Pluckemin Continental Artillery Cantonment Site
Encyclopedia
The Pluckemin Artillery Cantonment Site in Pluckemin, New Jersey, a hamlet at the southern section of Bedminster Township, New Jersey
, holds historic American Revolutionary War
importance as the Continental Army
's artillery winter cantonment during the winter of 1778-1779. Nestled on the western side of the Second Watchung Mountain just to the North of the village of Pluckemin. The significance to the site recognize it as the birthplace of the American military academy, 24 years prior to the founding of the United States Military Academy
at West Point.
Other terms used to reference the site include the Pluckemin Artillery Park, The Pluckemin Military Academy, and The Pluckemin Artillery Encampment. The Pluckemin Artillery Cantonment site is currently not accessible to the public. There are no buildings, no trails, and it is left as an overgrown wooded area. The only place for visitors to learn about the cantonment site is at the Vanderveer/Knox House & Museum
, just to the north and west of the site on Route 202/206 Southbound in Bedminster Township, New Jersey
.
referring to the seasonal encampment of the Continental Army
during the American War for Independence
near Middle Brook
in Bridgewater Township, New Jersey
(between Martinsville
and Bound Brook
). The site includes part of the ridge of the First Watchung Mountain
. Its position provided a natural fortress not only protecting the Continental Army, but also overlooking the plains towards New Brunswick
where the British forces were stationed in 1777. The strategic strength of the position contributed ultimately to the success of the Continental Army.
A "cantonment is "a group of building constructed primarily for the purpose of housing troops"; the term camp or "encampment" refers to troops quartered in their regimental or brigade lines. While some have used the term encampment, the national register recognizes the site as a cantonment.
The Jacobus Vanderveer house
, just to the north and west of the cantonment site served as headquarters for General Henry Knox during the winter of 1778-79, when the Continental Army artillery was located in the village of Pluckemin during the Revolutionary War's Second Middlebrook Encampment. The house is the only known building still standing that was associated with the Pluckemin Artillery Cantonment. It is noted that Knox arrived at Pluckemin on December 7, 1778 and departed June 3, 1779 moving towards Pompton with the Continental Army that arrived from Middlebrook.
The area was most likely owned on a southern portion of land owned by Jacobus Vanderveer. While Jacob Eoff, a Holland native, was one of the first to settle in the area. Eoff purchased 500 acres (2 km²) of land around 1743 known then as Bedminstertown or the Pluckemin Crossroads. The next major land owner and resident was Jacobus Vanderveer who on May 10, 1743 purchased 439 acres (1.8 km²) just to the north of Eoff's property. Early deeds and wills recognize the cantonement area as belonging to the Vanderveers. The land was later purchased at auction on April 1, 1875 by Tunis Van Arsdale, then to Kate Wickoff (1891), Elizabeth Schley 1902, HIlls Development Company, and lastly Bedminster Township.
"General Knox states "The Academy is to be opened on Monday next when Mr. Colles the preceptor will attend every day in the wee Sundy excepted for the purpose of teaching the Mathematicks & cc. ... As the Officers of the Corps will be those means have an opportunity of acquiring a more particular and expansive knowledge of the profession and making themselves better qualified to discharge the duties of their respective stations - The General expect that they will apply themselves in good earnest to the study of this so essential & necessary Branch of Science - The duty they owe themselves - a regard for their own reputation and the just expectations of their Country: The General hoes will induce every Officer to pay the closest & most diligent attention."
In 1984 the New Jersey Historical Commission presented the Pluckemin Archaeological Project an award of recognition for helping to preserve New Jersey history and increasing public awareness of and appreciation for that history.
on April 4, 1749, from portions of the Northern precinct. It was formally incorporated by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature
on February 21, 1798. Portions of the township were taken on March 28, 1912, to form Peapack-Gladstone
. The village of Pluckemin is also part of the township as is part of Pottersville
. It is bordered on the north by Chester Township
and on the northeast by Peapack-Gladstone.
Bedminster was the corporate headquarters of AT&T
, prior to its merger with SBC Communications (the combined company is now known as AT&T Inc.). AT&T's Global Network Operations Center is currently located in Bedminister. It was also the corporate headquarters for Verizon Wireless
before it was relocated to nearby Basking Ridge
in 2006.
, the township has a total area of 26.5 square miles (68.6 km²), all of it land.
