Burlington County is excited to celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the United States of America and the significant contributions made by Burlington County residents to our nation’s history.
As part of the year-long celebration, the Burlington County Parks System has created two new local history exhibits showcasing Burlington County’s role in the American Revolution and other significant events from American history.
Both exhibits are now open to visitors and will run through June 14 – the date of Burlington County’s 250th Anniversary Festival on High Street in Mount Holly.
“From early Colonial days and the struggle for Independence through the Industrial Revolution, the end of slavery, the Civil Rights movement and beyond, American history is filled with Burlington County people, places and events that helped shape our nation,” said Burlington County Commissioner Deputy Director Allison Eckel, liaison to the County Department of Resource Conservation and Parks. “These two new exhibits shine a spotlight on our county’s history, controversies and achievements with artifacts, maps, documents and historical displays. It’s a great learning experience that helps tell the story of America through a Burlington County lens.”
Burlington County Joins the Revolution
The first exhibit – titled Burlington County Joins the Revolution – is on the Second Floor of the Warden’s House Gallery in Mount Holly and showcases Burlington County battles, events and the roles local people had in the American Revolution.
Visitors can see cannonballs, a bayonet, currency, a kettle and other artifacts from the Revolutionary War period, along with a replica of a Colonial Army uniform, and a sword that belonged to Colonel Thomas Reynolds, a leader with the Burlington County Militia who was captured at his home in Pemberton on Christmas Day 1776.
Read a portion of Major General Nathanael Greene’s November 1777 letter to General George Washington from Mount Holly, expressing his reluctance to pit the 3,000 Colonial soldiers under his command against a larger force of well-fortified enemy soldiers in nearby Woodbury, Gloucester County, along with his willingness to “risk all” on Washington’s orders.
Discover Oliver Cromwell, a free Black farmer from Burlington County who fought in the battles of Trenton, Princeton, Short Hills, Brandywine, Monmouth and Yorktown before being discharged with a Badge of Merit.
Learn about Margaret Morris, one of the first American women to practice medicine who is also remembered because her diary and letters include descriptions of her encounters with Patriot and British soldiers and events leading up to the Battle of Trenton on December 26, 1776.
250 years of Burlington County History
The second exhibit – called 250 Years of Burlington County History -- is on display at the Workers House Gallery in Historic Smithville Park in Eastampton. The exhibit spotlights important Burlington County events and people throughout the past 250 years of American history.
Visitors can read from the journal of John Wolman, one of Burlington County’s most influential early abolitionists, and view a painting of the Old Schoolhouse in Mount Holly, one of America’s oldest surviving one-room schoolhouses. The tiny brick building was briefly featured in Ken Burns’ new PBS documentary series, The American Revolution.
Other artifacts on display at the exhibit include hooked rugs commemorating the Battle of ironworks Hill in Mount Holly, a Revolutionary War musket, excerpts from the journal of Palmyra Civil War veteran Charles Hall, and scrapbooks from World War II veterans like the late Robert Yancey Sr., a Florence resident who also saw combat in Korea and Vietnam.
There’s also a display related about the Burlington County event that inspired Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to begin his crusade for Civil Rights, along with others about Whitesbog in Pemberton, which was once one of the nation’s largest cranberry farms, and the Burlington County Farm Fair. There’s even a display about Burlington County’s iconic citrus-cola beverage Boost! and its 1913 origins in a Riverside pharmacy.
“Burlington County has so much history to discover and share. Events like these exhibits provide outstanding insights about the events that impacted the American Revolution here in Burlington County and many of the extraordinary Burlington County people and events from the past 250 years,” said Commissioner Randy Brolo. “Whether you’re already a local history enthusiast or a newcomer curious about our county’s past, you’re sure to find something new and interesting.”
Both exhibits are free during the following hours:
- Burlington County Joins the Revolution, Warden’s House Gallery, 150 High Street, Mount Holly: Thursdays, Fridays and weekends from 10 AM to 4 PM.
- 250 Years of Burlington County History, Worker’s House Gallery at Smithville Park, 803 Smithville Road, Eastampton: Fridays and weekends from 9 AM to 4 PM.
Group tours are also available for both exhibits for schools, civic organizations and other small groups by appointment. Call 609-265-5828 or email mbozarth@co.burlington.nj.us to make arrangements.
The two exhibits are among a host of presentations, activities and events being organized by Burlington County, the Burlington County Parks System and other partners this year in honor of the 250th Anniversary. You can find more information about upcoming events on the County’s America 250 page at https://www.co.burlington.nj.us/2108/Americas-250th-Anniversary and in the Burlington County Parks Program Guide, available online at https://www.co.burlington.nj.us/235/Parks.
Information is also available on the Burlington County Parks free smartphone app available from Apple and GooglePlay stores.