Princeton NJ Historical Sites Announcements

Princeton 250th Celebration Events

July 13, 2025

Nestled in the heart of American history and innovation, Princeton is proudly celebrating its 250th anniversary—a remarkable milestone for a town that has long stood at the crossroads of tradition, intellect, and community spirit. This year’s celebration is a vibrant tribute to Princeton’s rich past and dynamic present, featuring a series of exciting events that bring together residents, visitors, and alumni alike. From historical reenactments and art exhibitions to lively parades and community festivals, Princeton 250 is more than a commemoration—it’s a joyful reflection of the town’s enduring legacy and its bright future ahead. 

We will be updating this list all year long so please check back. Also, all events can be found on our Events Calendar.  Feel free to scroll to the bottom of the page for a list of resources regarding local historical references.

 

February 11, 2026 - 120 Academy Street, Trenton. www.trentonlib.org. 4-5pm

Join renowned educator and historic interpreter Leslie Bramlett in full period dress for a presentation on colonial women of color in Washington's household.

 

February 17, 2026 - New Jersey in the Revolutionary War, Lawrence Branch

This presentation covers the period 1763 to 1789 (from the end of the French and Indian War to the establishment of the US Constitution). It explores the critical role our state (and particularly central Jersey) played in our nation's founding: from the Ten Crucial Days to the Battle of Monmouth Courthouse to the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the ratification of the Constitution. Co-sponsored with the Historical Society of West Windsor. Please visit events.mcl.org to register to receive the link to the program.

 

February 19 - 21, 2026 - Morven Museum & Garden

Men W/O Shoes: A Student-Led Tribute to Forgotten Heroes February 19–21, 2026 At least fourteen Black men fought alongside General George Washington to secure a crucial victory in the Battle of Princeton. Students from Foundation Academies in Trenton have been engaged in research to uncover the identities of these men. The project, which grew from a collaboration with the Princeton Battlefield Society, culminates at Morven with a striking art installation of student-created works that reflect the resilience, sacrifice, and legacy of Black soldiers in war. https://www.morven.org/250#calendar

 

February 20, 2026 -  Oh Freedom! Black History Celebration, 6:30pm

Oh Freedom! was created by New Jersey State Parks, Forests & Historic Sites to introduce visitors to the Black soldiers of the American Revolution. These soldiers played important roles on both sides of the Revolution. Their goal is to share this information with everyone. Join us Friday, Feb. 20, 6:30 p.m. at Hollowbrook Community Center, 320 Hollowbrook Drive, for an informative program and a look at the powerful exhibit. Free.

Click here for more information

 

February 21, 2026 - Lecture: "Nobody Men: Neutrality, Loyalties, and Family in the American Revolution" - 1:30-3pm

WCHP is pleased to partner with the David Center for the American Revolution at the American Philosophical Society to present a lecture by historian Travis Glasson on his new book, Nobody Men: Neutrality, Loyalties, and Family in the American Revolution (Yale University Press, 2025). While the American Revolution is often framed as a conflict between Patriots and Loyalists, nearly one-third of the colonial population remained neutral. In this lecture, Glasson examines the experiences of the Cruger family, a transatlantic merchant family who sought survival and stability over political allegiance. Their story illuminates the difficult choices faced by those who lived “in the middle” of a violent civil war and offers new insight into how revolutionary societies were shaped.

Click here for more information

 

February 22, 2026 - 5 Generals Bus Tour, 9-3pm. 

Tour the Middlebrook area and 5 existing houses from the Revolutionary War period. The bus will stop for a quick visit to all 5 houses that George Washington and a few top Generals lived during the Middlebrook winter. Beginning at the Van Horne House with an overview of the area during the winter of 1778-79, the tours begin at 9am, 10am, 11am, 12:30pm, 1:30pm and the last tour begins at 2:30pm. The tour itself happens ON the bus. Luxury buses and personal VOX listening devices make the tour information easy to hear on the bus and in the houses. Click here for more information

 

February 22, 2026 - Culture at the Crossroads: New Jerseyans in the Revolutionary War, 2-3:30pm.

