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:
New Jersey
Historic Site | Historic House
Piscataway, NJ

The Cornelius Low House, constructed in 1741, stands today as one of the finest examples of Georgian architecture in New Jersey.

New Jersey
Historic Site | Historic House
Freehold, NJ

This unassuming home, owned by the Covenhoven family, was requisitioned by British General Henry Clinton in the days prior to the monumental Battle of...

New Jersey
State/County Park | Historic House
Freehold, NJ

An ordinary farmhouse within Monmouth, it became a hotspot during the Battle of Monmouth as Charles Lee mounted a defense against advancing British...

New Jersey
Historic Site
Crosswicks, NJ

New Jersey militia and Continentals assaulted a British column in-and-around these grounds in mid-June of 1778, just days before a continued series of...

Massachusetts
Historic Site
Newburyport, MA

Once an influential shipbuilding center, Newburyport now houses the Custom House Maritime Museum, which interprets the region's naval history.

New Jersey
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...

South Carolina
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...

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

The East Jersey Old Town Village is a collection of historic structures dating the 18th century. Today, living historians walk the grounds, bringing...

New Jersey
Historic Site
Mount Laurel Township, NJ

A precursor movement to the Battle of Monmouth, this Quaker meeting house was surrounded by the encampment of British troops under Alexander Leslie in...

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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

A former Revolutionary War captain, he led Shays' Rebellion in protest of economic hardships and oppressive taxation, which ultimately exposed the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and influenced the ratification of the U.S. Constitution.

Biography

Thomas Carney was an African American soldier who fought in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War.

Biography

Carl von Donop, a Hessian colonel, sought glory in the American Revolution but blundered at Trenton—possibly distracted by a "beautiful widow." To redeem himself, he led a doomed assault on Fort Mercer in 1777, suffering fatal wounds. Arrogant and unpopular, his American dream ended in defeat by the Delaware River.

Biography

Commander of a Virginia unit during the American Revolution, Abraham Buford saw his troops massacred by Banastre Tarleton and his British Legion at the Battle of Waxhaws in South Carolina.

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
South Bound Brook, NJ

Constructed in the early 1740s, this home acted as the headquarters of Baron Von Steuben during the Continental Army's cantonment in 1779. Today, it stands as one of the few remaining Dutch structures in central New Jersey.

Battlefield | State/County Park
Burlington, NC

The Battle of Alamance site marks the 1771 clash between royal militia and Regulator rebels, often called the last battle of the colonial period. Visitors can explore monuments and exhibits interpreting this early struggle over authority in the Carolina backcountry.

Battlefield
Mount Holly, NJ

The Battle of Mount Holly, also known as Iron Works Hill, fought on December 23, 1776, was a minor skirmish in which Hessian Colonel Carl von Donop occupied the town, diverting his forces from Trenton and indirectly contributing to Washington’s victory there three days later.

Historic Site | Historic House
Georgetown, SC

Built circa 1740, Hopsewee Plantation was one of the South’s major rice plantations and the birthplace of Thomas Lynch, Jr., one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

Historic Site
Newburyport, MA

Once an influential shipbuilding center, Newburyport now houses the Custom House Maritime Museum, which interprets the region's naval history.

State/County Park | Historic Site
Hewitt, NJ

Owned and operated by German immigrants, this site once housed one of the largest ironworks in the colonies that supplied the Continental Army. Started in 1766, it was in operation for over a century.

Battlefield
Sullivan's Island, SC

Treacherous waters and Patriot fire foil a British attack on Charleston Harbor

State/County Park |
South Mills, NC

Located just south of the Chesapeake Bay, this "uninhabitable" Great Dismal Swamp was home to thousands of Native Americans and Maroons--self-emancipated slaves--throughout the 18th and 19th centuries.

Historic Site | Historic House
Union, NJ

Liberty Hall was home to trailblazing governors, congressmen, senators, assembly persons, philanthropists, and entrepreneurs. Inhabited by William Livingston, New Jersey’s first elected governor and a signer of the United States Constitution, the 14-room Georgian-style home evolved over time into a 50-room Victorian mansion.

Historic Site |
Clemson, SC

Nestled outside the traditional bounds of the South Carolina colony is the Presbyterian church where Andrew Pickens committed his time as an elder following the Revolution. In the adjacent cemetery lie the graves of several American soldiers who had fought by Pickens' side during the war.

Historic Site |
Crosswicks, NJ

New Jersey militia and Continentals assaulted a British column in-and-around these grounds in mid-June of 1778, just days before a continued series of skirmishes reached their zenith at the Battle of Monmouth.

Historic Site | National Park
Highlands, NJ

A strategic location for the defense of New York's harbor, the Continentals failed to reinforce this peninsula, leading to the city's capture in August of 1776. A lighthouse dating to 1764 still operates there today, once serving as a Loyalist fortification.