Historic Map Project Reveals Vast Land ownership and the Lost Pluckemin Artillery Park

New Map Identifies Vast Vanderveer Property Holdings

The Vanderveers were one of Bedminster / Pluckemin's largest landowners. Spanning over 1,000 acres covering from the southern edge of Bedminster Township down thru the northern hamlet of Pluckemin, after years of work and painstaking research, a JVH Trustee and local landscape architect recreates what was one of Bedminster's greatest landowners.

The history of Jacobus Vanderveer and his journey that finally landed him in Bedminster Township is a story that dates back to around 1743. "I wanted to visually represent the great landowners and history in one place" noted John Charles Smith, a Friends of JVH Trustee and nearby resident who led the project to create the historic map." No one's ever done this type of work before for this area, and I thought it'd be a great history lesson."

The effort to create the map has taken over 2,000 hours and countless visits to the Somerville County Clerks office, the Trenton Archives, the Princeton University Library and the local Clarence Dillon Library in Bedminster. The Vanderveer portion of the map was conceived from from a early 1874 estate map of the late Dr. Henry Vanderveer. Dr Henry was the son of Jacobus's brother Elias Vanderveer, a revolutionary war soldier. The map was provided by Bob Fox of Apgar Associates in Far Hills.

While the map should be completed over the next few months, the final product should be released sometime in the Fall of 2011. "I can't tell you how much research goes into a project like this", noted Smith." There are so many details, it's like a giant jigsaw puzzle sometimes. You never know if you have all the pieces." There is an extract of the historic Bedminster Map highlighting the Vanderveer property area currently on display at the Jacobus Vanderveer House.

Vanderveer History

The Vanderveer legacy to the Pluckemin area began when Jacobus Vanderveer made major purchases along the east and west side of the North Branch of the Raritan River in 1743.  At that time he purchased 439 acres on the east side from Lewis Johnston and his wife Mary.  At approximately the same time he purchased a large tract of land on the west side of the Raritan River from Major Daniel Axtell. See Vanderveer History.

It was during the winter of 1778/1779 when American soldiers of the Continental Artillery, under the command of General Henry Knox spent the entire winter in Pluckemin at the Pluckemin Artillery Park. While General Henry Knox stayed at the Vanderveer House, over 1,000 continental artillery officers and soldiers built the famed Pluckemin Artillery Cantonment. It was there where General Knox formed the Pluckemin Artillery Academy, America's first military training facility.

Fantastic Detail

 "I have to admit, this is a fantastic rendering that includes a tremendous amount of history, noted Brooks Betz, a Friend of the JVH Trustee who's working with the Pluckemin Artillery Cantonment's artifacts and historic research efforts. " What many people don't realize is that in 1778 the Continental Army built the famed Artillery Cantonment on Jacobus Vanderveer's property. This is the first drawing that actually shows that the Vanderveer's had a clear role in the success of the American military campaign."  

A draft version of the map including the Vanderveer property highlighting the lost Pluckemin Artillery Park   is currently on display at the Jacobus Vanderveer House in Bedminster, New Jersey.

About John Smith

John Charles Smith has been involved in many historic organizations in the area including; Chair of the Peapack Gladstone Historic Preservation Committee, Trustee of the Historic Vanderveer/Knox House, and member of the Historical Society of the Somerset Hills. His firm, John Charles Smith & Associates was established in 1965, the firm has completed designs for many public gardens, commercial landscapes,and hundreds of residential projects including many historic estates, farms, woodland gardens and country homes.

Additional Information

• Read more about the Bedminster Map Project - Click Here
• Read about the Pluckemin Artillery Park - Click Here
• Read about the unveiling the Somerset HIlls Map at the JVH in 2009 - Click Here

Submitted: May 25, 2011
Submitted by: Brooks Betz