Pluckemin Cantonment Area Historic Timeline

Pluckemin at the Center of the Revolution

Historical Timelines for this Story	Complete Revolutionary War timeline - Click Here Revolutionary War Battle Map for NJ - Click Here
1743	Jacobus Vanderveer, the elder, whose grandfather had come to New York from North Holland in 1659, became the first Vanderveer to settle in the Bedminster area. He purchased 439 acres along the North Branch of the Raritan River where he established a homestead and successful grist and saw mills.
1778 - February 6	Signing of the Franco-American Alliance.
1778 - November 26	Starting at 7am November 26th thru December 7, 1778 the march from Fredericksburg NY began towards Middlebrook (presently Bound Brook NJ)
1778 - November	Pluckemin Artillery Site - Construction thru March 1779
1778 - November- 1779	General Henry Knox frequents Vanderveer House
1779 - February 18	Anniversary Celebration - 1st anniversary celebration of the signing of the Franco-American Alliance. Attending were Washington, Knox, Greene, Henry Laurens. Started at 4pm with 13 cannon fires, one for each state of the union. It was postponed from the original anniversary date due to Knox and Washington being called to Philadelphia. - Learn More
1779 - June 4	Leaves Pluckemin Winter Artillery Cantonment (Revolutionary War Map)
1779 - Winter	Winter at Morristown - Coldest Winter of The War
1779 - 1780	Pluckemin Cantonment converts to the Pluckemin Continental Army Military Hospital
1782 - August 29	French return to the area and march to Bullion's Tavern
1802 - March 16	West Point Military Academy opens
1913	Somerset Historical Quarterly Vol III 1913 article on Dig
1916	Bernardsville News Articles on Max Schrabisch and the Pluckemin Dig.
1917	Somerset Historical Quarterly Vol VII 1917 article on Dig- Click Here
1917	Henry (Max) Schrabisch - Former State Archeologist - 1917 performed extensive research on dig site.
1917 - May	Bernardsville News Articles on Max Schrabisch and the Pluckemin Dig.
1972	Clifford Sekel - Doctorate Thesis Prepared and presented.
1980	Pluckemin Archeological Project (1980) set up with AOB, JS, and CS
1987	Seidel, John -The archaeology of the American Revolution: A reappraisal and case study at the Continental Artillery Cantonment of 1778--1779, Pluckemin, New Jersey by Seidel, John Lewis, PhD UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA, 1987, 834 pages
1989	The Jacobus Vanderveer House and property are purchased by Bedminster Township.
1995	The Jacobus Vanderveer House is listed on the National and New Jersey Registers of Historic Places.
2007	Friends of JVH in conjunction with Bedminster Twp file to have the Pluckemin Artillery Encampment listed on the New Jersey and National Historic Registers
2008	Pluckemin Continental Artillery Cantonment   Site (ID#4769) SR: 1/17/2008 (Approved to State Register) NR: 3/14/2008 (NR Reference #: 08000180) (Approved to the National Register) Artillery Park Wins Place on National Register - Click Here for details

 

Last updated: May 5, 2009
by Brooks Betz, Trustee