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
Princeton, NJ
New Jersey
State/County Park | 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...

New Jersey
Historic Site
Ringwood, NJ
New Jersey
State/County Park | Historic House
Franklin Township, NJ

In the final days of the Revolutionary War, Rockingham became General George Washington’s last wartime headquarters, where he penned his Farewell...

New Jersey
Historic Site | Historic House
Perth Amboy, NJ

The Royal Governor's Mansion of New Jersey is the only remaining proprietary governor's mansion of the original Thirteen Colonies still standing today...

New Jersey
Historic Site
Elizabeth, NJ
New Jersey
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...

New Jersey
Historic Site
High Bridge, NJ
New Jersey
Historic Site
Springfield, NJ
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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

Hannah Caldwell of Connecticut Farms, New Jersey was a civilian casualty of the American Revolution. She died instantly when a British soldier fired into her home on June 7, 1780. Recognized as a patriot by the Daughters of the American Revolution, her gravestone reads, "was killed at Connecticut Farms by a shot from a British Soldier. Cruelly sacrificed by the enemies of her husband and her country.”

Biography

George Weedon, a Virginia officer in the French and Indian War and the American Revolution, played pivotal roles at Trenton and Yorktown. Known for his leadership and his tavern as a revolutionary meeting spot, he remained influential in post-war Virginia until his death in 1793.

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

Caesar was kidnapped from Africa as a child and sold into slavery, yet decades later he joined the Marblehead Regiment and fought for the American cause at key moments of the Revolution, including the evacuation of Long Island and Washington’s crossing of the Delaware.

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 |
Hancocks Bridge, NJ
Hancock House Historical Marker Database Built in 1734 by Quakers William and Sarah Hancock, the Hancock House is an important tangible link to Salem County's history and our country’s struggle for...
Historic Site |
Rumson, NJ

In September 1780, Loyalist Colonel Tye captured Patriot captain Joshua Huddy after a fierce struggle. A Patriot ambush capsized their boat, allowing Huddy to escape while Tye suffered a wound that would prove fatal.

Historic Site |
Millburn, NJ
Plaque near the Vauxhall Bridge on Vauxhall Road Historical Marker Database New Jersey militia and Dragoons under Colonel “Light Horse” Harry Lee, Colonel Matthias Ogden, and Captain George Walker...
Historic Site |
Elizabeth, NJ
First Presbyterian Church, Burial Grounds and Elizabethtown Academy Historical Marker Database The First Presbyterian Church, established on the site of the original meetinghouse around 1664, was one...
Historic Site | Historic House
Princeton, NJ

A hidden gem in the borough of Princeton, the Bainbridge House was constructed in the mid-1760s and stands as a hallmark of colonial architecture. Today, it acts as a museum and interpretive center.

Historic Site |
Trenton, NJ
The William Trent House is an excellent example of an early Georgian house, built in 1719 as the summer home of William Trent, a wealthy Philadelphia-based shipping merchant. The William Trent House...
Historic Site | Historic House
River Edge, NJ

Known for having the "Bridge that Saved the Nation," these grounds were once traversed by George Washington and the battered Continental Army as it retreated from New York

State/County Park | Battlefield
Jersey City, NJ

A small victory for the Continental Army, the Battle of Paulus Hook won the reassurances of the Patriots and compelled many to continue the fight for independence.

Historic Site |
Elizabeth, NJ
Boxwood Hall Dmadeo Boxwood Hall is a two-story, wood-frame building in the Georgian style. Built in the 1750’s, Boxwood Hall served as the residence of the Woodruff, Boudinot, Dayton, Spencer, and...
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
Columbus, NJ

At this bridge, American forces under Colonel Samuel Griffin and foraging parties under Hessian Colonel Carl Ulrich von Donop clashed several times throughout December of 1776.

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.