The Jacobus
Vanderveer House
A southwest view of the Pluckemin encampment from a 1779 sketch by Lillie Courtesy of the Morristown National Historic Park Museum Collection 3.Pa.53 REVOLUTIONARY HERITAGE
Bedminster's role in the American Revolution and the story of the Vanderveers are an important part of the township's history as well as a vital link to our community's national heritage.Recognizing that legacy points to the urgent need for historic preservation to protect the past and insure a meaningful future. New Jersey has a Revolutionary War heritage unequaled by any state. It was an important theatre of military operations for two-thirds of the Revolution. Several of the most important battles were fought on New Jersey soil. Sadly, much evidence of that fact is quickly disappearing. Only five percent of our 18th century structures still survive.
Today, the Jacobus Vanderveer House is the last remaining place in Somerset County to be associated with the early Vanderveers, and the only building that remains intact from which to interpret that family and local Revolutionary War activities. The historic site was a village focal point of activities surrounding a crucial period of American history. It stands as an important surviving structure connected with the Pluckemin encampment of 1778-1779.
Former Secretary of Interior, Bruce Babbit and New Jersey Congressman, Rush Holt stress the need for preserving our Revolutionary War sites during their visit on August 25,2000 to the Jacobus Vanderveer House. They announced the proposed Crossroads of the Revolution National Heritage Trail.
