Princeton Battlefield Society, American Battlefield Trust and State of New Jersey Partner to “Replant History” with Clarke Apple Orchard

The William Clarke Orchard Replanting Will Restore the Apple Orchard that Stood During the Battle of Princeton

The Replanting Project is the latest effort from PBS, ABT, and the State to restore the historic ground to how it appeared on January 3, 1777 as we approach the 250^th Anniversary of the Battle

PRINCETON, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Princeton Battlefield Society (PBS), American Battlefield Trust (ABT), and the State of New Jersey announced today that they will begin replanting the apple orchard that stood before the William Clarke house in recognition of the 250^th anniversary of the Battle of Princeton and as part the continuing efforts to restore the historic site to how the hallowed ground looked on January 13, 1777.

The orchard was the initial point of contact between the armies and was the scene of some of the fiercest fighting in battle that the American army won to revive the previously flickering hopes for the independence declared in Philadelphia almost six months earlier to the day.

“Over the past 250 years, the Battlefield has changed as the town around it changed,” said PBS President Ben Strong. “Back then, this was wide open fields, 60 houses, and fighting and soldiers all over the place, at the Battlefield, on part of what’s now Springdale Golf Course, by Nassau Hall, Mercer Hill, and Worth’s Mill.

“We can’t transform 2025 Princeton into 1776 Princeton, but we can make the Battlefield park look more like it did, and so as part of our 250^th Anniversary we are, with our partners at the ABT and the State, restoring the Trace Road and now we’re going to replant the orchard that stood in front of William Clark’s house, where the first fighting and some of the fiercest fighting took place,” Strong said.

The William Clarke house stood approximately where Princeton Pike nears the easternmost tree line of the Battlefield space and stood diagonally across from his brother Thomas Clarke’s house, which still stands on the southwestern ridge of the Battlefield. Most of the Battle of Princeton took place on the farmland between the houses of two Quaker brothers.

“William Clarke’s house appears in the distance in the James Peale painting of the Battle, but disappears from history sometime in the 19^th century,” Strong said, “We can’t rebuild the house, but we can replant the orchard and we’d love your help doing it by donating to Replanting History at PBS1777.org.”

The project will cover half an acre and will include four different types of apples that research suggests would have been planted by William Clarke in his orchard. The replanted orchard will be enclosed by an 18^th Century-appropriate rail fence. Planting is expected to begin during the Semi-Quincentennial Year.

The Orchard replanting is one of a series of projects begun in recent years and is part of PBS’, ABT’s, and State’s efforts to honor the battlespace. Among the developments to restore the Battlefield that have been accomplished or are in process:

• Completing the transfer of Maxwell’s Field acreage; it was on Maxwell’s Field that George Washington rallied the Americans to victory at Princeton
• Removal of non-historic buildings from the Battlefield
• Restoration of the Trace Road on the battlefield. The Trace or Sawmill Road that ran from Quaker Road by Thomas Clarke’s house to Princeton and played a key strategic role in Washington’s plans to win at Princeton. Mercer Street did not exist in 1777.
• Deployed new, interactive signage to better interpret the unfolding events on the Battlefield.
• Restoration of the historic gravesite honoring casualties of the battle.

“We’re doing a lot to mark the 250^th, “Strong said, “and the Orchard is just one of them. If you’d like to help us, please make a donation to PBS."

About The Princeton Battlefield Society

The Princeton Battlefield Society is a national historic non-profit organization dedicated to the protection, preservation, and promotion of the Princeton Battlefield as a national treasure of the American Revolutionary War. For more information, including exhibitions and events, visit the Princeton Battlefield Society at https://PBS1777.org/

About the Princeton Battlefield

Princeton Battlefield State Park is a 681-acre state park located in Princeton. The park preserves part of the site of the Battle of Princeton and is located on Mercer Road (Princeton Pike), about 1.5 miles south of Princeton University. Highlights of the park include the Princeton Battlefield site; the Thomas Clarke House & Museum; the site of the Mercer Oak, a tree which stood in the middle of the battlefield until recent years; the Ionic Colonnade and a stone patio marking the grave of the unknown British and American soldiers killed in the battle.