Fight over the battlefield [Princeton]

Princetonian ^ | Tuesday, February 20, 2007 | Michael Scharff

[Pharmboy]

Institute for Advanced Study and preservationists dispute land parcel

Photo by Dent Yang
The Princeton Battlefield State Park is the site of a critical turning point
in the Revolutionary War. The future of 25-acre corner of the site owned by the
Institute for Advanced Study is now in question, as the Institute lobbies
to build faculty housing there. The Princeton Battlefield has been a place of quiet contemplation
for more than two centuries, where scholars and aspiring history buffs can walk
on the hallowed ground of one of the nation's most pivotal battles. Yet a new struggle has
emerged on this land in recent years, not between the redcoats and
the rebels, but between an academic institution and a local preservation society.

At stake is a parcel of land, roughly 25 acres in size, owned by the Institute of Advanced Study, on which the Institute wants to build faculty housing. Members of the Princeton Battlefield Society — a volunteer group dedicated to preserving the Revolutionary War site — claim that the parcel is part of the original battlefield and must be saved.

"There are some sites that are hallowed ground, that are just too sacred to be played with," said Jerry Hurwitz, president of the Princeton Battlefield Society.

Hurwitz said that by developing the land, the Institute will permanently destroy an important part of history.

Critics of the planned development say the Institute, situated on over 500 acres of wooded and open property, has plenty of land to build on without compromising the small tract adjacent to the eastern edge of the battlefield, which is now a state park.

Hurwitz, a self-proclaimed history buff, has led the charge against the Institute's plans and urged other community members to follow suit. "What happened on that battlefield touches us today," said Hurwitz, noting the countless individuals who enjoy visiting the site each year and learning about its history.

According to Hurwitz, the Institute went before the Princeton Regional Planning Board in 2003 with plans to develop 15 to 19 units of faculty housing on the battlefield site.

At the time, the committee determined there was a flaw in the plans and sent the Institute back to the drawing board. Hurwitz and his supporters have continued to lobby against the development.

Institute Director Peter Goddard declined to comment over the holiday weekend, and repeated calls to the Institute's public affairs office went unanswered.

Princeton students in battle

As one ascends the main bluff overlooking the open fields that played host to gruesome scenes of bloodshed, the bell tower of Nassau Hall is the lone landmark that can be spotted, edging over the tree line. The University, then known as the College of New Jersey, was intimately linked to the events that transpired on the battlefield less than a mile away.

Nassau Hall was used as a barracks, hospital and prison while the British occupied the town from Dec. 7, 1776, until the Battle of Princeton on Jan. 3, 1777.

John Mills, the park's chief historian, noted that at least two Princetonians witnessed the battle firsthand. Benjamin Rush, a graduate of the Class of 1760 and one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, is said to have tended to the mortally wounded General Hugh Mercer, who was stabbed seven times during the battle.

Mills said Ashbel Green, a graduate of the University and its president from 1812 to 1822, originated the legend of the cannonball decapitation of King George II's portrait in Nassau Hall. As a student, Green observed Alexander Hamilton's unit firing a cannonball through the portrait, Mills added.

Historians are largely unanimous in their assertion that the Battle of Princeton was a critical point in the war — part of the period commonly referred to as the "10 crucial days" — that turned the tide in favor of George Washington's forces during a time of great desperation.

Emeritus history professor John Murrin said in the context of the Revolutionary War, the Battle of Princeton "is one of the really big significant actions."

"I think the Trenton-Princeton campaign really did turn the war around," he added.

Great place to visit

The Princeton Battlefield State Park, as the grounds are officially termed, was dedicated in October 1946 and named a historical landmark in 1961. The 85 acres of woodland and open plains boasts hiking trails and is open to cross-country skiing in the winter.

The William Clarke Museum, established in the former Clarke family residence that hosted many of the wounded after the battle, hosts Revolutionary War displays. Parts of the house are furnished as they might have been during the era.

Mills credits Princeton's ability to "attract a lot of people from around the world," as a contributing factor for the diverse crowd at the park. "We have local people; we have school groups; we have organized bus tours," said Mills, adding that "a great many people just use the park itself as a great place to fly kites and picnic."

Murrin, who has led tours to the site, said that "when you walk over that field, it's hard to imagine it was a battlefield; it's such nice pastoral scene."

