Grab your tricorn hat – we’re going on a Revolutionary War tour! There are so many South Jersey sites where vital moments of the fight for freedom played out, and a few nods to familiar faces. Add these to your next historic exploration.
Indian King Tavern
While much of the Revolutionary War was fought on battlefields, there were also a lot of conversations, negotiations and strategizing happening behind the scenes – and one of the founding fathers’ go-to spots for organizing those meetings was right here in Haddonfield, at the Indian King Tavern. Now a museum, visitors can see the Inn where travelers would stay the night, visit the tavern where founding fathers would grab a pint and interact with re-enactors to learn about the happenings of this colonial hot spot.
Plus, mark your calendars for June 7, when reenactors will replicate the skirmish that happened between the British soldiers and Colonists on Kings Highway.
At the Cherry Hill Mall, a white rock marks the spot where The Marquis de Lafayette camped on his way to the Battle of Gloucester in 1777
Cherry Hill Mall
*singing in Hamilton* LAFAYETTE! Sure, Lafayette is a great addition to Hamilton, The Musical, but did you know the Revolutionary War General also has ties to New Jersey? Outside the Cherry Hill Mall, outside the entrance to the Apple Store, there’s a small white rock that marks the spot where The Marquis de Lafayette camped on his way to the Battle of Gloucester in 1777, where he would take his first battlefield command.
Red Bank Hill
In October 1777, American soldiers manned Fort Mercer to defend the Delaware River and prevent British transport ships from traveling north. While the fort eventually fell, the soldiers were able to delay the ships, and you can visit the site of the fort where the trenches and cannons used by the soldiers still stand. Red Bank Hill park has trails, historical monuments, playgrounds, picnic areas and grills where people can enjoy the outdoors while exploring this historic battlefield.
Whitall House
When you visit Red Bank Hill Park, make sure to stop by the Whitall House, a more than 200-year-old house that was established as a 400-acre plantation by a Quaker couple. The house even served as a field hospital during the Battle of Red Bank. Visitors can tour the house Thurs. through Sun. from 11 am to 3 pm, April through October.
Thomas Paine Monument
If you don’t know who Thomas Paine is, you definitely should. It could be argued he’s the reason the revolution happened in the first place, thanks to his 47-page pamphlet, “Common Sense,” published in January 1776, that shifted colonists’ sentiments towards independence. And while Paine spent much of his time in both Philadelphia and New York, he bought a home in Bordentown in 1783, where he lived from time to time. And now, thanks to the Bordentown Historical Society, there is a statue of the Father of the Revolution at Prince and Courtland Streets. There is no website for this monument, so if you are going, put this into your gps: 4 Prince St., Bordentown.
Pulaski Monument
It’s not every day you learn about a new prominent figure of the Revolutionary War – but we can bet today will be one of those days. A Polish nobleman, Casimir Pulaski traveled to America to join the colonist forces, being called “The Father of American Cavalry.” In addition to assisting Washington’s forces with training, he also gained fame during the Battle of Brandywine in 1777, when he saved George Washington’s life. His monument is located on Pulaski Blvd in Mystic Island in Egg Harbor Twp., near the site of the Affair at Little Egg Harbor – where British soldiers attacked a squadron of unsuspecting American soldiers led by Pulaski.
Cooper’s Ferry
Before the Ben Franklin Bridge was constructed, the only way to cross the Delaware River was by boat – and if you were leaving from Camden, it was by the Cooper’s Ferry. The Ferry was a vital resource for transporting supplies, soldiers and other assets during the war. When the British abandoned Philadelphia after over a year of occupation, they traveled across the ferry. Remember Pulaski? He and his cavalry fought a group of British soldiers at the Ferry as the British soldiers were retreating to Philadelphia. And Hessian soldiers from Philadelphia took the Ferry on their way to the Battle of Red Bank. You can see a plaque marking the Ferry outside of the Cooper Branch Library at Rutgers-Camden.
