Somerset 250 Top Events

Speakers & Presentations: • “George Washington Remembers Middlebrook” presented by David Emerson of History on the Hoof with Paul Soltis of Wallace House & Old Dutch Parsonage State Historic Sites • Leslie Bramlett: “Hannah Till, Witness to the Revolution” • Roger Williams: “The Legacy of the Forage War” • Dr. Robert Selig: “W3R at Middlebrook” • John Seidel: “The Legacy of the Pluckemin Artillery Camp” …and more! ?? Purchase tickets online from the Heritage Trail Association: https://heritagetrail.org/schedule Made possible by funds from the Somerset County Cultural & Heritage Commission, a partner of the New Jersey Historical Commission. Supported by the New Jersey Society, Sons of the American Revolution; Friends of Bridgewater History; and Washington Camp Ground Association.

Celebrating the 250th! “Music of the American Revolution” featuring Colonial Musicians Anne and Ridley Enslow Saturday, March 14, 2026 1:30 PM ~ 4PM at the Abraham Staats House 17 von Steuben Lane, South Bound Brook, NJ 08880 Join Anne and Ridley Enslow for a concert of lively 18th-century songs about the struggle for American independence. The show will include “liberty songs,” humorous ballads lampooning the British troops, and songs celebrating American victories, plus drinking songs and a dance tune or two. There will even be a song by a signer of the Declaration of Independence about the so-called Battle of the Kegs. As always, Anne and Ridley perform in 18th-century dress and on instruments of the period—hammered dulcimer and a 1776 violin. They will have their little dancing man called a limberjack, who pleases audience members from 9 to 90! This program was created for the celebration of the U.S. Semiquincentennial. You’re invited! House open for seating at 1:30PM; performance at 2PM. Afterwards, tours of this historic house available until the house closes at 4PM. Admission: $10 per person with advance reservation / $15 at the door Seating is limited: Advance reservations encouraged at EventBrite or at www.staatshouse.org By Phone:

The Abraham Staats House Presents: The Drill Master of the American Revolution, General Friedrich von Steuben “The Chase is On!” ~ from Valley Forge to Monmouth to the Middlebrook Cantonment Saturday, March 21, 2026 3PM – 5PM 17 von Steuben Lane, South Bound Brook, NJ 08880 Meet veteran reenactor E. R. Koenig as he portrays and presents a fact-filled lecture on the Prussian drill master Major General von Steuben and his newly trained Continental Army as they leave the safety of Valley Forge to engage the British Army at Monmouth. Learn how Steuben turned a tattered force of troops into a disciplined army to match the British in battle. Explore why the Abraham Staats House played a significant role in Steuben’s continued training of the army, his Blue Book,” Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops,” and in the Middlebrook Cantonment of 1778-79. House Opens at 3PM for Seating; Program at 3:30PM Reserve your tickets now! Admission: $10 per person at EventBrite or at www.staatshouse.org By Phone: 732-369-3583 To contact and learn more about: E.R. Koenig, Reenactor of Major General Friedrich von Steuben: generalvonsteuben@yahoo. Hosted by: Friends of Abraham Staats House, Inc. E-mail: info@staatshouse.org Web: www.staatshouse.org Tel: 732-369-3583

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.

Sunday, March 29, 2026, 12 p.m. Mannion’s Pub & Restaurant 150 W. Main Street, Somerville, NJ 08876 Through a first-person portrayal, Dave Emerson of History on the Hoof, brings General George Washington to life as he reflects on how taverns functioned as centers of debate, decision-making, and community during the founding of the nation. Program is free, but donations are appreciated. Reservations required as space is limited: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/george-washington-in-high-spirits-tickets-1983296467122?aff=oddtdtcreator Food and drink are available to purchase from Mannion’s Pub & Restaurant. ? “History on Tap” features authentic colonial-era reenactors and musicians telling the stories of 18th-century taverns including Somerville’s historic Tunison’s Tavern as hubs of communities where people gathered to share news, engage in trade, and enjoy entertainment. Join the Wallace House and Old Dutch Parsonage Association monthly, March through June, on Sundays at Downtown Somerville restaurants for these family-friendly programs celebrating America 250. “Liberty Lives Here” is presented by the Downtown Somerville Alliance, celebrating America 250 in Somerville, New Jersey, with the sponsorship of the Wallace House and Old Dutch Parsonage Association, supporters of Wallace House & Old Dutch Parsonage State Historic Sites and Proud Partners of Revolution NJ. ? The Revitalization of Wallace House & Old Dutch Parsonage State

Carol Simon Levin portrays Lillian Feickert, president of the NJ Woman Suffrage Association from 1912-1920, to explore the overlooked role of NJ in the long frustrating fight for woman suffrage. She tells how some NJ women got the vote in NJ’s 1776 Constitution, then lost it for over a century, how nationally-known suffrage advocates Lucy Stone and Elizabeth Cady Stanton staged tax and voting protests in the state, Dr. Florence Spearing Randolph brought black women into the movement and Alice Paul became the dynamo who re-energized the push for a federal amendment. This program demonstrates that women were not “given” the vote, but fought for it for generations.

