A wintry view of Clarke House
On January 3, 1777, the peaceful winter fields of Thomas and William Clarke’s farms were transformed into the site of what is considered to be one of the fiercest fights of its size during the American Revolution.
Soldiers under General George Washington surprised and defeated a force of British Regulars. Coming at the end of "The Ten Crucial Days" which saw the well-known night crossing of the Delaware River and the two battles in Trenton, the Battle of Princeton gave Washington his first victory against the British Regulars on the field. The battle extended over a mile away to the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University).
The Americans were pushed back by a strong British assault but were rallied by Washington who rode his horse between the British and American lines, leading his men to his first field victory.
I have visited a number of battlefields and you never know what to find. You don't find evidence of the battles, but there is sometimes a feeling that being there brings to you as you walk the grounds which is enhanced by visitor centers and displays.
Thomas Clarke, a Quaker farmer, acquired 200 acres in 1772 from his older brother William. He subsequently built a house and lived there with his sisters Sarah and Hannah as well as Susannah, a black woman enslaved by the Clarke Family. The Clarke farm includes the original two-story half-Georgian frame house and enlarged wing, the carriage barn and smokehouse. The house, consisting of seven rooms, is furnished in the period of the Revolution. Much of the original flooring, moldings and windows remain.
What became known as the Mercer Oak once stood in the middle of the battlefield not far from the spot where General Hugh Mercer fell during the Battle of Princeton. The historic Mercer Oak, believed to have been present during the Battle of Princeton, once stood on the battlefield near what is now Mercer Road. It collapsed from old age in March 2000. An offspring grown from an acorn of the Mercer Oak in 1981 now thrives next to the large stump of the original tree.
Information for visitors to the park
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