“Off on a book tour to introduce my next book “Middlebrook, The Revolutionary War Campground that Saved America” to be released later this year. Cheers!” ~ Bob Mayers 

[NOTE:  This event has been postponed. New date TBD].     Author Robert Mayers discusses the encampments of George Washington’s Continental Army at Middlebrook and nearby Pluckemin, New Jersey, during the Revolutionary War.  These have been neglected in history but were of extreme importance to the American struggle  during the  Middle Atlantic campaigns of  1777 and 1779. What is astonishing is the American Army spent close to nine months at this location during the Revolutionary War.

Unlike Valley Forge and Jockey Hollow, that have been so eulogized that they are familiar to most school children, this sacred land, where decisive events occurred that changed the course of the war, is now built over by suburban creep, rarely marked, shrouded in mystery and mythology and fading from memory The Middlebrook Encampment is located near Martinsville, New Jersey in present day Bridgewater Township.

About Robert Mayers

Bob Mayers many works on the Revolutionary War are based on his on-site experience and primary sources combined with the discovery of original documents and oral accounts passed down in his family. His latest book Revolutionary New Jersey  covers  battlefields, encampments and sites of many  events in the Garden State  that have been lost or neglected by history.  Bob’s  other books include “Searching for Private Yankee Doodle, Washington’s Soldiers, in the American Revolution describes the men of the Continental Army by revealing what inspired them to endure appalling hardships.   “The Forgotten Revolution” Revolutionary sites in the northeast that have been lost in history  and “The War Man”  a true account of a soldier in the Washington’s  Army.

For more: https://revolutionarydetective.com/ 

2020 Lecture Series: George Washington’s Army at Middlebrook ~ 1777 & 1778-79

The lecture series will help inform and educate the public about what happened in Somerset County during the American Revolution by exploring the Middlebrook stays of George Washington’s Army in 1777, and again in 1778-79.  The speakers will present a number of related topics exploring this theme.                   

Made possible by funds from the Somerset County Cultural & Heritage Commission, a partner of the New Jersey Historical Commission

The Abraham Staats House is one of the finest surviving buildings from the Dutch Settlement of the Raritan Valley in the 18th century. It began life as a two-room structure housing the first owners, the Staats family, who remained at the homestead for nearly two centuries. Over the centuries the house has been expanded several times and now includes a fine late, Federal/Greek Revival two-story addition.

Our “Open House” is held the second Saturday of each month (closed July and August) from 10AM to Noon, when the house is open for free tours.  Please check our Event Calendar for special events that may be occurring during Open House hours. Past programs have featured 18th c. blacksmithing demonstration, open hearth cooking and live music.

ADMISSION: FREE

Dr. Steven Elliott

The Friends of Abraham Staats House present the third lecture of the 2020 Lecture series: “An Army at Middlebrook”  

Award-winning author, lecturer and educator Steven Elliott holds a PhD in American Military History from Temple University.  His research is focused on the social and administrative history of the Continental Army, and has been recognized by the David Library of the American Revolution, The Fred W. Smith Library at Mount Vernon, the Society of the Cincinnati, the North Jersey Heritage Trail, and the New Jersey Historical Commission. 

Dr. Elliott’s book, “Surviving the Winters: Housing George Washington’s Army and the American Revolution” is set for publication by the University of Oklahoma Press in late 2020.  Steven teaches courses on national, local, and military history at Rutgers University-Newark; he has worked as a park guide for the National Park Service at Morristown National Historical Park since 2009.

House opens 5PM for seating.  Lecture begins at 5:30PM, followed by Q&A.  Afterwards, enjoy light refreshments and tours of the historic Abraham Staats House. House closes at 8PM.   

To view the event flyer: FASH flyer 2020 Lectures Steven Elliott May 16 

Lecture Series 2020: George Washington’s Army at Middlebrook ~ 1777 & 1778-79

The lectures help inform and educate the public about what happened in Somerset County during the American Revolution by exploring the Middlebrook stays of George Washington’s Army during the encampment of 1777 and winter cantonment of 1778 – 79.  For schedule and info:  www.staatshouse.org              

Made possible by funds from the Somerset County Cultural & Heritage Commission, a partner of the New Jersey Historical Commission

The Abraham Staats House is one of the finest surviving buildings from the Dutch Settlement of the Raritan Valley in the 18th century. It began life as a two-room structure housing the first owners, the Staats family, who remained at the homestead for nearly two centuries. Over the centuries the house has been expanded several times and now includes a fine late, Federal/Greek Revival two-story addition.

Our “Open House” is held the second Saturday of each month (closed July and August) from 10AM to Noon, when the house is open for free tours.  Please check our Event Calendar for special events that may be occurring during Open House hours. Past programs have featured 18th c. blacksmithing demonstration, open hearth cooking and live music.

ADMISSION: FREE

On June 14, 1777 the Second Continental Congress adopted the flag of the United States. Today the United States commemorate that event as Flag Day on June 14th every year. While the flag is the patriotic emblem of our country, through its display on flag poles and at veteran’s grave sites, in time it becomes faded, worn, and even torn. As written in the US Code (Title 10, Chapter 10, 176.(k)) “The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.”

With that in mind, Boy Scout Troop 42 and Cub Scout Pack 42 of South Bound Brook conduct an annual flag retirement ceremony fittingly held on Flag Day. This service project uses the outdoor hearth on the grounds of Abraham Staats House for this ceremony.  The hearth was constructed as a Troop 42 Eagle Scout project,

The event is free for all and the public is encouraged to attend, bringing any tattered or torn flags for their inclusion in the retirement. If you cannot attend, please drop the flag off at the South Bound Brook Borough Hall, 12 Main Street, South Bound Brook by June 13.

ADMISSION: FREE