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Revolutionary War Beacons 21st Century Style
Trenton, NJ ~ Celebrate “Evacuation Day” with the Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area and our partners on Tuesday, November 25, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. We will commemorate with a Skytracker light display the 225th anniversary of the day in 1783 when the British quit the United States in defeat. The Crossroads of the American Revolution Association will symbolically light seven beacon signal system sites in New Jersey that closely replicate signal locations used by the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. The xenon light display will stretch from Greenway Meadows in Princeton to Ramapo Mountain State Forest in Oakland. These vital systems summoned the militia in both New Jersey and neighboring New York and warned residents of the approaching British Redcoats. The types of beacons varied from tar barrels on top of poles, to pyramids, to wooden towers filled with dried grass or hay that could be ignited. Instead of lighting fires to celebrate this 225th anniversary, the Crossroads Association will illuminate the heritage area with 21st century xenon lights. Twin Lights of Navesink in Highlands will participate by sending out a beam from the lighthouse. Collaborating with the Crossroads Association in the commemorative beacon lighting are: Morristown National Historical Park, the NJDEP Division of Parks and Forestry, Essex County Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs, the Beacon Hill Club, Summit and the Township of Princeton. We are also grateful to the Society of Colonial Wars in the State
of New Jersey for their sponsorship of the beacon lighting event. The twelve beacon light display locations in New
Jersey and New York will be: New Jersey's landscape, people, and natural resources directly affected the course of our nation's struggle for independence. Without the Ten Crucial Days—the victorious battles of Trenton and Princeton—victory would not likely have been achieved. During the Revolutionary War, New Jersey was the setting for significant events and strategic conflicts: encampments in Morristown and Middlebrook as well as the battle of Monmouth, the largest one-day artillery battle of the American Revolution. Our state also boasts Morristown and the Wallace House in Somerville. These houses are among thirteen Revolutionary War National Historic Landmarks in the state, including Rockingham in Somerset County where General Washington wrote his Farewell Address to the Army in November 1783, when the Continental Congress was sitting in Princeton, then the nation’s capitol. In addition to the historical significance of the locations, they also highlight the importance of preserving our historic landscapes through both public and private efforts. New Jersey’s Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area was established by Congress in 2006 to recognize, preserve and interpret the nationally significant historical, cultural and natural resources in the state. The heritage area stretches from the heights of the Palisades at Fort Lee in Bergen County to the shores of the Delaware in Gloucester County. It includes 213 municipalities in all or parts of 14 counties, 13 National Historic Landmarks and more than 250 indoor and outdoor spaces on the National Register of Historic Places. The Crossroads of the American Revolution Association is the managing organization of the heritage area and is a non-profit corporation exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations are welcome and are tax-deductible. Contributions should be sent to the Crossroads of the American Revolution Association, PO Box 1364, Princeton, NJ 08542 or by using our secure Web site link found at www.RevolutionaryNJ.org. For more information about this event, please contact Cate Litvack, Crossroads of the American Revolution Association, 609-633-2060 or 609-418-3939. |
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