Come join The Heritage Trail Association for a Colonial Ball, a festive evening of 18th-century entertainment. Caller Janice Wolk will “call” dances for both beginner and experienced dancers, with colonial music provided by Anne and Ridley Enslow. Reservations are suggested. Time: 7-11 pm Admission: $20 general admission, $5 for reenactors. Price includes two drinks. For reservations, please call Cindy Blumenkrantz at (310) 691-9388

You’re invited! Join us in the streets and soldiers’ camp for the “249th Commemoration of the Battle of Bound Brook” Living History Weekend! April 11 & 12, 2026 ~ Bound Brook, South Bound Brook, Bridgewater FRI APRIL 10 • Pre-Battle Festivities Begin! 6:30 – 10PM Bridgewater FRI Apr. 10 “Pop-up Tavern” hosted by Philip Van Horne – Heritage Trail Association. Live Irish session with ale, wine & cocktails, tavern games, News of 1770s, probably a duel with a twist, & more. Must be 21yo + to attend. Public: $20pp includes 1 drink ticket; Reenactors $5pp includes 1 drink ticket. Historic Van Horne House, 941 E. Main St, Bridgewater, NJ 08807. Register: www.heritagetrail.org. Questions: Cindy 310-691-9388 SAT APRIL 11 Re-enactment of American Revolution “Battle of Bound Brook” of April 13, 1777! 10AM – 4PM Open to Public South Bound Brook • Historic Abraham Staats House and Grounds. Grounds: Free. Soldier’s Encampment. House: $10pp, 18 & under Free. House admittance includes tours, demo & Sunday lecture (Joel Farkas: “Painting” The American Revolution). “Rug Hooking” – Hunterdon County Rug Artisans’ Guild New Jersey hcrag.com. Rev War Surgeon exhibit, Tickets in advance – Eventbrite, www.staatshouse.org or 732-369-3583, or at Door 10:30 – 11:30AM Bound

Sunday, April 19, 2026, 12 p.m. Village Brewing Company 34 W. Main Street, Somerville, NJ 08876 Historical interpreter Michael Carver, The Regimental Brewmeister, portrays an 18th-century colonial brewer to examine the pivotal role taverns played in colonial America. Through first-person interpretation and storytelling, the Brewmeister reveals how taverns both maintained social order and fostered the exchange of ideas that helped drive the American Revolution. Program is free, but donations are appreciated. Reservations are required as space is limited: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/brewing-the-revolution-tickets-1983302978598?aff=oddtdtcreator Food and drink are available to purchase from Village Brewing Co. Wallace House & Old Dutch Parsonage State Historic Sites and Village Brewing Co. are destinations for Sip & See Somerset, a passport to heritage tourism and craft drink in Somerset County: https://visitsomersetnj.org/see-central-somerset/ #SipSeeSomerset ? “History on Tap” features authentic colonial-era reenactors and musicians telling the stories of 18th-century taverns including Somerville’s historic Tunison’s Tavern as hubs of communities where people gathered to share news, engage in trade, and enjoy entertainment. Join the Wallace House and Old Dutch Parsonage Association monthly, March through June, on Sundays at Downtown Somerville restaurants for these family-friendly programs celebrating America 250. “Liberty Lives Here” is presented by the Downtown Somerville Alliance, celebrating America 250 in

A Somerset County Treasure: The Atlantic Visiting Nurse Rummage Sale For more than a century, the rolling fields of the Far Hills Fairgrounds in Far Hills, New Jersey have hosted one of the state’s most cherished community traditions: the Atlantic Visiting Nurse Rummage Sale. Held twice each year in spring and fall, this beloved event draws thousands of bargain hunters, collectors, and neighbors from across New Jersey and beyond — all united by a shared spirit of community and generosity. Humble Beginnings and a Legacy of Service Rummage (as those in the know call it) traces its origins back to 1923, when volunteers at the Visiting Nurse Association of Somerset Hills organized a simple fundraising sale at the Far Hills Fairgrounds to support home health services. What started with just a few tables has grown into New Jersey’s oldest and largest rummage sale, a cornerstone event in Somerset County’s calendar. From the very beginning, the goal of Rummage has been to support quality health care at home and in the community, helping older adults, individuals recovering from illness or surgery, and those living with chronic conditions remain where they are most comfortable: in their own homes. That mission continues today

Coordinated by the Department of Parks & Recreation, Charter Day is an annual event which celebrates the history and 1760 Charter of Bernards Township and showcases community groups, businesses and talent. The event is held on the 3rd Saturday of May from 12pm – 6pm in the Downtown Basking Ridge area. Our event map and schedule of entertainment is posted in early May. The event features: – street fair with area businesses, school groups, non-profit organizations, local artisans and food vendors. – entertainment including musical and dance performances, demonstrations, strolling magicians and more. – a student art exhibit (artwork is collected through the Township’s public schools). – historical displays at the Brick Academy. – and amusement rides and games for children of all ages.