Flounder Brewing,  2 Clerico Lane, Hillsborough Township, NJ,

History is written by the victors, but what was the lived experience for the average New Jerseyan during the Revolutionary War? Using primary sources from the collections at the New Jersey State Archives, this talk will explore how the Revolutionary War affected everyone – Patriot, Loyalist, or those who tried to stay politically neutral, in Somerset County and beyond. Kate Gulick-Tuers is a Data and Outreach Services Archivist at the New Jersey State Archives. She graduated from Connecticut College with a BA in History and a minor in government and a Masters from Simmons College in Library Science with a concentration in archives. She primarily works on exhibits, database management, and processing of early New Jersey documents, including Revolutionary War-era materials.

Click here for more information

 

February 22, 2026 - Book Talk: The Painter's Fire with Author Zara Anishanslin, Morven Museum & Garden, 2-3:30pm

Spend the afternoon at Morven exploring art and revolution with author Zara Anishanslin. This talk will feature her new book, The Painter's Fire: A Forgotten History of the Artists Who Championed the American Revolution. This program is held in partnership with the William Trent House Museum.

The war that we now call the American Revolution was not only fought in the colonies by soldiers with muskets and bayonets. On both sides of the Atlantic, artists also played an integral role in forging revolutionary ideals. Discover the inspiring stories and intertwined lives of three of these largely forgotten Patriot artists: Robert Edge Pine, Prince Demah, and Patience Wright. They defied the British monarchy, armed with paint, canvas, wax, and espionage while risking their lives and reputations to support the cause of liberty. Delve into these stories and more at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, February 22, 2026. Your program ticket includes access to visit the museum any time between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. the day of the event. Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing with the author. Click here for more information

 

February 25, 2026 - David Center for the American Revolution Seminar - Memoir of Elizabeth Munro Fisher: A Loyalist Mother, 3-4pm

The third 2025-2026 David Center for the American Revolution Seminar will take place February 25th 2025 at 3:00 p.m. ET on Zoom. The speaker will be Emilee N.K. Robbins. Emilee is a PhD Candidate in the department of History at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro studying the lives of loyalist and émigré women during the Age of Atlantic Revolutions. She has presented her research at several conferences including the Society of Historians of Early American Republic Annual Conference, The Consortium of the Revolutionary Era, and will present at American Historical Association Meeting in 2026.

Click here for more information

 

March 7, 2026 - Marquis de Lafayette - Robbinsville Branch - 2pm

42 Robbinsville-Allentown Road Robbinsville, NJ 08691 609-259-2150

In honor of America 250, the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, join historical reenactor Richard Moody in his engaging portrayal of French aristocrat Marquis de Lafayette! This performance will detail Lafayette's "Welcome Home" tour of New Jersey at age 68 at the invitation of President Monroe. You will discover more about this hero and his role in the American Revolution and his significance to American history. Registration is required.

 

March 8, 2026 - Lecture: Pre-Revolutionary Land Fraud and Corruption in Hopewell Valley - 2pm.

This lecture, “Pre-Revolutionary Land Fraud and Corruption in Hopewell Valley” covers Colonel Daniel Coxe’s land speculation which disenfranchised legal land deeds in today’s Ewing, Lawrence, and Hopewell communities from 1703 to 1760. His royal authority forced settlers to abandon or repurchase their properties. This talk is being given by public historian Richard M. Durham, who serves as an Advisor with the Ewing Township Historic Preservation Society.

This venue is fully accessible located in classroom #113 in the Education Building of The College of New Jersey.

Click here for more information

 

March 11, 2026 -

Heritage Lecture: Lydia Darragh, A Heroine of the American Revolution, 7:30pm.

Join Delaware River Greenway Partnership on March 11 at 7:30 PM via Zoom as Robert N. Fanelli presents “Lydia Darragh, A Heroine of the American Revolution.” Who is Lydia Darragh? She is famed for eavesdropping on British General William Howe’s staff as they planned a surprise attack, then sneaking through the lines to give warning to American soldiers. Her actions are said to have saved George Washington’s army from a devastating ambush as it lay starving and freezing on the barren hills of Whitemarsh at the end of 1777. But did the secret she brought to the Patriots really prevent their defeat? Why would a professed pacifist choose to risk her life by intervening in military affairs? Who was the mysterious intelligence officer she met between the lines? Was her story even true?