A long fight

Given the seemingly stoic and tranquil nature of the battlefield, it can be easy to forget that a legal tug-of-war is underway.

Hurwitz said the best solution for resolving the issue is for the Institute to obtain a conservation easement from the state to build on land farther away from the battlefield currently off-limits to development.

In return for permitting development elsewhere on the property, the Institute would agree to sell the tract of land adjacent to the park back to the state.

"We're simply talking about swapping," Hurwitz said, "I would dare say that most Americans, if they knew about [this swap proposal], would say the same thing."

Mills, who interacts with battlefield visitors on a daily basis, said that many are concerned about the prospect of housing on land that may have been part of the battlefield.

Supporters of the preservation program say they are geared up for a long fight.

"There is so much that one can learn about our country," said Hurwitz, reflecting on why the Preservation Society continues to advocate on behalf of the state park. "There are lessons there that still hold true today."

[Pharmboy]

This is the battlefield I visit most often. It should not be violated.

In the picture above, you are looking from the British lines in what was an apple orchard toward the charging Americans.

[Dog Gone]

The owners are pretty much entitled to do with it as they want. If some society wants to dictate its use, it should buy it.

I think our Founding Fathers would have agreed with that.

[Pharmboy]

The Flag of the Grand Union, 1775-1777.

The Red Cross of St. George and the White Cross of St. Andrew with 13 red/white stripes.

The short list for the RevWar/Colonial History/Gen. Washington ping list. For the more esoteric and/or local stories. Freepmail me to get ON or OFF the BIG or Short list.

[Pharmboy]

Perhaps you missed this point:

Critics of the planned development say the Institute, situated on over 500 acres of wooded and open property, has plenty of land to build on without compromising the small tract adjacent to the eastern edge of the battlefield, which is now a state park.

[george76]

do you have a map ?

[Clemenza]

Let's not forget the oak where General Mercer was mortally wounded.

I frequently walk around the battlefield, as it is very close to my apartment.

[Dog Gone]

I think you're reading it wrong. They want to control the tract which is outside but adjacent to the state park.

[Pharmboy]

Here's a good one:

In the map, the area between Mahwood, Mercer and Sullivan is the area of the current Battlefield State Park. I am not quite sure of the area under dispute, but I think it is just a bit north of "Sullivan." And, BTW, he is the Sullivan that "Sullivan Street" in Greenwich Village in NYC is named for.

[Pharmboy]

Well, that oak went down. But, as you know, they have replanted a young tree on the spot.

[Pharmboy]

"Members of the Princeton Battlefield Society — a volunteer group dedicated to preserving the Revolutionary War site — claim that the parcel is part of the original battlefield and must be saved."

Perhaps you are reading this wrong.

[Dog Gone]

No, I read that right. If they want the tract to be preserved or perhaps added to the state park, they should buy it instead of insisting that the owners treat it as if it's part of the state park.

[Clemenza]

I know. I was lucky enough to see it when it was still there. When I moved here back in November, however, I went looking for it, then was told the news by a fellow visitor.

I like to think of the oak as "eternal" in spirit, which is kind of pagan, but appropriate for the circumstances.

[Pharmboy]

Oh please...there's plenty of land that they have that they can use away from the battlefield. If they do not want to be reasonable about one of the most hallowed pieces of land in this country, then the hell with them.

And if you have no understanding of what this place means to Americans, then learn about it or go pound sand. G'bye...

[Cagey]

Thanks for the head's up, Pharmboy. I'm putting this battlefield on my must visit list and I hope it remains as it is now.

[Dog Gone]

You want the right to control other people's property. For free.

If that 25 acres is so hallowed, then BUY it you cheapskate.

[Pharmboy]

Go back to wherever your kind goes, you crossdressing pervert.

[Dog Gone]

Really? My suggestion that you should pay to control someone else's private property makes me a cross-dressing pervert?

How about I say that your house was the site of a sacred Indian battle, and you should get the hell off of it?

Does that make you a cross-dresser?

[Pharmboy]

Nope...not at all. I just saw your home page. And I apologize...cross-dressing mook is what I meant to say.

[Pharmboy]

From your home page:

"I moved to Tom DeLay's congressional district, joined Free Republic, abandoned the cute cheerleader outfit, and the rest is history."

Yecch.

[Dog Gone]

You apologized so you could insult me again. That is so clever and so responsive to my arguments about private property.