Image courtesy of Colonial National Historical Park, Yorktown.

Monday, June 25, 2012

National Trust for Historic Preservation Names New Jersey's Princeton Battlefield to Its 2012 List of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places

Annual List Marks 25th Anniversary of Sounding the Alarm for Places at Risk

Washington (June 6, 2012) – Today, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named Princeton Battlefield in Princeton, N.J., to its 2012 list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. This annual list spotlights important examples of the nation’s architectural, cultural and natural heritage that are at risk of destruction or irreparable damage.  More than 230 sites have been on the list over its 25-year history, and in that time, only a handful of listed sites have been lost.

Princeton Battlefield is the site of a pivotal Revolutionary War battle where General George Washington rallied his forces to defeat British troops. Waged 235 years ago, the battle at Princeton was a crucial turning point in America’s War of Independence, marking one of General Washington’s first victories over professional British soldiers. Not only did Washington’s success inspire countless soldiers to renew their commissions, it also reinvigorated financial and political support for the war effort throughout the colonies. Many historians believe that this battle, along with the Battle of Trenton, saved the American Revolution, and changed the course of world history.

A portion of the battle site is now threatened by a 15-unit housing development planned by the Institute for Advanced Study. As proposed, the project would radically alter the integrity of the historic landscape, which has never been built upon, burying or destroying potential archaeological resources and dramatically changing the topography of the terrain - an important element of the battle and essential to interpreting the battle today. Local preservationists, led by the Princeton Battlefield Society, are working to prevent construction of housing on this significant portion of the Princeton Battlefield and permanently protect the site from future development.

“The Battle of Princeton transformed prospects for the American Revolution and proved to be a major turning point in the war,” said Stephanie Meeks,president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “The story of our country’s fight for independence is incomplete without a fully preserved Princeton Battlefield.”

Members of the public are invited to learn more about what they can do to support these 11 historic places and hundreds of other endangered sites at
www.PreservationNation.org/places

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