Somerset County Announces Purchase of Revolutionary War Battlefield in Bound Brook, NJ

BOUND BROOK, NJ – Somerset County today announced an agreement to purchase the historic two-acre parcel of land where the British attacked George Washington’s troops during a Revolutionary War engagement known as the Battle of Bound Brook. The property also contains an 18th-century stone arch bridge thought to be among the oldest in the country.

“Our vision is to develop this property into a public park that would connect to Somerset County’s ‘Raritan River Greenway,’ our long-term walking and biking trail initiative,” said Somerset County Commissioner Director Shanel Y. Robinson. “We will partner with Middlesex County to acquire the property and begin to restore, maintain, and interpret the battlefield in time for the 250th anniversary of the nation in 2026.”

Somerset County will use its dedicated Open Space Preservation Trust Fund to pay its share of the $3 million land acquisition cost, which is being split with Middlesex County.

The acquisition of the battlefield was announced at a symposium on the American Revolution at Raritan Valley Community College by Somerset County Commissioner Deputy Director Doug Singleterry and Commissioner Melonie Marano. They also announced plans to preserve Revolutionary War resources at Lord Stirling Park in Basking Ridge, Washington Valley Park in Bridgewater, and to create new interpretive programs to increase public awareness and access to historic resources related to the founding of the nation.

The site of the Bound Brook Battlefield is owned by a trucking company and located partially in Bound Brook Borough in Somerset County, and partially in Middlesex Borough in Middlesex County. Recognizing the historic significance of the parcel, the two counties will together create a public park.

“In Middlesex County, we are committed to protecting and commemorating our deep roots in the Revolutionary War,” said Middlesex County Commissioner Director Ronald G. Rios. “This partnership with Somerset County fits into our overall vision to improve quality of life. Our preservation efforts today will ensure that our residents can experience and honor our rich history for generations to come.”

Much of the site today is utilized as a trucking depot and paved over, including the historic stone bridge which is listed on the National and New Jersey Registers of Historic Places. The span has three arches, is 26 feet wide and 80 feet in length, and is believed to be relatively intact. The counties plan to uncover and preserve the bridge.

The Battle of Bound Brook

On April 13, 1777, 4,000 British and Hessian troops surprised a garrison of 500 American troops and briefly took control of what is today the Borough of Bound Brook. Approximately 30 American troops were killed, and a larger number captured, in a British victory that fell short of its strategic objectives. The site’s stone arch bridge, built as early as 1731, provided cover to Hessian attackers who were “exposed to a murderous fire” from the American defenders, in the words of a Hessian officer.

"The bitter clash between British, Hessian and Continental troops on the bridges leading into Bound Brook, NJ, on April 13, 1777, informed General George Washington’s evolving understanding of warfare, ultimately empowering an American victory,” said Jim Stempel, author The Enemy Harassed: Washington’s New Jersey Campaign of 1777. Stemple was one of the speakers at today’s symposium.

“General Washington spent about 250 days in Somerset County during the American Revolution,” said Somerset County Deputy Director Doug Singleterry. “The Battle of Bound Brook and the two Middlebrook encampments in our County are stories that need to be better known by our residents and by potential visitors.”

"We applaud the Commissioners of Somerset and Middlesex Counties for their astute actions to acquire an important slice of property that can be preserved and interpreted for future generations. The restored battlefield will serve as a reminder for all citizens about the hard-fought land our patriot ancestors launched a new nation, based on the ideals of freedom and justice for all,” said John L. Dodd, Esq., President General of the National Society, Sons of the American Revolution.

“Crossroads of the American Revolution Association, on behalf of RevolutionNJ, applauds the acquisition of the two-acre tract that encompasses a portion of the grounds, including the Old Stone Arch Bridge, where the Battle of Bound Brook was fought in 1777,” said Carrie Fellows, Executive Director of the organization that is planning New Jersey’s commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the nation. “This action will enhance heritage tourism for our 250th commemorations and will add to the many important stories of New Jersey's contributions to the nation’s revolutionary struggle.”

Plans for the 250th Anniversary

The Bound Brook Battlefield announcement was one of five major announcements by Somerset County at the 2023 Middlebrook Symposium, organized by several major history nonprofits to educate the public about the two Revolutionary War encampments in Somerset County, and made possible by funds from the Somerset County Cultural & Heritage Commission, a partner of the New Jersey Historical Commission. Those announcements include:

• Restoration and archaeology at the Somerset County Park Commission’s Lord Stirling Park in Basking Ridge, to protect the mansion on the property owned by Elias Boudinot, first President of the Congress following the Revolution, and to interpret the home site of General William Alexander, better known as Lord Stirling.

• New investments in the Somerset County Park Commission’s Washington Valley Park in Bridgewater, to better tell the story of the Middlebrook encampments of 1777 and 1778-1779.

• A new volunteer docent program funded from a grant from the New Jersey Historical Commission to more regularly open Somerset County’s Five Generals Houses, which were used during the Middlebrook Encampment by Generals Washington, Baron von Steuben, Henry Knox, Nathanael Greene, and William Alexander (Lord Stirling).

• A new Revolutionary War interpretive plan for Somerset County’s major Revolutionary War sites, including the entire historic Borough of Millstone.

Additional information about Somerset County’s preparations for the 250th anniversary are available on the County website.

Infographic by Somerset County.

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