Bedminster Township, New Jersey
Bedminster Township is a Township in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 8,165....
, holds historic American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
importance as the Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
's artillery winter cantonment during the winter of 1778-1779. Nestled on the western side of the Second Watchung Mountain just to the North of the village of Pluckemin. The significance to the site recognize it as the birthplace of the American military academy, 24 years prior to the founding of the United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
at West Point.
Other terms used to reference the site include the Pluckemin Artillery Park, The Pluckemin Military Academy, and The Pluckemin Artillery Encampment. The Pluckemin Artillery Cantonment site is currently not accessible to the public. There are no buildings, no trails, and it is left as an overgrown wooded area. The only place for visitors to learn about the cantonment site is at the Vanderveer/Knox House & Museum
Jacobus Vanderveer House
The Jacobus Vanderveer House, also known as Knox House, is a Federal style house located just north of the village of Pluckemin, in Bedminster Township, New Jersey at the junction of US 202 and 206 north of River Road. The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places...
, just to the north and west of the site on Route 202/206 Southbound in Bedminster Township, New Jersey
Bedminster Township, New Jersey
Bedminster Township is a Township in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 8,165....
.
Overview
The Pluckemin Cantonment was the artillery portion of what was known in 1778 as the Middlebrook encampmentMiddlebrook encampment
The Middlebrook encampment refers to the seasonal encampment of the Continental Army during the American War for Independence near Middle Brook in Bridgewater Township, New Jersey . The site includes part of the ridge of the First Watchung Mountain...
referring to the seasonal encampment of the Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
during the American War for Independence
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
near Middle Brook
Middle Brook (New Jersey)
Middle Brook is a tributary of the Raritan River in Somerset, New Jersey in the United States. The stream can be referred to as Rha-weigh-weiros, a Native American name meaning "running from a deep hole", on early maps of the area....
in Bridgewater Township, New Jersey
Bridgewater Township, New Jersey
Bridgewater Township is a township in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. , the township population was 44,464.Bridgewater Township was originally created by Royal Charter on April 4, 1749, from portions of the Northern precinct, and was incorporated as one of New Jersey's initial group of...
(between Martinsville
Martinsville, New Jersey
Martinsville is an affluent unincorporated area located within Bridgewater in Somerset County, New Jersey. Martinsville is located in northeastern Bridgewater near Warren Township; the 08836 ZIP Code takes in the southern extension of Bernards as well...
and Bound Brook
Bound Brook, New Jersey
Bound Brook is a borough in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. At the United States 2010 Census, the population was 10,402.Bound Brook was originally incorporated as a town by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 24, 1869, within portions of Bridgewater Township...
). The site includes part of the ridge of the First Watchung Mountain
Watchung Mountains
The Watchung Mountains are a group of three long low ridges of volcanic origin, between 400 ft. and 500 ft. high, lying parallel to each other in northern New Jersey in the United States...
. Its position provided a natural fortress not only protecting the Continental Army, but also overlooking the plains towards New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA. It is the county seat and the home of Rutgers University. The city is located on the Northeast Corridor rail line, southwest of Manhattan, on the southern bank of the Raritan River. At the 2010 United States Census, the population of...
where the British forces were stationed in 1777. The strategic strength of the position contributed ultimately to the success of the Continental Army.
A "cantonment is "a group of building constructed primarily for the purpose of housing troops"; the term camp or "encampment" refers to troops quartered in their regimental or brigade lines. While some have used the term encampment, the national register recognizes the site as a cantonment.
The Jacobus Vanderveer house
Jacobus Vanderveer House
The Jacobus Vanderveer House, also known as Knox House, is a Federal style house located just north of the village of Pluckemin, in Bedminster Township, New Jersey at the junction of US 202 and 206 north of River Road. The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places...
, just to the north and west of the cantonment site served as headquarters for General Henry Knox during the winter of 1778-79, when the Continental Army artillery was located in the village of Pluckemin during the Revolutionary War's Second Middlebrook Encampment. The house is the only known building still standing that was associated with the Pluckemin Artillery Cantonment. It is noted that Knox arrived at Pluckemin on December 7, 1778 and departed June 3, 1779 moving towards Pompton with the Continental Army that arrived from Middlebrook.
