Trail Sites

Liberty Trail Historic Sites

Discover the myriad of sites across The Liberty Trail where significant cultural and Revolutionary history unfolded. From military ruins to meticulously restored mansions, immerse yourself in the footsteps of our nation’s history-makers.

States of Interest:
Massachusetts
Historic Site | State/County Park
Boston, MA

Once the training ground for British troops in Boston, it was from here that Regulars marched toward Lexington & Concord, sparking the American...

Massachusetts
Historic Site | Historic House
Lexington , MA

Waiting on British troops to arrive on the morning of April 19, militia members used this tavern to wait for their arrival before assembling on the...

South Carolina
Historic Site
Pamplico, SC

Located in the Pee Dee region of South Carolina, it was here that Francis Marion signed a treaty with a local Loyalist militia leader, effectively...

North Carolina
Historic Site | Historic House
Wilmington, NC

Home to a Loyalist sympathizer, the Burgwin-Wright House stands as one of the oldest structures in Wilmington. In 1781, the likes of Cornwallis and...

New Jersey
Historic Site
Union, NJ

The Caldwell Parsonage is a site of tragedy outside of the battlefield of Connecticut Farms & Springfield. The events that transpired that day still...

New Jersey
Historic Site | Historic House
Springfield, NJ

This Revolutionary War landmark withstood fierce fighting during the Battle of Springfield. A British cannonball struck the home — and the scar...

Massachusetts
National Park | Historic House
Lincoln, MA

This building was the home of the captain of the Lincoln Minutemen, William Smith, who led his men at the Lexington Green on April 19, 1775.

New Jersey
Historic Site | State/County Park
Barnegat, NJ

On December 27, 1782, Patriot forces under Captain Richard Shreve and Captain Edward Thomas were surprised at a tavern by Loyalist raider Captain John...

South Carolina
Historic Site | Battlefield
Spartanburg, SC

When Jane Black Thomas overheard Loyalists plotting a surprise attack on her son's militia camp, she rode nearly 60 miles through dangerous territory...

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States of Interest

Liberty Trail History Makers

The Revolutionary War was a war unlike any other — one of ideas and ideals, that shaped “the course of human events. Explore the history and personalities from this pivotal time in American history.
Biography

Katy Barry, born Margaret Catherine Moore, played a crucial role as a messenger and spy for the American troops, earning her the title "Heroine of the Battle of Cowpens," and her legacy is preserved at Walnut Grove Manor in South Carolina.

Biography

Colonel Tye, an escaped slave from New Jersey, became a feared Black Loyalist leader during the Revolutionary War. Leading the Black Brigade, he raided Patriot forces until a fatal wound in 1780. His legacy reflects the fight for freedom beyond American independence.

Biography

Robert Kirkwood served at major battles of the Revolution, including Monmouth, Camden, and Cowpens, where Kirkwood led his Delawareans to play a decisive role in Daniel Morgan’s victory. Kirkwood went on to lead his men at Guilford Courthouse, Hobkirk Hill, Ninety-Six, and Eutaw Springs.

Biography

Son of prominent leader John Baptista Ashe, John Ashe emerged as a leading Patriot in North Carolina, turning from crown loyalist to Revolutionary commander after colonial unrest and rising to brigadier general by 1776. Though defeated at Brier Creek and later captured when British forces overran Wilmington, Ashe died a prisoner of war in 1781 after contracting smallpox.

Exploring History
We invite you to visit the preserved locations along the Liberty Trail and to immerse yourself in the extraordinary events that determined the fate of a nation.
Historic Site | Historic House
Clemson, SC

Built in 1716 for Paul de St. Julien in Berkeley County. The house was later dismantled and moved to Clemson University and functions as a house museum.

Historic Site |
Morristown, NJ

The Arnold Tavern, constructed in the mid-18th century, served as Washington's headquarters from January - May 1777

State/County Park | Historic House
Wayne, NJ

The Dey Mansion, built around 1770, served as General George Washington’s headquarters in 1780 during a pivotal time in the American Revolution. As one of his surviving field headquarters, it offers a lasting connection to the strategic decisions, military challenges, and historic events that shaped the fight for independence.

Historic Site | Battlefield
Princeton, NJ

Nassau Hall, once the largest stone building in the colonies, housed the College of New Jersey, now known as Princeton. During the Battle of Princeton in 1777, British troops fortified the building as a last stand defense.

Battlefield |
Freehold, NJ

A 94-foot monument now marks the spot that where the Battle of Monmouth commenced on June 28, 1778. A series of bronze plaques line the monument that depict famous scenes from the engagement.

Historic Site | Historic House
Mount Vernon, VA

Mount Vernon acted as the former plantation estate of the legendary Revolutionary War general, George Washington. The current estate includes the original mansion, gardens, tombs, a working farm, a functioning distillery and gristmill, plus a museum and education center.

Historic Site | Historic House
Bedminister, NJ

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.

Historic Site | State/County Park
Winnabow, NC

The site of a former colonial port that thrived throughout the mid-18th century, most of the town was reportedly burned down by the British in 1776

Historic Site | Historic House
Charleston, SC

Visit Historic Drayton Hall — Tour the nation’s oldest preserved plantation house in America still open to the public. Explore Drayton Hall's 18th-century architecture, landscapes & the people who lived here.

Battlefield | Fort/Outpost
National Park, NJ

Also known as the Battle of Fort Mercer, Hessian forces under Colonel Von Donop unsuccessfully stormed this fort on the 22 of October, 1777. Halted by combined arms of infantry and ships on the Delaware River, the Hessians suffered significant losses.

Battlefield | State/County Park
Trenton, NJ

Also known as the Battle of Assunpink Creek, Washington thwarted Cornwallis yet again, just south of the town of Trenton where they had fought only days prior.

Battlefield | National Park
Greensboro, NC

One of the final battles of the Southern Campaign, the Battle of Guilford Courthouse cemented the British path to final defeat at the Battle of Yorktown.