Jump in heritage tourism expected as 2026 nears
By Dana DiFilippo, NJ Monitor
New Jersey saw more military engagements than any other state during the American Revolutionary War, was George Washington’s “home away from home” during the war, and saw scores of Continental Army soldiers and British forces fall during the Battle of Monmouth, the war’s longest skirmish.
Gov. Phil Murphy and a crowd of history buffs gathered last Friday at the site of the 1778 battle, now a state park in Manalapan, to brag about that history and New Jersey’s pivotal role in the Revolutionary War, kicking off the state’s official commemoration of America’s 250th anniversary.
“The roots of the American Revolution are planted deep in the soil of the Garden State, and that is exactly why our administration is investing tens of millions of dollars into preserving historic treasures like the Craig House, which is just steps away from where we are standing today, or the Old Barracks right next to the state Capitol in Trenton, or Boxwood Hall in Elizabeth,” Murphy said. “In just about every corner of our state, you will find traces of the American Revolution.”
Park advocates and history buffs have long complained that the state has neglected its state parks and historic sites. Murphy said Friday that the state has invested about $30 million to spruce up its historic sites in anticipation of a spike in heritage tourism as the nation’s semiquincentennial approaches in 2026. Restoration work is planned or underway at 10 Revolutionary War sites.
The state also has a series of things planned or already underway to celebrate New Jersey’s role in the American Revolution and draw history buffs here, including reenactments and living history exhibits, a series of 5K races at Revolutionary War sites, educational programs at elementary, middle and high schools, and art installations. Traveling exhibits are planned for microbreweries, libraries, senior centers, city halls, and other locations across the state
U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman and Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way, who’s also New Jersey’s secretary of state, joined Murphy Friday in drumming up support for the coming celebration.
“This milestone recognition has been in the works so long that one of the questions Gov. Murphy asked me in my interview for the job of secretary of state was: can you, Tahesha, pronounce the word ‘semiquincentennial?’” Way said. “This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the Garden State to be widely recognized and visited for its significance during the American Revolution, and how the events, challenges and ideas of that time continue to help us build the more perfect union.”
Watson Coleman applauded plans to spotlight the diversity of New Jersey’s Revolutionary War history, such as the stories of Molly Pitcher, who brought water to exhausted troops and then took her husband’s place in the artillery after he fell, and the Marbleheaders, a racially integrated regiment that ferried Washington and his troops across the Delaware River.
“I’m excited we’ll have the opportunity to tell the stories that are often missing from history books,” Watson Coleman said. “These are the stories that need to be told in the coming years, and I’m glad to work with Gov. Murphy and the governors across this nation to ensure that America’s full story is told and that the young and the old, and those of all races and hues and sentiments and issues, get to know the story of this great country.”