The area was most likely owned on a southern portion of land owned by Jacobus Vanderveer. While Jacob Eoff, a Holland native, was one of the first to settle in the area. Eoff purchased 500 acres (2 km²) of land around 1743 known then as Bedminstertown or the Pluckemin Crossroads. The next major land owner and resident was Jacobus Vanderveer who on May 10, 1743 purchased 439 acres (1.8 km²) just to the north of Eoff's property. Early deeds and wills recognize the cantonement area as belonging to the Vanderveers. The land was later purchased at auction on April 1, 1875 by Tunis Van Arsdale, then to Kate Wickoff (1891), Elizabeth Schley 1902, HIlls Development Company, and lastly Bedminster Township.
State and National Register of Historic Places
Officially registered as the Pluckemin Continental Artillery Cantonment Site (ID#4769) near junction of US Routes 202-206 and Washington Valley Road was approved to the New Jersey Register of Historic Places on January 17, 2008. The site was approved to the National Register of Historic Places on March 14, 2008(NR Reference #: 08000180). Being on the state Register means that the Artillery Park site will be forever protected from any undertaking that would adversely affect the property. The actual site is owned by the Township of Bedminster.The Pluckemin Academy
As noted in the Regimental Orderly Book 3 on February 23, 1779,"General Knox states "The Academy is to be opened on Monday next when Mr. Colles the preceptor will attend every day in the wee Sundy excepted for the purpose of teaching the Mathematicks & cc. ... As the Officers of the Corps will be those means have an opportunity of acquiring a more particular and expansive knowledge of the profession and making themselves better qualified to discharge the duties of their respective stations - The General expect that they will apply themselves in good earnest to the study of this so essential & necessary Branch of Science - The duty they owe themselves - a regard for their own reputation and the just expectations of their Country: The General hoes will induce every Officer to pay the closest & most diligent attention."
Other perations at Pluckemin
- Military Store Department
- Laboratory - to supply ammunition
- Magazine - Ammunitions/powder storage
- Hospital
The Pluckemin Dig
Henry (Max) Schrabisch, the former New Jersey State Archeologist began his archeological efforts on the Pluckemin countryside when the term "The Dig" originated. Other phrases that were used to identify specific archeological projects at the Pluckemin Cantonment Site include the Pluckemin Dig, the Pluckemin Archeological Dig, and the Pluckemin Archeological Project. The Dig took place over eleven weeks in 1916. The write up was competed in 1917 and covered in the local Bernardsville News.The Pluckemin Archeological Project
A not for profit research group in 1979 combining the efforts of Bedminster Township, the Hills Development Corporation, and academics financially supported by local businesses, individuals, and small foundations. The project was incorporated in 1980 alongside coordination from Clifford Sekel, an area resident from the nearby Sunset Lake area of Bridgewater.In 1984 the New Jersey Historical Commission presented the Pluckemin Archaeological Project an award of recognition for helping to preserve New Jersey history and increasing public awareness of and appreciation for that history.
Points of interest
- The Historic Vanderveer/Knox House & Museum - a mid-18th century refurbished home used by General Henry Knox during the Revolutionary War that serves local history to the area.
- Continental Artillery Military Cantonment Historic Site - known also as the Pluckemin Artillery Cantonment or Pluckemin Artillery Park - where General Henry Knox created America's first artillery training academy known as the "precursor to the US Military Academy" at West Point during the winter of 1778-1779.
Notable guests
Notable current and former residents of Bedminster Township include:- Henry KnoxHenry KnoxHenry Knox was a military officer of the Continental Army and later the United States Army, and also served as the first United States Secretary of War....
(1750–1803), founder of America's first military artillery academy - General George WashingtonGeorge WashingtonGeorge Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
- Pluckemin Ball February 18, 1779 with his wife Martha - Nathanael GreeneNathanael GreeneNathanael Greene was a major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. When the war began, Greene was a militia private, the lowest rank possible; he emerged from the war with a reputation as George Washington's most gifted and dependable officer. Many places in the United...
- Pluckemin Ball February 18, 1779 with his wife - John Lamb
- Captain John Lillie
- Richard Frothingham - Deputy Commissary of Military Stores - possibly one responsible for choosing Pluckemin. Directed the Laboratory.
