 |
|
CROSSROADS GAZETTE
Your resource for all things Revolutionary New Jersey!
|
The Crossroads of the American Revolution is bursting with activities and events for you and your family to enjoy. Join us and our Heritage Partners as we say Huzzah to Spring!
|
|
|
Remembering our heroes on Memorial Day
Who kept the faith and fought the fight;
The glory theirs, the duty ours.
~Wallace Bruce
Webster's Dictionary defines a hero as a person who is admired for great or brave acts or fine qualities. As we take the time this month to observe Memorial Day not only as the traditional start to summer but as a time to reflect and remember, this definition allows us to connect past and present heroes.
Exploring New Jersey's Revolutionary heritage engages us in a deeper understanding and respect for the sacrifices of so many individuals who have fought for and protected our freedom. Whether it is one of our Revolutionary Neighbors, a soldier just back from the Middle East or someone in your community that stands up for his neighbors and friends, there are heroes everywhere in our great state.
Walk in our Revolutionary Neighbors' footsteps at one of our many historic sites; witness a battle reenactment; spend an afternoon exploring our 18th century arts and crafts; be transported to a different time where the rights we take for granted were not guaranteed.
Many of our neighbors past and present keep the torch of liberty alive. And on Memorial Day, we remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice, and those that continue to protect our freedoms. So, no matter where you spend your holiday - at the shore, at a parade or at home - you are never far from the opportunity to honor these men and women.
As we start a new summer on this Memorial Day, you can start your family's journey into Revolutionary New Jersey. Be a part of the legacy. Make your own history.
|
Catch the Spirit of the Jerseys on May 14
Do you love New Jersey history as much as we do? Join us at the
Spirit of the Jerseys festival at Monmouth Battlefield State Park on May 14 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. rain or shine.
This annual festival spans more than 350 years of life in the Garden State, with exhibitors representing stories from every era. George Washington and Molly Pitcher are just a few of the fascinating people of the past who are scheduled to appear, along with historical interpreters representing both sides of the Revolution. Meet representatives from many of our Crossroads Heritage Partner sites, learn about 18th century tavern life and play dress up like a Revolutionary New Jerseyan.
Stop by the Crossroads table to take a selfie in our Revolutionary soldier scene, learn more about our Heritage Area and pick up Revolutionary Activity books for the kids.
For more information on the day's events, exhibitors and more,
visit the Spirit of the Jerseys
website
.
|
|
|
Give a Hamilton for a Revolutionary cause
He's a Founding Father and a Broadway star... Americans fought to keep him on the ten dollar bill... and he's a hometown hero with
deep roots in New Jersey. You can help him make a difference here today!
New Jersey was a crossroads for Alexander Hamilton and the American Revolution. Here he became the man featured on Broadway, making influential friends, serving as Washington's right hand man, courting his wife and envisioning America's industrial future. Crossroads Heritage Partner sites tell his story in Morristown, Elizabeth, Monmouth and beyond. We couldn't be prouder of this honorary Revolutionary Neighbor for being as relevant now as he was in the founding days of our nation.
What better way to help us tell his story - and so many others - than to share a Hamilton with Crossroads? Your $10 contribution will help fund our programs to promote New Jersey's Revolutionary history, including our NJEA-endorsed Revolutionary Neighbors, Heritage Partners events, and our Hermes award-winning website.
|
|
Spirited discussion raised during Heritage Partner event
Bringing new life to historic homes was tops on the list for discussion at the Crossroads Heritage Partner event on April 5 at Rutgers University's Piscataway campus. More than 90 representatives from historic sites across New Jersey came to hear keynote speakers: Franklin Vagnone and Deborah Ryan, co-authors of
Anarchist's Guide to Historic House Museums. Vagnone is also Executive Director for NYC Historic House Trust, and Ryan is Associate Professor, Architecture and Urban Design at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte.
During their presentation and the spirited group discussion that followed, Vagnone and Ryan encouraged the group to consider their sites in context with current events and the interests of the surrounding communities. "Changes in society are happening whether we like it or not," Ryan said. To stay relevant and increase visitorship, the pair suggested treating historic houses like places where people live, taking down the velvet ropes and allowing the public to wander.
Following the talk, participants met with representatives from destination marketing organizations including Jennifer Costa from Go Elizabeth, Lina Llona from Middlesex County Regional Chamber of Commerce Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Leslie Bensley from Morris County Tourism Bureau.
Feedback from event participants was overwhelmingly positive, with 85 percent of attendees rating the session as excellent or very good in a follow-up survey. "I like the ideas, even though they were controversial," one attendee said. Another commented, "The content of the presentation was wonderful and opened my mind to possibilities."
Jointly sponsored by Crossroads, the New Jersey Historic Trust and Morristown National Historical Park, this workshop is just one of the benefits that historic sites and organizations enjoy as Heritage Area Partners.
|
|
Revolutionary Spirit Night: June 14 in Bridgewater
Maybe baseball wasn't invented until the 19th century, but TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater will take on a 18th century air on Flag Day, June 14 for Revolutionary Spirit Night with the Somerset Patriots Atlantic League baseball team. Meet a Continental soldier... visit an encampment... enjoy the sounds of the Old Barracks Fife and Drums... and chat with Crossroads Heritage Partners from around the state as the Somerset Patriots take on the York Revolution in a 7:05 p.m. game.
