Middlebrook 5 Generals' Headquarters Bus Tour

Free Family Fun

Sunday, February 14 - 11 am to 4 pm

 

The Heritage Trail Association (HTA) in conjunction with the Jacobus Vanderveer House is sponsoring narrated bus tours that will visit the five houses that served as headquarters during second Middlebrook encampment – 1778-1789. The tours, which start from the HTA headquarters at the historic Van Horne House, 941 East Main Street, Bridgewater, across from Patriots Ballpark, are free, but reservations are required.  Call (732) 356-8856 for reservations or sign up online: www.heritagetrail.org.

The five historic houses are the Van Horne House in Bridgewater, the Wallace House in Somerville, the Van Veghten House in Finderne, the Abraham Staats House in South Bound Brook, and the Vanderveer House in Bedminster. The houses will be open from 11 am until 4 pm.

The home of Philip Van Horne, a wealthy merchant, served as headquarters for General William Alexander (Lord Stirling), Washington's second in command. General Light Horse Harry Lee, father of Robert E. Lee, is said to have galloped his horse through the front door, down the hall and out the back door.

General Washington and his wife, Martha, spent time in the Wallace House from December 1778 to June 1779 and entertained such notables as Baron Von Steuben, Lord and Lady Stirling, Benedict Arnold, the General Henry Knox, Alexander Hamilton and the General Lafayette. The Wallace House, a NJ State Historic Site under the direction of the Division of Parks and Forestry in the Department of Environmental Protection, is located at 71 Somerset Street, Somerville, (908) 725-1015.

The Quartermaster General Nathaniel Green and his wife occupied Derrick Van Veghten’s home. An entire division of American troops was quartered near the house. Van Veghten was the County Commissioner of Highways and a member of the Colonial Assembly.  The house, located at 9 Van Veghten Road, Finderne, now serves as the headquarters for the Somerset County Historical Society (908-281-1281).

Abraham Staats was host to Inspector General Frederick Van Steuben in his home (17 Von Steuben Lane, South Bound Brook, 732-469-5836). The British considered Staats, a farmer and a surveyor, an “arch traitor”.  Van Steuben was involved with the Middlebrook Encampment to train the 8,000-10,000 men in the Continental Army.

General Henry Knox, one of Washington's closest advisors, stayed at the Jacobus Vanderveer House along Route 202-206 in Bedminster (908- 212-7000 ext. 611).  He was one of the founders of the township's Dutch Reformed Church in 1758.

The Middlebrook Encampment took place historically and geographically between the Battle of Monmouth (June 1778) and the severe winter at Morristown (1779-1780).  During the encampment General Washington dated all of his dispatches from Middlebrook although his headquarters were in the Wallace House, five miles away.

Download a scanned version of the Middlebrook Encampment 5 brochure - Click Here

 

For online reservations visit: www.heritagetrail.org

or call: 732-356-885

---

 

Submitted: January 13, 2010