Sunday, May 17, 2026, 12 p.m. Mannion’s Pub & Restaurant 150 W. Main Street, Somerville, NJ 08876 This lively, immersive program brings the sounds and social life of the colonial tavern to life through music, storytelling, and audience participation. Performed by a duo featuring Linda Russell, an accomplished balladeer, the program blends period music with historical interpretation to explore the tavern’s central role in early American culture. Program is free, but donations are appreciated. Reservations are required as space is limited: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/songs-spirits-and-storytelling-music-in-the-colonial-tavern-tickets-1983307467023?aff=oddtdtcreator Food and drink are available to purchase from Mannion’s Pub & Restaurant. ? “History on Tap” features authentic colonial-era reenactors and musicians telling the stories of 18th-century taverns including Somerville’s historic Tunison’s Tavern as hubs of communities where people gathered to share news, engage in trade, and enjoy entertainment. Join the Wallace House and Old Dutch Parsonage Association monthly, March through June, on Sundays at Downtown Somerville restaurants for these family-friendly programs celebrating America 250. “Liberty Lives Here” is presented by the Downtown Somerville Alliance, celebrating America 250 in Somerville, New Jersey, with the sponsorship of the Wallace House and Old Dutch Parsonage Association, supporters of Wallace House & Old Dutch Parsonage State Historic Sites and Proud Partners

THIS IS A VIRTUAL SOMERSET COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM EVENT. JOIN WITH THIS LINK: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87080738958 When we think of the American Revolution, we often picture a parochial drama: thirteen colonies squaring off against the British Crown in a spirited bid for independence. But this version of the story is only half the truth—and perhaps not even the most interesting half. In this riveting program, historian and author Richard Bell invites audiences to rediscover the Revolution as a world war that unleashed chaos, opportunity, and transformation across six continents. From the sugar fields of the Caribbean to the court of the King of Mysore, from refugee camps on the Canadian frontier to political uprisings in Sierra Leone and Peru, the war that gave birth to the United States was never simply America’s own. It was a seismic global event that redrew maps, toppled hierarchies, catalyzed migration, and accelerated new movements for liberty—and for empire. In this program, Bell traces the far-flung reverberations of the war through the lives of the people it displaced, empowered, or destroyed. Patrons will encounter a Native matriarch struggling to preserve a transatlantic military alliance, a Prussian officer reinventing himself in a foreign army, and a Boston schoolteacher

THIS IS A VIRTUAL SOMERSET COUNTY LIBRARY EVENT. JOIN THE PROGRAM WITH THIS LINK: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84635988283 For eight grueling years, American and British military forces struggled in a bloody war over colonial independence. This conflict also ensnared Native American warriors and the armies and navies of France, Spain, the Dutch Republic, and several German principalities. From frozen Canada to tropical Florida and as far west as the Mississippi River, the Revolutionary War included hundreds of campaigns, battles, and skirmishes on land and sea in which soldiers and sailors fought and died for causes, crowns, and comrades. In this masterful, yet accessible narrative of America’s fight for liberty, John R. Maass identifies the five decisive events that secured independence for the 13 hard-pressed but determined colonies. These include not only the obvious military victories such as Trenton, Princeton, and Yorktown but also the leadership and reforms that ensured Washington’s forces were capable of enduring the harsh conditions of the winter of 1778. Similarly, King Louis XVI’s decision to supply Continental troops during the Saratoga Campaign with desperately needed soldiers, arms, money, and fleets is also detailed as a key factor. These turning points, not all of them triumphs on the battlefield, delivered

250 years ago on July 2, 1776, Old Dutch Parsonage’s Frederick Frelinghuysen and Rev. Jacob Rutsen Hardenbergh were among the delegates from Somerset County to the Provincial Congress of New Jersey in Burlington. They adopted New Jersey’s first Constitution, declaring New Jersey independent of Great Britain “for no other Cause than asserting their Just Rights.” Join a dramatic reading of New Jersey’s first Constitution of July 2, 1776 as the sun sets and the beacon is lit on the 250th anniversary of New Jersey’s Declaration of Independence. Wallace House & Old Dutch Parsonage State Historic Sites are supported by the Wallace House and Old Dutch Parsonage Association, Proud Partner of Revolution NJ. ? The Revitalization of Wallace House & Old Dutch Parsonage State Historic Sites is underway “Down the Brook” for Revolution NJ. The historic rehabilitation of Wallace House & Old Dutch Parsonage is supported in part by Semiquincentennial Grants from the Historic Preservation Fund administered by the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. ? Revolution NJ is New Jersey’s official observance of the 250th anniversaries of New Jersey’s first Constitution July 2, 2026 and the American Revolution in New Jersey from 2024 – 2033.

