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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 27, 2004

Contact: Erin Phalon (609) 984-1795
Dana Loschiavo (609) 984-1423

TRENTON BATTLE MONUMENT OFFERS EXTENDED HOURS FOR THE SUMMER

(04/60) TRENTON - The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the City of Trenton today joined Revolutionary War reenactors, historians and local youth to announce extended hours at the Battle Monument from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

"The Battle Monument commemorates our victory at the first Battle of Trenton," said DEP Assistant Commissioner John S. Watson, Jr. "Everyone is invited to Trenton to visit the site, which is also at the heart of Trenton's Canal Banks redevelopment plan."

Located at the intersection of North Warren and North Broad Streets in downtown Trenton, the new hours of operation for the monument are Thursday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Sunday 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

"For more than 100 years, this monument has symbolized the pivotal point in the fight for American independence," said Mayor Douglas H. Palmer. "But in another sense, it also represents the turning point in our own time, because we are succeeding right here in our present day struggles, as we transform neighborhoods and produce decent housing for working families. The Battle Monument calls attention to our own victories, too."

The monument marks the site of the American artillery emplacement that commanded the streets of Trenton during the battle that led to the defeat of the three Hessian Regiments by the American Army at the Battle of Trenton, December 26, 1776. As the first battlefield victory for George Washington's Continental Army, the Battle of Trenton marked a turning point in the war in America's favor. This victory provided a moral boost for patriots throughout the 13 states.

A movement to erect a monument commemorating the success at Trenton began in 1843. It took 50 years to acquire land, raise funds and lay the cornerstone. Designed by John H. Duncan, the architect of Ulysses S. Grant's Tomb, the Trenton Battle Monument is an early example of the Beaux-Arts style in America.

The 148-foot high granite monument towers over the city. One of its most striking features is a small round pavilion located near the top of the monument. Visitors can take an elevator ride to this pavilion for a skyline view of Trenton. The pavilion is surmounted by an acanthus leaf pedestal, upon which a statue of George Washington, right arm outstretched, tops the impressive monument to the pivotal battle.

On December 26, 1896, the monument was opened to the public. The state began managing the Trenton Battle Monument in 1932 under the auspices of a Historic Sites Commission established by then Governor A. Harry Moore to maintain the state's then six historic sites. Today, the monument is one of more than 50 historic sites and districts managed by the DEP. The City of Trenton administers the Battle Monument Park.

Admission to the monument is free. Tours are welcome and a tour guide is available onsite. Anyone interested in scheduling a tour should call Washington Crossing State Park, which oversees the Trenton Battle Monument at (609) 737-0623.

The Trenton Battle Monument is listed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places.

 

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