As Princeton Battlefield nears 250th, preservationists push for new visitor center

Supporters say the project would turn the battlefield into an anchor point for visitors from around the world.

A national historic preservation group wants New Jersey lawmakers to put aside millions for a new visitor center at Princeton Battlefield, which advocates say will help future generations understand a keystone battle in America’s war for independence.

At the moment, the state park service uses the Thomas Clarke House, a modest colonial homestead that sat at the epicenter of the 1777 battle, as a sort of impromptu welcome center for those who flock to the 681-acre tract of fields and forests along Mercer Road.

But history buffs from the American Battlefield Trust and the Princeton Battlefield Society say it simply doesn’t do the place justice. They want a gleaming new building that reflects the monumental significance of the Continental Army’s shock victory over the British.

It won’t be cheap; the state will probably have to pony up about $12 million for construction, according to Battlefield Trust spokesman Jared Herr.

But it would be money well spent, advocates say.

“It would be kind of an anchor point,” Herr told The Jersey Vindicator. “When people come to a battlefield or historic site, they start their journey at the visitor center. To us, it’s a no-brainer and a great opportunity.”

“For years, Princeton Battlefield has been an overlooked treasure,” he continued. “The Revolution was saved on that battlefield, and it’s such an important part of Revolutionary War history, and in turn, the history of our country.”

That’s why the trust is encouraging Americans throughout the nation to flood New Jersey lawmakers with letters urging them to include funding for the center in the state’s 2027 budget, which starts July 1 and runs through next June.

“Revitalizing Princeton Battlefield, a National Historic Landmark, will transform this beloved community asset into an outdoor classroom and lasting tribute to the brave American soldiers and British forces who fought there,” the letter reads. “A new center will bring this vision to life, helping both local residents and international travelers learn about the sacrifices made nearly 250 years ago at this important Revolutionary War site.”

Mark Herr, of the nonprofit Princeton Battlefield Society, agrees.

“We are glad that the legislature is considering this, and we would strongly urge them to pass the necessary funding to commemorate this turning point in the American Revolution,” Herr, who shares a surname with his battlefield trust colleague but is not related, told The Vindicator.

“It would allow us to create a center that can educate the next generation — and the generations going forward — about what happened on that battlefield and in that town 250 years ago,” he continued. “Without those men, without that battle, there is no United States of America.”

“A great benefit to the community”

The center will be an integral part of the “Reimagining Princeton” initiative, which is meant to breathe new life into the famed battlefield ahead of its 250th anniversary next January.

The state, the Trust, and the Battlefield Society are driving the project, which relies upon $5 million in public money and private donations to restore the land’s historical topography by rebuilding roads, woodlots, fences, and a long-demolished wartime orchard, among other things.

A spokesperson for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection said the agency has already collaborated with the two groups on several pieces, including posting new signs, creating a mobile tour app, and building a multiyear landscape renovation plan. Last October, state officials and the Battlefield Trust also hosted a “visioning session” for the new visitor center, the spokesperson added. The event drew more than 100 people.

But even with the agency on board, the center won’t be finished by the battle’s semiquincentennial celebration. In fact, the Battlefield Trust would be happy to just break ground by then.

“I think we’d love to have it ready by [the anniversary], but we have a lot of work ahead of us,” Jared Herr said.

It’ll be worth it in the end, though, he said.

“We’ve got lots of data that shows historic tourism is a benefit to any community,” he said. “These kinds of sites attract people of all ages, and they attract people who often stay for longer on trips, an extra night or two. It’s going to be a great benefit to the community.”

It’s not clear if state lawmakers will listen. But preservationists already have one man’s vote.

“I’m totally in favor of it,” said state Sen. Andrew Zwicker, a Democrat who represents Princeton and other parts of Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, and Somerset counties.

“I’ve seen the plans, and I wish, quite frankly, that it was already completed because we’re under such a tight schedule,” he said. “But given the importance of the battlefield … I would really want to see a visitor center that highlights our history and will last for generations to come.”

Despite this, he’s unsure if his colleagues in the state legislature will sign on, given the hefty asking price and a brand-new governor with brand-new fiscal priorities.

“I would say people are supportive, of course, of making sure New Jersey’s place in our country’s founding is highlighted and amplified,” Zwicker said. “But it’s just too soon to say.”