BATTLEFIELD RESTORATION: Reconstruction of the Saw Mill Road (seen here in an artist’s rendering) is just one of many upgrades, including a new visitors and education center, planned for the Princeton Battlefield State Park in the coming months and years. (Photo courtesy of American Battlefield Trust)

By Donald Gilpin

A multimillion dollar visitors and education center, new trails and reconstruction of the Trace Road, the replanting of an old apple orchard, new interactive signage, battle windows and a large metal topographic map of the battlefield, removal of non-historic buildings from the battlefield, restoration of the gravesite honoring casualties of the battle — all of the above were on the agenda Tuesday night as the American Battlefield Trust (ABT), the Princeton Battlefield Society (PBS), New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), and GWWO Architects discussed the future of the Princeton Battlefield at a public meeting held at Morven Museum & Garden.

The meeting, which took place after press time, was intended to discuss progress so far, rehabilitation plans, and the vision of a new visitors and education center for the Princeton Battlefield State Park, as the 250th anniversary of the January 1777 Battle of Princeton approaches.

Groundbreaking for the visitor and education center is targeted for the 2027 anniversary year, and one purpose of Tuesday’s meeting was to gather community input and ideas for what that center and other battlefield improvements might include.

“The PBS and the ABT want to build a visitors center there that would be a repository for New Jersey’s Revolutionary War history, Princeton’s history, and particularly the Battle of Princeton, also for what Princeton was like in 1777 for men, women and children, and what that battle represented within the larger narrative,” said PBS Communications Committee Chair Mark Herr.

He continued, “We want to create a site that will tell the entire story accurately and capture what happened on the battlefield almost 250 years ago. That’s hallowed ground. It’s important to remember what those men accomplished here.”

Herr recounted the dramatic history of the “ten crucial days” of the American Revolution, which culminated in George Washington’s success in the Battle of Princeton on January 3, 1777. “They win a magnificent victory and they save the cause of independence,” said Herr. “We want to make sure that that is remembered. Two hundred fifty years later we’re still here, and one of the reasons we’re still here is because of what they did on that battlefield.”

Herr went on to discuss the goals of Tuesday’s meeting. “Part of the process is explaining what we want to do, explaining how we want to do it, and soliciting input, because that battlefield belongs to everybody. It belongs to all the residents of our state, to all the residents of our community, to everybody who has an interest in history, which should be everybody.”

He continued, “The duty of the custodians of history is to transmit that history from generation to generation, and we have several generations of Americans who are woefully ignorant of their nation’s heritage.”

Herr emphasized the importance of the partnership including PBS, ABT, and NJDEP, along with the local community. GWWO Architects is now also on board, looking at proposed locations for a visitors center and gathering feedback from the public. ABT Communications Associate Jared Herr (no relation to Mark) noted, “We have already hosted multiple stakeholder meetings with neighbors and others in the community to help inform proposed locations.”

NJDEP has jurisdiction over the battlefield because it is a New Jersey state park.

Mark Herr added, “We are doing this in a collaborative inclusive and information-gathering manner. We want to build a terrific visitors’ center. The more views we can get, the more voices we hear from, the stronger we’ll be.”

Jared Herr noted, “Having a turning point of the war in your backyard is something to be very proud of and also to want others to understand and learn and realize the importance of this in terms of the larger American story.”

He continued, “Not only to preserve this battlefield, but to educate and inspire, to tell people the story, to help them understand and to inspire them to tell others and to think about what it means for our country today and how that land plays a crucial role in giving us the liberties that we all enjoy.”

For more information about the Princeton Battlefield and opportunities to contribute to the ongoing refurbishment visit the Princeton Battlefield Society at PBS1777.org and the American Battlefield Trust at battlefields.org.