Watch our Facebook page and website for details as the date nears, and plan to bring the whole family! Tickets are available through the Somerset Patriots website.
|
|
Crossroads trustee honored by Sons of the American Revolution
Crossroads Trustee Ira Jersey was recently honored with the Distinguished Service Medal from the West Fields Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution.
The highest award that can be conferred by an SAR chapter president, the Medal is presented to a member for distinguished service rendered to the chapter. Jersey has served the West Fields Chapter as assistant chaplain, color guard, treasurer, state finance committee member, past chapter president, scouting coordinator and benefactor. He's been a Crossroads trustee since 2015.
|
|
Uncover your Revolutionary Spirit at Summer Camp!
Give your kids a Revolutionary experience this summer! Heritage Partners around the state are already enlisting young ones for a variety of programs that are bound to interest curious minds. Just to mention a few:
- The Old Barracks is offering a week in George Washington's Army with 18th century cooking, crafts, drills, visits to Trenton historic sites and more.
- Colonial Dames' "Step into New Jersey History" at Peachfield includes archaeology, Lenape folklore and crafts, and Colonial games among other activities.
- Liberty Hall Museum hosts Oasis Day Camp that combines crafts and fun at the Colonial-era historic site and athletics at Kean University.
- Jacobus Vanderveer House and Museum partners with Somerset Hills YMCA to provide a two-week archaeology camp that includes an actual dig and visits to historic sites.
Visit our
Summer Camp webpage for more information, and check back often as we update with more camps in the coming weeks.
|
Heritage Partners reenlist with Crossroads
More than a hundred historic sites, non-profit organizations and lineage societies have joined forces with Crossroads to help visitors discover Revolutionary New Jersey. From museums that are open every day to interest groups working to preserve local history, Crossroads helps members enhance their visibility and build community engagement.
This month, we thank several Heritage Partners for renewing their membership with us:
For more information on Heritage Partner membership and benefits, contact our Program Manager Kate Knowles-Brindle by
e-mail
or call her at 609-341-3246.
|
Welcome to our newest Business Partner
New Jersey's business citizens have a Revolutionary option for supporting heritage tourism: Crossroads Business Partner program. To date, more than a dozen companies, chambers of commerce and trade organizations have given vital support to our efforts to encourage local residents and visitors alike to discover New Jersey's critical role in the American Revolution.
Participating businesses enjoy several benefits of membership, plus the satisfaction of helping us spread the Revolutionary story. For more information on how your business can support Crossroads, contact our
Executive Director, Noreen Bodman by
e-mail
or call her at 609-341-3245.
|
|
Get Revolutionary at this month's Heritage Partner events
Celebrate New Jersey history at these events at our partners in the Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area. Watch our
website
and
Facebook page
for even more activities through the month, and watch for our mid-month events email.
|
Tour the Smith-Cadbury Mansion in Moorestown
May 5, 10 and 12 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Walk in the footsteps of Patriots, Redcoats, Hessians and notables from Lafayette to von Knyphausen at the home of Revolutionary-era NJ Assemblyman Richard Smith.
More information
.
|
Open House in Fenwick's Colony, Salem County
May 7 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
More than 20 historic structures on the county's old colonial roads will be open to visit, including the Hancock House and other 18th century patterned-brick homes.
More information
.
|
Saturday Musket Firing Demonstrations at Washington Crossing State Park in Titusville
May 7, 21 and 28 at 2:00 p.m.
Join a park historian for an interpretive talk about some of the weapons used during the American Revolution and their use during the Battle of Trenton. A musket firing demonstration will follow.
More information
.
|
Valiant Ambition: George Washington, Benedict Arnold, and the Fate of the American Revolution at Washington's Headquarters in Morristown
May 13 at 7:00 p.m.
Author Nathanial Philbrick speaks at this National Park Service Centennial event at Morristown National Historical Park.
More information
.
|
|
|
Board of Trustees
Thomas H. Kean, Honorary Chair ● Patrick Murray, President ● Laura Szwak, Vice President ● David Siegfried, Treasurer ● Sally Lane, Secretary ● Leslie Bensley
●
Richard Bousquet ● Kathleen Ellis
● Dale Florio ●
John Hardiman ● Ira Jersey
● Martha Lieblich ●John S. O'Donnell ● Chris Paladino ● Milly Silva
Crossroads Staff
Noreen Bodman, Executive Director ● Tanika Jones, Office Administrator ● Kate Knowles-Brindle, Program Manager ● Sue Kaufmann, Communications and Social Media Coordinator ● Cody Knowles, Program Assistant ● Bill Lawton, Development/Fundraising Assistant
|
|
|
|
|
|
Join us!
Your gift matters.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
