TRENTON BATTLE MONUMENT
OFFERS EXTENDED HOURS FOR THE SUMMER
(04/60) TRENTON - The New Jersey
Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the City
of Trenton today joined Revolutionary War reenactors, historians
and local youth to announce extended hours at the Battle
Monument from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
"The Battle Monument commemorates our victory at the
first Battle of Trenton," said DEP Assistant Commissioner
John S. Watson, Jr. "Everyone is invited to Trenton
to visit the site, which is also at the heart of Trenton's
Canal Banks redevelopment plan."
Located at the intersection of North Warren and North Broad
Streets in downtown Trenton, the new hours of operation
for the monument are Thursday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Friday
and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Sunday 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
"For more than 100 years, this monument has symbolized
the pivotal point in the fight for American independence,"
said Mayor Douglas H. Palmer. "But in another sense,
it also represents the turning point in our own time, because
we are succeeding right here in our present day struggles,
as we transform neighborhoods and produce decent housing
for working families. The Battle Monument calls attention
to our own victories, too."
The monument marks the site of the American artillery emplacement
that commanded the streets of Trenton during the battle
that led to the defeat of the three Hessian Regiments by
the American Army at the Battle of Trenton, December 26,
1776. As the first battlefield victory for George Washington's
Continental Army, the Battle of Trenton marked a turning
point in the war in America's favor. This victory provided
a moral boost for patriots throughout the 13 states.
A movement to erect a monument commemorating the success
at Trenton began in 1843. It took 50 years to acquire land,
raise funds and lay the cornerstone. Designed by John H.
Duncan, the architect of Ulysses S. Grant's Tomb, the Trenton
Battle Monument is an early example of the Beaux-Arts style
in America.
The 148-foot high granite monument towers over the city.
One of its most striking features is a small round pavilion
located near the top of the monument. Visitors can take
an elevator ride to this pavilion for a skyline view of
Trenton. The pavilion is surmounted by an acanthus leaf
pedestal, upon which a statue of George Washington, right
arm outstretched, tops the impressive monument to the pivotal
battle.
On December 26, 1896, the monument was opened to the public.
The state began managing the Trenton Battle Monument in
1932 under the auspices of a Historic Sites Commission established
by then Governor A. Harry Moore to maintain the state's
then six historic sites. Today, the monument is one of more
than 50 historic sites and districts managed by the DEP.
The City of Trenton administers the Battle Monument Park.
Admission to the monument is free. Tours are welcome and
a tour guide is available onsite. Anyone interested in scheduling
a tour should call Washington Crossing State Park, which
oversees the Trenton Battle Monument at (609) 737-0623.
The Trenton Battle Monument is listed on the State and
National Registers of Historic Places.
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