Hi Friends,

The next meeting of the American Revolution Round Table of Richmond on March 19 will feature Rick Wiggin of Lincoln, Massachusetts speaking on “Embattled Farmers: The Lincoln Militia at Lexington, Concord, and Beyond,” the subject of his book.   http://www.amazon.com/Embattled-Farmers-Campaigns-Revolutionary-Massachusetts/dp/094485611X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391974202&sr=1-1&keywords=embattled+farmers The regular reminder will follow.  Please plan to join us.


Speaking of books, here’s Harry Ward’s most recent effort on General Richard Butler http://www.amazon.com/WHEN-FATE-SUMMONS-Biography-General/dp/1936320843/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391974425&sr=1-1&keywords=when+fate+summons entitled When Fate Summons.  He’ll be glad to sign your copy at the next meeting.


America’s History 3rd Annual Conference on the American Revolution  http://americashistoryllc.com/2013/12/3rd-annual-conference-on-the-american-revolution-march-21-23-2014/ is fast approaching.  Dates are March 21 through March 23, in Williamsburg.  Please support our friend and sponsor.  The first two were excellent.


John Maass sent this information about the Maryland 400  http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-maryland-400-20140123,0,978364.story at the battle of Brooklyn.


John, always a great source on information, also shared this about a forthcoming George Washington lecture at Gadsbys Tavern  http://apps.alexandriava.gov/Calendar/Detail.aspx?si=7347 on February 20.


Glenn Williams and Rich Rosenthal both reminded us about the recent victory of the Princeton Battlefield Society  http://www.theprincetonbattlefieldsociety.com/index.html - 

Dear Friends and Fellow Historians, 

It looks like the Princeton Battlefield Society (PBS) has won its fight for keeping the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) from building faculty housing on historically significant land - the sight of the most crucial fighting on January 3, 1777 - which lies outside the state battlefield park boundary! Members of the PBS filed a complaint against the IAS waiver request to build on land within the jurisdiction of the Delaware and Raritan Canal Commission (DRCC).  Based on the legal arguments presented by the PBS complainants, DRCC denied the waiver that the IAS had applied for to build. 

As a member of the board of trustees for the Princeton Battlefield Society, I would like to put the news in context.  First, however, those of you who attended the Congress of ARRTs in Newcastle two years ago may remember that we collected some money to donate to the legal defense fund that helped make this possible - Thank You!

This has been a long and tough struggle.  Not unlike George Washington and the Continental Army in the retreat from New York and across the Jerseys in late 1776, we received a number of setbacks along the way - such as the regional planning commission ruling against historic preservation in favor of the housing project.  The DRCC hearing can therefore be equated to Washington's counterattack of January 3, 1777, the culmination of the "ten crucial days" that started with his crossing the Delaware on December 26, 1776, that saved our nation's recently declared independence 

The DRCC is a land-use regulatory program that must approve projects of any size proposed for that area that is within 1,000 feet of the D & R Canal. Each project is reviewed for its visual impact on the D & R Canal State Park. The Commission also reviews large projects that are within one mile of the park for their traffic impact, and requires the preservation of corridors along the major streams that enter the park.

Again, thank you all for your support.

Huzzah!

Glenn


            After a prolonged fight by the Princeton Battlefield Society - they won the fight to  preserve the Princeton Battlefield. 
            The PBS is a member of the NJARRT.     Congratulations to Gerald Hurwitz,Esq.,   Kip Cherry and William Marsch for their tireless work.

            Rich Rosenthal
            Secretary, NJARRT

            PRINCETON: Canal board blocks IAS housing plan
            The Institute for Advanced Study, seeking to build 15 units of faculty housing on part of the historic Princeton battlefield, was dealt a major setback Tuesday by a state regulatory agency.
            DATE POSTED: Wednesday, January 15, 2014 6:32 PM EST
            By Philip Sean Curran, Staff Writer   
      


     
The Institute for Advanced Study, seeking to build 15 units of faculty housing on part of the historic Princeton battlefield, was dealt a major setback Wednesday by a state regulatory agency.

   The Delaware & Raritan Canal Commission, after a hearing, voted 4-3 not to grant a waiver for a project that would have encroached on a stream corridor. The stream runs through the property and goes into the Stony Brook, which then goes into the Raritan River.

   Bruce I. Afran, attorney for the Princeton Battlefield Society, said the decision means the institute’s project is “dead.”

   ”It’s a major, major decision in favor of preservation,” he said.

   The institute said it was considering its options. One possibility is to appeal to a state appeals court.


The new Williamsburg - Yorktown ARRT http://williamsburg-yorktownarrt.weebly.com/  got off to a great start on Wednesday night, with forty enthusiasts in attendance.  Congratulations to Gerald and Sean for their efforts.      

See  you in March.

Bill Welsch


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