Pluckemin, which is
now a village of Bedminster, has had a
rich and storied history. Many may not
know what a point of significance Pluckemin
was during the Revolutionary War. In the
Library of Congress, for instance, there
are 20 letters from George Washington
that mention the village of Pluckemin.
In fact, General George Washington, our
nation’s first President, spent
significant time in the village of Pluckemin,
New Jersey. On Sunday, January 15, 1777,
General Washington was on hand for the
burial of Captain William Leslie, son
of the Earl of Leven, Scotland. Also at
that historic burial were Generals Sullivan,
Knox and Dr. Benjamin Rush.
The future first First Lady, Martha Washington
made her first visit to New Jersey in
1777. She came first to the village of
Pluckemin.
In the winter of 1778-1779, Pluckemin
was again a central point in the Revolutionary
War. General Henry Knox established a
massive artillery encampment, where he
began conducting training. This site and
the training he conducted there became
the forerunner to West Point.
On February 18, 1779, George Washington
attended the first Grand Alliance Ball.
The Ball commemorated the first anniversary
of the alliance between the colonists
and the French, which ended in victory
at the battle of Yorktown. Over 400 dignitaries,
including George and Martha Washington,
attended this historic event on the grounds
of the John Boylan House.
Jacob Eoff (native of Holland who purchased
500 acres of Pluckemin) built the Pluckemin
Inn and the Pluckemin Tavern. The Tavern
was the site of many meetings of the “committee
of safety” as well as Washington’s
Army. It is now roughly the site on which
the Pluckemin Inn stands.
For more information click
here.
|