In 2026, the nation will celebrate 250 years of American Independence! To celebrate this significant, national historic anniversary, Somerset County developed a Five Point Plan. The Five Point Plan seeks to preserve and interpret our rich local history and culture through various opportunities to engage the public in local history, as well as infrastructure improvements to County-owned historic sites. This plan includes:

• Somerset County's Docent Training Program
• 250th Interpretive Plan
• Archaeology at Lord Stirling Park in Basking Ridge
• Aquisition and Interpretation of the Old Stone Arch Bridge in Bound Brook
• Improvements to Washington Valley Park 

These projects and initiatives will bring history to life in Somerset County not just for the 250th Anniversary, but beyond! Learn more about the Five Point Plan below - and be sure to check back for updates! 

CLICK HERE to view Somerset County's Five Point Plan digital brochure!

SOMERSET COUNTY
DOCENT TRAINING PROGRAM

In February 2025, the Somerset County Cultural & Heritage Commission launched the Somerset County Docent Training Program - New Jersey's first collaborative training program for history docents! The Somerset County Docent Training Program intends to increase local historic sites' visitor readiness for the upcoming 250th celebration and improve their long-term sustainability and stability. 

In this free program, New Jersey residents aged 18 and over learn the essential skills and foundational content knowledge needed to become a confident and engaging volunteer docent at a historic site. Participants attend interactive workshops, learn from experienced docents and educators, go on field trips to local historic sites, and more!

The Somerset County Docent Training Program's Winter/Spring 2025 pilot launch trained 35 diverse individuals (from Somerset County and six other NJ counties!) to serve as volunteers for Somerset County's Five Generals Houses. 

CLICK HERE to learn more about the Somerset County Docent Training Program! 

250th INTERPRETIVE PLAN

In collaboration with a professional consulting team, Somerset County is designing an innovative and "Uniquely Somerset" plan for high-quality, engaging, and accessible interpretation and programming at five County-owned historic sites with Revolutionary War significance. These sites include: 

• Lord Stirling Manor (Bernards)
• Boudinot-Southard-Ross Farmstead (Bernards)
• Washington Valley Park (Bridgewater)
• Old Stone Arch Bridge (Bound Brook)
• Millstone Borough (Millstone) 

This project is currently in Phase II as the team develops schematic designs, refines our plans for implementation, and collects the historical research needed to complete the project. Through this project, Somerset County intends to share the "Unheard Voices of the Revolution" including those of women and domestic life, servants and enslaved persons, and rank and file soldiery. 

ARCHAEOLOGY AT THE
LORD STIRLING MANOR SITE

General William Alexander, also known as “Lord Stirling,” was one of the most eccentric and fascinating characters of the Revolutionary War! His home in Basking Ridge (located in present-day Lord Stirling Park) was known as one of the grandest, most embellished estates in colonial America – though all but one visual depiction of the site has been lost to history. Three houses have sat on the foundation of Lord Stirling’s manor since. Somerset County is currently working closely with archaeologists and a research team to uncover hidden features of the original estate.

IMPROVEMENTS TO
WASHINGTON VALLEY PARK

In February 2023, Somerset County Open Space acquired the “Eagle’s Nest,” one of several major lookouts in the Watchung Hills used by General George Washington during the American Revolution. A strong defensive position for the Continental Army during the Middlebrook Encampment of 1777 and the Second Middlebrook Cantonment of 1778-79, the “Eagle’s Nest” is known for its incredible vantage point and its role in General Washington’s strategy. Washington Valley Park was also the location of a tall wooden beacon lit with fire to communicate warnings to nearby towns and soldiers, which was designed by General William Alexander, also known as "Lord Stirling".

Although less than 2 acres, this property holds incredible historic significance and completes a major portion of Washington Valley Park.  A new access drive into Washington Valley Park will be constructed to improve the visitor experience. Somerset County is also exploring the development of an interpretive center at the Eagle’s Nest site which will serve as a hub for the park’s historical interpretation. New interpretive signage and trail improvements are in early design stages.

 

ACQUISITION & INTERPRETATION OF
OLD STONE ARCH BRIDGE

The Old Stone Arch Bridge is likely the oldest bridge in New Jersey – and likely the second oldest bridge of its kind in the United States! It is over 80 feet in length and features three massive stone arches.  It is believed to have been constructed as early as 1731, functioned as a major colonial-era roadway, and was the site of the Battle of Bound Brook. On April 13, 1777, Hessian troops, under the command of Captain Johann von Ewald, were “exposed to a murderous fire” from the half-moon battery located near the present roundabout in Bound Brook and had to lie down shielded by the bridge. 

Over time, the road was widened, the streambed under the bridge was diverted and filled, and the railroad was constructed. The bridge was buried and has remained “preserved” under asphalt for years. The site’s significance remained widely known, and it was listed on the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places in 2008.

In collaboration with Middlesex County, Somerset County officially acquired this property surrounding the bridge in July 2024. The site is currently undergoing environmental investigation and remediation. Somerset County is exploring opportunities to interpret the bridge within a new “pocket park” that will celebrate the history of this site and provide context on its historic significance. This will be done in partnership with Middlesex County, Middlesex Borough, and Bound Brook Borough.

View the photo album below to see pictures from previous
reenactments of the Battle of Bound Brook!

Made possible with funds from the Somerset County Cultural & Heritage Commission,
a partner of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and the New Jersey Historical Commission.