Washington Crossing State Park | |
 | |
  Washington Crossing State Park  Washington Crossing State Park  Washington Crossing State Park | |
| Location | Hopewell Township,Mercer County,New Jersey |
|---|---|
| Nearest city | Titusville, New Jersey andTrenton, New Jersey |
| Coordinates | 40°18′40″N74°51′49″W / 40.31111°N 74.86361°W /40.31111; -74.86361 |
| Area | 3,575 acres (1,447 ha) |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000650[1] |
| NJRHP No. | 1706[2] |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | January 20, 1961 |
| Designated NJRHP | May 27, 1971 |
Washington Crossing State Park is a 3,575-acre (14 km2)New Jersey state park that is part ofWashington's Crossing, aU.S.National Historic Landmark area. It is located in theWashington Crossing andTitusville sections ofHopewell Township inMercer County, north ofTrenton along theDelaware River. The park is operated and maintained by theNew Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry. It is supported by the Washington Crossing Park Association, a friends group that works to preserve, enhance, and advocate for the park.[3]
This park area, together withWashington Crossing Historic Park on the Pennsylvania side, comprise the Washington's Crossing National Historic Landmark, which was listed on January 20, 1961, and added to theNational Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966.[4][5]
The park's natural area consists of 140 acres (0.57 km2) of mixed hardwood forests and fields that offer locations for hiking, picnics, nature walks and cross-country skiing.[6] The Nature Center offers exhibits, displays, and educational programs for children, families and school groups. During warmer months, concerts and plays were once held at theWashington Crossing Open Air Theatre, an outdoor theater with seating consisting of wooden benches and a stage, but this facility has been abandoned since 2017.
Goat Hill Overlook, located nearby inWest Amwell Township inHunterdon County, is administered by theNew Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry as part of Washington Crossing State Park.
The park includes the site ofGeorge Washington's crossing of the Delaware River atJohnson's Ferry. This is whereGeorge Washington and a 2,400-man detachment of theContinental Army crossed the river overnight on December 25, 1776, and into the morning of December 26, 1776, to make asurprise attack on Trenton, a move that would prove to be a turning point in theAmerican Revolutionary War. The corresponding ferry on the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware River was known asMcConkey's Ferry.[7]
TheJohnson Ferry House, an 18th-century farmhouse and tavern near the Delaware River, was owned by Garret Johnson, who operated a 490-acre (2.0 km2) plantation and a ferry service across the Delaware.[8] It was likely used by General Washington and other officers at the time of the crossing.[6] Several rooms are furnished with period pieces, and an 18th-century kitchen garden has been planted. On weekends, living-history demonstrations are frequently held.
Builtc. 1850, theNelson House, also known as theAlexander Nelson Tavern, is located near the landing site on the Delaware River and is used for park history demonstrations.[9] The house includes period furnishings and old photographs of railroad and canal transportation.
The Washington Crossing Visitor Center Museum focuses on the American Revolution and the military campaign known as the "Ten Crucial Days" from December 25, 1776, through January 3, 1777.[10] During this time, the George Washington and the Continental Army crossed the Delaware River, and fought at theBattle of Trenton, theBattle of the Assunpink Creek, and theBattle of Princeton. It features the Harry Kels Swan Collection of Revolutionary War artifacts. Over 700 military items from the American and British Armies are included in the collection.[6] The center also includes interpretive history exhibits that cover the Revolutionary War from its prelude in 1758 to the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1783.
TheWashington Crossing State Park Nature Center offers nature education programs are for schools, youth groups, community organizations, and visitors to the park. The center is open Wednesday through Sunday, year round.
Nearby is theJohn W. H. Simpson Observatory, which is operated by the Amateur Astronomers Association of Princeton. The observatory houses two telescopes: a 6.25-inch Hastings-Byrne refractor and a 14-inch SCT. The observatory is open for public observing led by association volunteers on Friday nights April through October from 8 to 11 pm, weather permitting.
Goat Hill Overlook is a 213-acre (0.86 km2) scenic preserve administered as part of nearby Washington Crossing State Park. TheNew Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's Green Acres program purchased the Goat Hill Overlook property in 2009 for $4.5 million from Constructural Dynamics Inc. ofFairless Hills, Pennsylvania. The company acquired Goat Hill Overlook from theBoy Scouts in 1983 and originally intended to use the land for mining operations. That plan was later changed in favor of constructing a residential development complex at the site. In addition to views of the Delaware River, the property features a prominent rock, known as Washington Rock. According to local legend, General Washington used the views from Goat Hill Overlook to assess battle conditions during theRevolutionary War. The site also offers miles of hiking trails and contains a variety of wildlife and plant species.[11]
![Stone barn by the Johnson Ferry House[12]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aWashington_Crossing_State_Park%2c_NJ_-_Stone_Barn_by_Johnson_Ferry_House.jpg)
![Ferry boat reproduction[13]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aWashington_Crossing_State_Park%2c_NJ_-_ferry_boat_by_Nelson_House.jpg)
Department of Environmental Protection Acting Commissioner Mark N. Mauriello today announced the preservation of a 213 acres (0.86 km2) scenic property in West Amwell Township, Hunterdon County.
| Landmarks |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Districts |
| |
| Places of worship | ||
| Houses |
| |
| Commercial buildings |
| |
| Public buildings | ||
| Sites | ||
| Structures | ||
| Former | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
