Rockingham Receives Renovation Aid

The historic Rockingham House in Kingston will benefit from part of a $25 million historic renovation program announced November 29 by Gov. Phil Murphy.

The money comes from the federal American Rescue Plan and will be used to renovate a total of 10 historic Revolutionary War sites in the state, in anticipation of the nation’s semiquincentennial  anniversary in 2026. The program was announced at a special ceremony held at Washington’s Crossing State Park.

The house, which dates back to the early 1700s, was used by Gen. George Washington as a temporary headquarters at the end of the Revolutionary War, and was where he wrote his final address to his troops.

“New Jersey’s contribution to our nation’s independence is undeniable,” Murphy said in a press release about the funding. “From the battlefields where the tide of the American Revolution turned, to the many other sites where our nation’s identity was forged, New Jersey was arguably more deeply involved in the cause of independence than any other state.“

“As we celebrate our nation’s 250^th anniversary, it is important that our historic sites are prepared to welcome the hundreds of thousands of visitors that will undoubtedly travel from around the world to witness these sites in person on such a momentous occasion,” he said in the release. “This investment will allow us to revitalize our historic sites and make sure we are prepared when they come.” 

U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-12) also attended the ceremony.

“The second reading of the Declaration of Independence in New Brunswick, the Battle of Monmouth, and the Crossing of the Delaware just a few steps from here which was pivotal in turning the tide of the war; New Jersey was indeed the crossroads of the American Revolution,” she said in the release. “I’m proud of my work on the Semiquincentennial Commission and passing the American Rescue Plan to ensure New Jersey’s contributions are recognized during the upcoming celebrations and that New Jersey received the funding it needs to tell its story.

“This includes the contributions of Black and Indigenous soldiers during the war,” she said. “It was an integrated regiment who ferried Washington across the Delaware on Christmas 1776. By the end of the war a full quarter of the American soldiers marching to Yorktown were Black or Indigenous. Their contributions must be remembered as we celebrate the 250-year history of the Greatest Nation on earth.”

The money will be allocated to the New Jersey Department of the Treasury and distributed to Revolution NJ, in partnership with the New Jersey Historical Commission and Crossroads of the American Revolution, to help in the restoration of the Revolutionary War sites, according to the release.

In addition to Rockingham, the targeted sites are:

1. Washington Crossing State Park 
2. Trenton’s Old Barracks
3. Battle Monument in Trenton
4. Princeton Battlefield State Park
5. Monmouth Battlefield State Park
6. Proprietary House in Perth Amboy
7. The Indian King Tavern in Haddonfield
8. Wallace House in Somerville
9. Boxwood Hall in Elizabeth
   
   

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