On June 23rd, 1778, the Continental Army entered the Hopewell Valley and camped on John Hart’s farm. In the following few days, Washington would make plans to attack the British as they marched through New Jersey, trying to get back to New York City. But what was life like for the soldiers of Washington’s army camped on John Hart's farm? How had recent campaigns forced the army to change? Who were these soldiers, and why was this army camped at Hopewell in the early Summer of 1778 different from the army that had marched defeated into Valley Forge in December 1777? On June 25th, Asher Lurie will explain the experiences of these soldiers, clothed and equipped as a soldier of the New Jersey line as they would have looked during the Monmouth Campaign.

This program is in memory of Cate Litvack, who spent decades promoting New Jersey's role in the American Revolution.

Please enjoy an early preview of the D&R Greenway Land Trust’s future park at Hillside Farm. This is a special opportunity at Hillside Farm, a property donated to D&R Greenway Land Trust by the family of Betty Wold Johnson. The property is not open to the public at this time; D&R Greenway will be opening a public preserve on this land in the fall of 2026.

About the speaker:

Asher Lurie has been the Executive Director at the Hopewell Museum since January 2024. Before that, Asher worked at the Old Barracks from 2009 to 2022 as the Chief of Historical Interpretation. Mr. Lurie’s area of study is politics, society, and the military in Great Britain and Colonial America in the 18th Century.

This program is sponsored by The Hopewell Museum, the Hopewell Valley Historical Society, the D&R Greenway Land Trust, the Hopewell Public Library, and Crossroads of the American Revolution.

To attend, register using the link below.
https://www.hopewellvalleyhistory.org/event-details/washingtons-army-at-hopewell-the-new-continental-army-of-1778/form