- Captain Noah Nichols and Anthony Post - Command of the artificer companies at Pluckemin
- Lieutenant Colonel Carrington & Stevens - Superintended the barracks construction at Pluckemin
- Captain McDonald
- Colonel William McDonald
- Captain John Ionas Lillie, Commander of the 12th Company of the 3rd Continental Artillery
- Ebenezer Stevens - Commander of Lamb's regiment.
- Dr. Samuel Adams -
- Samuel Hodgdon - Field Commissary of Military Stores under command of Knox while at Pluckemin
- Christopher Colles - Preceptor, lead Academy activities and training at the Pluckemin Academy, Barrack Master and Storekeeper - Pluckemin
- Samuel Shaw - aide to General Knox
- John Hiwill - Inspector and Superintenant of Music for the Army (Military Band)
- Captain Cornelius Austin - Armourers supervisor after army left Pluckemin
- Henry (Max) Schrabisch papers - 1916-1917 Articles in Bernardsville News and 1917 Somerset County Historical Quarterly
- Clifford Sekel Thesis - “The Continental Artillery in Winter Encampment at Pluckemin, New Jersey, December 1778-June 1779,” by Clifford Sekel, Jr., 1972, Master of Arts Thesis, Wagner College
- Samuel Shaw - aide to General Knox - 1847 Journals of Major Samuel Shaw - Josiah Quincy, Boston.
- John Seidel Thesis - The Archaeology of the American Revolution: A Reappraisal & Case Study at the Continental Cantonment of 1778-1779, Pluckemin, New Jersey,” by John Lewis Seidel, 1987;
- Frederick Wilhelm von Steuben, 1779 - Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States, Phila, PA
- Lamb Papers - New York Historical Society, New York
- Regimental Orderly Book 3, 2nd Continental Army - 1779 - Feb 5 thru May 30, 1779 - New York Historical Society
- Regimental Orderly Book 2,2nd Continental Army - 1778-1779 - Nov 30,1778 thru Feb 4, 1779 - New York Historical Society
- Regimental Orderly Book 1,2nd Continental Army - 1778 - Sept 27, 1778 thru Nov 27 - New York Historical Society
- Andrew Mellick Jr.- This Old Farm book 1889
- Samuel Hodgdon Letters
- Dr. Samuel Adams Diary
- John Muller - 1780 A Treatise of Artillery American version printed in 1779
- Lieutenant John Hills of the 23rd Regiment - Map of Somerset County - Library of Congress 1781 Scale ca. 1:85,000
- US Army Center of Military History
- Pennsylvania Packet - 1779, March 6 reference to Pluckemin Cantonment and Academy
About Pluckemin/Bedminster, New Jersey
Bedminster Township was created by Royal CharterRoyal Charter
A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...
on April 4, 1749, from portions of the Northern precinct. It was formally incorporated by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature
New Jersey Legislature
The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and the Senate...
on February 21, 1798. Portions of the township were taken on March 28, 1912, to form Peapack-Gladstone
Peapack-Gladstone, New Jersey
Peapack and Gladstone is a borough in Somerset County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 Census, the borough population was 2,582...
. The village of Pluckemin is also part of the township as is part of Pottersville
Pottersville, New Jersey
Pottersville is an unincorporated area split within Bedminster Township in Somerset County and Tewksbury Township in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States...
. It is bordered on the north by Chester Township
Chester Township, New Jersey
Chester Township is a township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 7,838....
and on the northeast by Peapack-Gladstone.
Bedminster was the corporate headquarters of AT&T
AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
, prior to its merger with SBC Communications (the combined company is now known as AT&T Inc.). AT&T's Global Network Operations Center is currently located in Bedminister. It was also the corporate headquarters for Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless
Cellco Partnership, doing business as Verizon Wireless, is one of the largest mobile network operators in the United States. The network has 107.7 million subscribers as of 2011, making it the largest wireless service provider in America....
before it was relocated to nearby Basking Ridge
Basking Ridge, New Jersey
- Demographics :As Basking Ridge is not an independent municipality, the following demographic data is based on the United States Census Bureau figures for the ZIP Code Tabulation Area for the 07920 ZIP Code...
in 2006.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the township has a total area of 26.5 square miles (68.6 km²), all of it land.
External links
- The Pluckemin Cantonment and Artillery Academy website
- Bedminster Township website
- The Historical Society of the Somerset Hills - providing historic preservation and local history for Bedminster Township and the other townships that make up the Somerset Hills in Somerset County, New Jersey.