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Contact: Superintendent Thomas Ross
The National Park Service at Morristown National Historical Park (NHP) is pleased to announce the completion of the restoration of the historic Stark’s Brigade Monument, as well as the installation of new wayside interpretive exhibits about the brigade and monument. As part of the park’s on-going celebration of the National Park Service’s Centennial, an unveiling ceremony and ranger-led interpretive program will be held at 11 am, Friday, October 14, 2016 at the monument site. The public is encouraged to attend.
Located along the Blue Trail in the Jockey Hollow encampment area of the park, the Stark’s Brigade Monument is at the brigade’s original 1779-80 encampment site. The monument was constructed around the turn of the 20th century of field stones, from the original soldier hut fireplaces, and mortar, and includes a simple slate tablet which reads “Stark’s Brigade Occupied this Slope." The restoration project was undertaken by National Park Service (NPS) Historic Preservation Master Mason John O’Keefe from the NPS Historic Architecture, Conservation and Engineering branch in Lowell, Massachusetts. The project highlights part of the NPS Centennial Call to Action plan to “Invest Wisely," a focus of investments on high priority assets, and “Out with the Old," replacing outdated interpretive panels with new ones.
“As the National Park Service emerges into its second century of stewardship of America’s national treasures, we are reminded that each generation assumes the responsibility to protect these resources. Through the restoration of this monument, we are following through with that important responsibility,” states park Superintendent, Thomas Ross. “Visitors have to hike on our trails to access this site, and now their destination leads to a fitting memorial and interpretive panels which will help keep the important history of what happened here alive.”
Visitors to the monument also enjoy a beautiful vista looking east toward the Watchung Mountains and glimpses of the New York City skyline on a clear day. The area around the monument and overlook have been predominantly maintained by various trail volunteers and the park’s trail maintenance partner, The New York/New Jersey Trail Conference.
A program about General Stark, his brigade, and the monument will immediately follow the unveiling ceremony and last approximately half an hour.
Visitors interested in attending the program should park at either Jockey Hollow's New York Brigade parking lot or Trail Center parking lot and follow the blue trail to the Stark’s Brigade encampment site. The park brochure showing the parking areas and trail may be downloaded from our website: https://www.nps.gov/morr/plany
The hike to the encampment site is approximately 25 minutes. In case of inclement weather, please call 973-539-2016 ext. 210 to confirm if the program will proceed.
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Morristown National Historical Park preserves, protects, and commemorates the landscapes, structures, features, and museum collections of the Continental Army winter encampments, the headquarters of General George Washington, and related Revolutionary War sites at Morristown, New Jersey for the benefit and inspiration of the public. Morristown NHP also represents a continuum of our nation’s efforts to protect our common heritage: as the very first “national historical park”, the park was also established to commemorate, preserve, and memorialize American history and heritage. For more information about the park, please call 973-539-2016 ext. 210 or visit our website at www.nps.gov/morr.
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Last updated: September 29, 2016