The Pluckemin Cantonment, located in present-day Bedminster Township, New Jersey, served as the Continental Army's artillery winter encampment from late 1778 to early 1779 during the second Middlebrook Encampment. Under the command of General Henry Knox, the site became the army’s first organized military training facility—often referred to as the precursor to the United States Military Academy at West Point. The cantonment included barracks, officer quarters, workshops, and a military academy that trained artillery officers in mathematics, engineering, and tactics, reflecting a level of discipline and structure previously unseen in the Continental forces.
Strategically situated near the Watchung Mountains and protected by natural defenses, Pluckemin was critical to the army’s preparedness and logistics. It housed over 1,000 soldiers and provided a centralized location for storing and maintaining artillery. Excavations have revealed foundations, artifacts, and the remains of structures, offering valuable insight into the daily life and operations of Revolutionary War soldiers. Today, the site is recognized for its national significance and is commemorated through the efforts of local historians and the Friends of the Jacobus Vanderveer House, which preserves the only surviving structure linked to the cantonment.
Stories from Pluckemin Artillery Cantonment
The only surviving building associated with the Pluckemin Artillery Cantonment, America's first military academy, it served as the headquarters of Henry Knox during the Middlebrook encampment of 1778-1779.
A self-educated bookseller and artillery expert, Knox led artillery efforts that forced the British to evacuate Boston and later serving as a trusted officer under General Washington and the first U.S. Secretary of War.
Once a sprawling manor complex in the New Jersey countryside belonging to Major General William Alexander, all that remains are two extant structures and the cellar of the original home.