250 years ago on July 4, 1776, New Jersey was among the Thirteen Colonies to “solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States.” Join a jubilee for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence of the United States at the Wallace House, a historic home built alongside the nation 250 years ago in 1776. Wallace House & Old Dutch Parsonage State Historic Sites are supported by the Wallace House and Old Dutch Parsonage Association, Proud Partner of Revolution NJ. ? The Revitalization of Wallace House & Old Dutch Parsonage State Historic Sites is underway “Down the Brook” for Revolution NJ. The historic rehabilitation of Wallace House & Old Dutch Parsonage is supported in part by Semiquincentennial Grants from the Historic Preservation Fund administered by the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. ? Revolution NJ is New Jersey’s official observance of the 250th anniversaries of New Jersey’s first Constitution July 2, 2026 and the American Revolution in New Jersey from 2024 – 2033.

* Use this link to join our virtual program: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82198822203 Eighteenth-century Philadelphia was a complex place where global trade brought new goods and new ideas to the people who became revolutionaries. Follow one artifact — a punch-bowl uncovered in an archaeological dig on site of the Museum of the American Revolution — on a virtual tour of the city, and find yourself in market stalls, coffeehouses, illegal taverns, churches, and the halls of government.

* Use this link to join our virtual program: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84669859863 The inspiring story of a little-known hero’s pivotal role in the American Revolutionary War. During the brutal winter of 1775-1776, an untested Boston bookseller named Henry Knox commandeered an oxen train hauling sixty tons of cannons and other artillery from Fort Ticonderoga near the Canadian border. He and his men journeyed some three hundred miles south and east over frozen, often-treacherous terrain to supply George Washington for his attack of British troops occupying Boston. The result was the British surrender of Boston and the first major victory for the Colonial Army. This is one of the great stories of the American Revolution, still little known by comparison with the more famous battles of Concord, Lexington, and Bunker Hill. Told with a novelist’s feel for narrative, character, and vivid description, “The Noble Train” brings to life the events and people at a time when the ragtag American rebels were in a desperate situation. Washington’s army was withering away from desertion and expiring enlistments. Typhoid fever, typhus, and dysentery were taking a terrible toll. There was little hope of dislodging British General Howe and his 20,000 British troops in Boston–until Henry Knox

* Use this link to join our virtual program: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86171095302 Warren Township NJ was named after Joseph Warren who was a hero of the Battle of Bunker Hill during the American Revolution. Joseph Warren was the foremost Patriot leader in 1775. He alone made the decision to ignite the American Revolution when he sent his good friend Paul Revere to call out the militia to confront the British in Lexington and Concord. Warren then worked tirelessly to bring military and governmental order out of chaos in the weeks leading to his ultimate sacrifice at the Battle of Bunker Hill. British General William Howe declared Warren’s life equal to 500 ordinary colonials. It was Warren who united the First Continental Congress. It was Warren who implored his friends in Philadelphia to appoint a commander in chief—even suggesting that George Washington be that man. (Washington himself referred to Warren as the commander in chief.) Streets, towns, and counties have been named for him—and for more than a century every schoolchild in America knew his story. Today, the true story of this extraordinary man lies buried beneath the dust of time. Joseph Warren was the essence of Liberty. Presenter: Janet Uhlar. Author, lecturer,

THIS EVENT TAKES PLACE AT BRIDGEWATER LIBRARY, 1 VOGT DRIVE, BRIDGEWATER, NJ 08807 In his new book, “Winning the Ten Crucial Days: The Keys to Victory in George Washington’s Legendary Winter Campaign,” David Price examines this pivotal moment in the War of Independence through an interpretive framework that centers around five key factors: leadership, geography, weather, artillery, and contingency. His focus differs from earlier works that are largely a chronological account. The confluence of these overlapping factors seemingly conspired to frustrate British designs at a critical moment in their effort to overpower the American rebellion. Although each was important in its own right, their aggregate influence on the course of events reflected the mutually reinforcing nature of these elements. They enabled George Washington’s army to win the “Ten Crucial Days” and propel the revolutionary cause into a lengthy war of attrition that eventuated in American independence. According to the author and historian, Edward G. Lengel, Price has given us “a timely and intriguing reappraisal of George Washington’s most outstanding military campaign.” Author and historian Mark Edward Lender notes, “the approach is novel and revealing.” Jack Kelly, author of several books on the Revolution, calls this “a fascinating and insightful look