Northern Loop Tour Page 1
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1. This tour of the Revolutionary War sites of Burlington County begins in Mount Holly, which has been the county seat since 1795. At the time of the Revolution, Mount Holly was described as "a compact and pleasant village, having a great proportion of handsome women therein". In addition to that noteworthy feature, the town was graced by an imposing Friends Meeting House (corner High and Garden Sts.) which had been built in 1775.
Follow High St. (Rte. 541) 6 mi., northwest out of Mt. Holly toward Burlington.
2. According to many accounts, a place called "Gallows Hill" stood not far from the Burlington-Mt. Holly Road (Rte. 541). These same accounts recall that it was here in 1781 that the notorious Joe Mulliner, bandit of the Pines during the Revolution, met his end/hanged for treason.
Rte. 541 becomes High St. again in Burlington Twp. Follow it across Rte. 130 and then, past E. Federal St. to 459 High St., on right.
3. Originally settled in 1677, Burlington served, along with Perth Amboy, as New Jersey's provincial capital from 1703 to 1776. As the seat of the king's government Burlington boasted, among other things, a fine governor's mansion and a well appointed stone barracks. Because of these ties to England, the city was the home of many ardent Tories including the mayor, John Lawrence, who lived at (what is now) 459 High St. Lawrence, who entertained Hessian officers in this house, was later imprisoned for his loyalty to the crown.
Continue on High St. to first light at Broad St. Turn left onto Broad St. Follow one block to Wood St.
Old St. Mary's Church (1corner Broad & Wood) had been chartered by Queen Anne in 1703. Its rector during the Revolution, Dr. Jonathan Odell, was so outspoken a Tory that he was once forced into hiding to save himself from an angry band of Burlington patriots.
Turn right onto Wood St., and follow past stop sign at Union St. to Revell House (6th building on right beyond Union).
The Revell House, built in 1685, is the oldest identified structure in Burlington County. Traditionally, it was from this house that an old woman gave gingerbread to a hungry Benjamin Franklin on his first trek to Philadelphia.
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Revell House Marker |
Revell House |
Follow Wood St. to Pearl St. (stop sign) turn left on Pearl and follow one block to Talbot St. Turn right on Talbot, follow one block to its end at Riverbank (stop sign). Turn right, follow .1 mi. to "Ship Shield marker", (stone enclosed in wrought iron) on right.
Behind the "Ship Shield marker" once stood the Governor's Mansion; the official residence of New Jersey's Royal Governor. After his office was abolished in 1776 the building became the home of another vehement loyalist-Margaret Morris, who has left us a fine account of Revolutionary Burlington through a journal she
maintained during those times.
Follow Riverbank to its end at High St. (stop sign).
The Burlington Wharf which stood at the foot of High St. was bombarded by marauding British frigates on 8 May 1778. Before opening fire, the British had taken the trouble to warn some small boys and their dogs to vacate the streets.
Turn right on High St., follow beyond Pearl St. to the marker just before the Temple B'nai Israel, on right.
At this place (note marker) stood the little print shop in which Benjamin Franklin printed New Jersey currency in 1728, and from which Isaac Collins issued the State's first newspaper "The New Jersey Gazette" on 5 December 1777.
Continue on High St. to 2nd light (at Broad St.). Turn right onto Broad past Wood St. and Talbot St. to 207 Broad St., the Boudinot-Bradford House.
Elias Boudinot was the President of the 9th Continental Congress and first Director of the United States Mint. William Bradford, George Washington's second Attorney General, was Boudinot's son-in-law.
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Boudinot - Bradford House |
Follow Broad St. to circle. -3/4 around circle, take the Rte. 413 East exit to Rte. 130 South .3 mi. to light past Odd Fellows Cemetery. Turn right at light (toward Edgewater Park) onto Rte. 543 (Beverly Rd., later Warren St.) and follow 2.5 mi. from light to Cooper St., Beverly. Turn right onto Cooper St., follow to river and along riverbank to memorial at flag pole.
4. Near this point, George Washington planned a second crossing of the Delaware to occur simultaneously with his own, north of Trenton. 1,500 men, under General Cadwalader were ordered to cross here, at Duncan Williamson's, "Dunk's" Ferry and attack the Hessians in Burlington County on Christmas night 1776. Finding the river impassable and the bank insurmountable, however, Cadwalader was forced to return his troops to the Pennsylvania shore-thus precluding a major confrontation in Burlington County.
Turn left, away from the river and follow road (which becomes Broad St.) to stop sign at Warren St. Continue straight on Broad St..7 mi. from stop to Mt. Holly Rd. (stop sign past National Cemetery). Turn left onto Mt. Holly Rd. (Rte. 626) and, follow to light at Rte. 130 intersection. Cross Rte. 130 and continue straight on 626 (now Beverly-Rancocas Rd.) approximately 2.2 mi. from Rte. 130 to a point just beyond the Delaware Valley Baptist Church, on left.
5. A marker at the near left corner of the intersection of Beverly Rancocas Rd. and Kennedy Way states that at the pinnacle of the rise stood, in Revolutionary times, a mansion called Franklin Park, the private residence of William Franklin, the illegitimate son of Benjamin, and the last Royal Governor of New Jersey. As much a loyalist as his father a patriot, Franklin was imprisoned in Burlington in 1776 and chose exile to England when American independence was won.
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William Franklin Marker |
William Franklin Site |
Continue on Rte. 626 (Beverly-Rancocas Rd.) .6 mi. beyond Franklin Park to signs for "Main St. Rancocas." Bear left immediately past Garfield Dr. light, and turn left to Main St. Rancocas, from left lane, Follow Main .4 mi. to the center of Rancocas.
6. Although most of this village dates from the early 19th Century, the Friends Meeting House in the center of town had been built in 1772 and served this rural area's Quakers at the time of the Revolution.
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Dwelling |
Dwelling |
Dwelling |
Dwelling |
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