[Insert Date]
The Honorable Chris Christie
Governor of New Jersey
New Jersey State House
P.O. Box 001
Trenton, NJ 08625
Dear Governor Christie:
I write to you today to urge your support for preservation of the Princeton Battlefield, a national
treasure and historic landmark as well as one of the Garden State’s most significant
Revolutionary War sites.
The Battle of Princeton was a defining moment in our nation’s history. In a daring maneuver,
George Washington and his outnumbered Continental army slipped out of Trenton to confront
the British on the frigid morning of January 3, 1777. Fighting its third battle in ten days,
Washington’s army smashed the British rear guard at Princeton and won a decisive victory that
reinvigorated an American cause that seemed all but lost less than two weeks earlier.
Today, the Princeton Battlefield is one of the most endangered historic sites in the United States.
The Institute for Advanced Study, a research center with its own unique history, is seeking to
build faculty housing on a 22-acre portion of the Princeton battleground immediately adjacent to
the existing Princeton Battlefield State Park. This property, known as the Maxwell’s Field tract,
was the scene of Washington’s decisive charge that determined the battle. Modern
archaeological research has confirmed the historic significance of the site. The loss of this
property to faculty housing would destroy this priceless treasure – not just for today’s
Americans, but for all time.
We urge your Administration to weigh in on this deplorable situation before it is too late.
National preservation organizations have offered a mutually beneficial solution that would
compensate the Institute for its property, and ultimately incorporate the Maxwell’s Field tract
into the state park. Such an outcome would enable all to benefit – the State of New Jersey, the
Institute for Advanced Study and historic preservation advocates. Most of all, such a solution
would benefit the American people, who would be able to visit this outdoor classroom to learn
about Washington’s charge and how it transformed the cause of American independence.
Thank you for your time and your consideration of this important issue.
Sincerely,
[Insert Your Name]
[Insert Your Address]
[Insert Your City, State, & Zip Code]