visitors took part in a driving tour to the East Morass and
Briar Hill on April 13.
Note that the upcoming walking tours on May 3, May 4, June 1
and June 15 will start at 3 PM instead of the usual 1:30 PM, due to
special Molly Pitcher programming each date at 1:30 PM.
The next driving tour will be to visit the Battle of Monmouth
Monument on Court Street in Freehold. It will be held at 1:30 PM
starting from the Visitor Center.
“SOLDIER ENCAMPMENTS” PROGRAM
OFFERED AGAIN AT THE PARK
Another season of “soldier encampments” is being offered this year
at the Park by Park personnel and living history historians. During these
encampments, a small number of “soldiers” set up camp at the park and
demonstrate their weapons and equipment. They also offer drills for
younger visitors. The first encampments of the new season were offered
by Civil War living history historians on Saturday April 26 and by
Revolutionary War “soldiers” on Sunday April 27. Revolutionary War
encampments are scheduled to be held at the Craig House site on
Saturday May 31 and Sunday June 1 and at the Park Visitor Center on
Saturday July 5 and Sunday July 6. The encampments are organized by
Park seasonal interpreter Pete Michel.
BATTLE REENACTMENT TO BE HELD
WEEKEND OF JUNE 21-22
The annual reenactment of the battle of Monmouth, co-sponsored
by FOMB and the State Park, will be held on Saturday June 21 and
Sunday June 22. Details will be announced in the next newsletter and
will also be posted on our website.
GIFT SHOP BACK IN FULL OPERATION
FOLLOWING WATER DAMAGE IN FEBRUARY
Our gift shop at the Park Visitor Center is now back in full
operation following the roof leak and damage caused by the ice melt over
the winter.
As reported in the last newsletter, the leak developed on February
5. Water backed up on the building’s flat roof during one of the thaws
because the drainage channels on the roof were clogged with ice. The
excess water built up on the roof found and found cracks in the roofing
material where major areas joined together. The water then leaked
through the roof into the building. Unfortunately, the major leak was
right over the main counter in our gift shop.
The gift shop was closed for a few days following the catastrophe
and was working for over a month on reduced level because of water
damage and the need to move stock to a more secure part of the Visitor
Center for fear of additional damage.
Once the roof leak was repaired, our stock was moved back to the
gift shop and everything was back to normal as much as possible by
early April. However, the stains on the ceiling and damage to the counter
and display cabinet have not yet been repaired, nor do we know when
this will be taken care of.
Damage to our exhibits, stock and supplies approached $400.We
do not have insurance for property damage but we are looking into it. A
report and list of damages was submitted to the Park, but we do not
know if their insurance or the contractor will reimburse us.
Hopefully, the roof drainage problem has been successfully
addressed.
CONSTRUCTION WORK ON INCOMPLETE
PARTS OF VISITOR CENTER GOES SLOWLY
It is a shame that our brand new Visitor Center, which opened last
June, has a leaky roof, and that it is not totally finished yet.
There were issues during construction with the ceiling tiles in the
museum part of the building and with the tiles in the overhangs outside
the building.
Some work on the outside ceiling tiles was done last month but
that project is still incomplete. The timeline for the installation of the
tiles inside the building is not clear.
The landscaping outside the entrance to the museum wing of the
Visitor Center was totally cut back last fall. We are not sure how or if it
will be replaced.
We will keep you posted.
FOMB MEMBERSHIP REACHES NEW RECORD
We are pleased to report that current membership in the Friends of
Monmouth Battlefield has reached 102 member individuals and families.
The previous record was 100 in 2011 and again in 2013. The total
includes 21 life members, to whom we are particularly grateful.
We thank those of you who have renewed your membership for
2014. You should by now have received your membership card; if you
have not received it, please let us know.
We are of course still receiving new and renewal memberships for
the year 2014. Membership forms are available in previous newsletters
and on our website, www.friendsofmonmouth,org. Please sign up if you
have not done so yet.
HELPERS NEEDED FOR OUR BUSY SCHEDULE
We also appreciate those of you who have answered our call for
help at our increased number of events. We are manning both the Craig
House and the Visitor Center Gift Shop every Sunday and sometimes
need assistance when our regular volunteers are not available. We are
also giving more tours and programs than in the past.
We especially need help with our responsibilities and concessions
on the reenactment weekend (June 21-22) and on commemoration
weekend (June 28-29). Areas of need on reenactment weekend include:
gate; parking, gift shop; food concession; and shirt concession. Areas of
need on commemoration weekend include: gift shop; information booth;
and shirt concession.
If you have some time to spare and would like to help, please
contact our President, David Martin, at dmartin@peddie.org. Thank you.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
For more information on the Friends of Monmouth Battlefield, Inc.
and our goals and programs, please contact P President Dr. David Martin
at 609-448-6355 (dmartin@peddie.org). Our mailing address is: THE
FRIENDS OF MONMOUTH BATTLEFIELD, INC., PO BOX 122, TENNENT,
NJ 07763. Our website address is: www.friendsofmonmouth.org.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS FOR THIS SPRING
May 3 (Sat). “Weekend in Old Monmouth County”.
Open House at Monmouth Battlefield State Park. Visitor Center and Craig
House, 10 AM to 4 PM
Molly Pitcher Program by Stacy Roth** 1:30 PM at Visitor Center
Walking tour of the battlefield. Meet at Visitor Center at 3:00 PM.
May 4 (Sun). “Weekend in Old Monmouth County”.
Open House at Monmouth Battlefield State Park. Visitor Center and Craig
House, 11 AM to 4 PM
Molly Pitcher Program by Stacy Roth** 1:30 PM at Visitor Center
Walking tour of the battlefield. Meet at Visitor Center at 3:00 PM.
May 10 (Sat) “Spirit of New Jersey” History Fair at Washington Crossing, 11 to 5
May 17 (Sat). Tenth anniversary rededication of statue of General Von Steuben. 11
AM at the statue site near the Visitor Center.
May 25 (Sun). Memorial Day observance at the Park, 3 PM.
May 31 (Sat.)
Molly Pitcher Program by Stacy Roth** 1:30 PM at Visitor Center
Revolutionary War Encampment at the Craig House, 10-4
June 1 (Sun.)
Molly Pitcher Program by Stacy Roth** 1:30 PM at Visitor Center
Walking tour of the Battlefield. Meet at Visitor center at 3 PM.
Revolutionary War Encampment at the Craig House, 10-4
June 4 (Wed.) General membership meeting 7 PM, Monmouth County Library, Symmes
Road. Program on General Charles Lee.
June 8 (Sun.) Driving tour to the Battle of Monmouth Monument Freehold. Meet at
Park Visitor Center at 1:30
June 15, 2014 (Sun.)
Molly Pitcher Program by Stacy Roth** 1:30 PM at Visitor Center
Walking tour of the Battlefield, Meet at Visitor center at 3 PM.
June 21-22 (Sat-Sun) Annual reenactment of the Battle of Monmouth.
Entries in bold occur in the Park.
Craig House and Gift Shop normally open Sundays 1-4 PM.
** Event presented with the aid of a grant from the New Jersey Historical
Commission.