Free Registration: https://shorturl.at/0dKuk

 

March 18, 2026 - Catharine "Caty" Greene: Eyewitness to the American Revolution, Virtual, MCLS, 7pm

?Carol Simon Levin portrays Catharine "Caty" Greene, the indomitable wife of Nathanael Greene, one of Gen. George Washington's most valued officers. Known as a witty raconteur, she enlivened the spirits of officers and troops alike as the war ranged from New Jersey to South Carolina, famously dancing for 3 hours straight with George Washington. Her pluck and spirit carried her through victories and tragedies not only during the war but throughout a remarkable life of resilience and reinvention. Sponsored by the Friends of the Lawrence Library. Please visit events.mcl.org to register to receive the link to the program.

 

March 29, 2026 - Lectures on Tap: Loyalists, Flounder Brewing, 2-3:30pm.

Flounder Brewing,  2 Clerico Lane, Hillsborough Township, NJ,

The Loyalists: Those in the American Revolution Who Wanted a King. Many people think slavery only existed in the American South and that all those in the British colonies during the Revolution were Patriots. Not so. New Jersey residents were bitterly divided during what became a nasty civil war. The third or more of probable Loyalists can be divided into those who were active picking up arms, irreconcilably opposed to Independence who became exiles, those who remained during the war, and then those who left and later returned. Their reasons had to do with location, political ideas, religion, family ties, experiences. Local examples will be given. Hopefully this will provide perspective for discussion about then and on our own divided times. Maxine N. Lurie is a retired professor of history from Seton Hall University, who has concentrated on early American History and the history of New Jersey.

Click here for more information

 

April 15 - July 12, 2026 - 

“Nursery of Rebellion”: Princeton and the American Revolution - Princeton University Library 

Drawing on an array of PUL’s manuscript and rare book collections, this exhibition will commemorate the 250th anniversaries of U.S. independence and the Battle of Princeton, and showcase Princeton’s archival treasures from the revolutionary era alongside documents and artifacts that reveal local experiences of the American Revolution on campus and in the surrounding communities. Exploring the Revolution across lines of gender, class, race, allegiance, and status, the exhibition will offer visitors a range of perspectives on the Revolution’s ideals and contradictions, its anxiety and violence, and its achievements and tragedies. More Info/Hours

 

May 30, 2026 - Living History: George Washington's Encampment, 10-4pm

Millstone Township and Friends of Millstone Township Historic Properties is gearing up to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States, and we’ve asked George Washington and the 1st NJ Regiment to come celebrate with us! Come meet George and Martha Washington, Washington’s enslaved cook Hannah Till, and the members of the 1st NJ Regiment. Participate in a musket drill. Learn about people from Millstone’s past who participated in the War for American Independence. Visit a field hospital. Discover 18th-century field cooking, laundry and food rations. Listen to 18th-century music. Visit with farm animals. The event is family friendly with activities for people of all ages.

Click here for more information

 

June 19 - 21, 2026 - Battle of Monmouth Reenactment

Each year the Friends of Monmouth Battlefield co-sponsors, with the State of New Jersey, an annual reenactment of the battle. The event commemorates the anniversary of the longest, hottest battle of the Revolution, fought on June 28, 1778. Hundreds of troops encamp at the park and recreate scenarios of the battle over the weekend. There are also numerous presentations and lectures, tours of the camps, and sutler area open to the public. A suggested donation of $10.00 per car is requested to help cover the cost of the event. A food vendor will be on site and handicapped parking is available. DETAILS

 

HISTORY LINKS WE LIKE

 

David Center for the American Revolution - https://www.amphilsoc.org/david-center-american-revolution

Historic Germantown - https://historicgermantownpa.org/2026-events-and-experiences/

Historical Society of Princeton - https://princetonhistory.org/

Mercer 250 - https://250.mercercountynj.gov/

Old Barracks Museum - https://revolutionarynj.org/sites/old-barracks/

Princeton Battlefield Society - https://pbs1777.org/

Princeton Battlefield State Park - https://www.nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/parks/princetonbattlefieldstatepark.html

Revolution NJ - https://www.revnj.org/

Rockingham Historic Site - https://www.rockingham.net/

Trent House Museum - https://www.williamtrenthouse.org/

Washington Crossing Historic Park - https://www.washingtoncrossingpark.org/