Washington Crossing the Delaware, by Emanuel Leutze, MMA-NYC, 1851. (Wikipedia)
How Two Parks are Ushering in the Semiquincentennial
By Wendy Greenberg
Imagine quietly moving not only 2,500 troops on a cold and blustery night across an icy river on December 25, 1776, but some 50 horses and some 18 canons as well. And, as history tells us, almost immediately fighting Hessian soldiers in Trenton, at the Battle of Assunpink Creek, and advancing to the Princeton Battlefield for a decisive victory by January 3, 1777, turning the tide of the American Revolution.
Considering that the crossing set in motion what is called “Ten Crucial Days,” organizations on both sides of the historic Delaware riverbanks where it happened — The Friends of Washington Crossing Park (FWCP) in Pennsylvania, and Washington Crossing Park Association of New Jersey (WCPA) — that annually celebrate the crossing, are developing new experiences to usher in the Semiquincentennial — the 250th birthday of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, a “once in a lifetime” experience.
The Crossing reenactment. (BWags Photography)
The Crossing
“It’s been said that while Philadelphia did the ‘paperwork,’ New Jersey did the dirty work,” says WCPA Executive Director Annette Earling of the American Revolution. “By the end of December 1776, the soldiers were on their last legs and enlistments were about to expire for many of them. Morale was terrible after a series of losses and retreats, and the men couldn’t wait to get home to their families and farms. Washington’s decision to cross the Delaware on that stormy Christmas night was the beginning of the Ten Crucial Days that changed American history, and indeed that of the world. The troops’ successful crossing and their subsequent nine-mile march to Trenton led to a series of victories in Trenton and Princeton that inspired the troops to stay on and fight and made New Jersey the Crossroads of the Revolution. It all started here at Washington’s Crossing.”
Jennifer Martin, FWCP executive director, explains the importance of the activities there. “Washington needs a victory and strategic victory. The following battles of Trenton and Princeton turn the war. The crossing reenactment is an opportunity to reflect on the sacrifices that the early soldiers made. There is an ongoing impact. We can ask, ‘How does that impact freedom today?’”
The original crossing was actually many trips, some by ferry for horses and supplies. The exact spot of departure is not known, according to the FWCPA website, but it was said to be near McConkey’s Ferry Inn.
Many historical writings note the challenging weather the day of the actual crossing. The FWCP online narrative notes the “ice-choked river,” and states that “the operation was slow and difficult due to the condition of the river. There was an abrupt change in the weather forcing the men to fight their way through sleet and a blinding snowstorm.
“By moving ahead with his bold and daring plan, Washington reignited the cause of freedom and gave new life to the American Revolution.”
Washington Crossing, Pa., reenactor. (BWags Photography)
Reenactments
Each December, thousands of people gather on the banks of the Delaware River to commemorate Washington’s bold plan and watch reenactments of the crossing. During the event, several hundred reenactors in Continental military dress listen to an inspiring speech by “General Washington” and then row across the river in replica Durham boats. Visitors can see how soldiers drilled to prepare for battle, hear the park’s fife and drum corps perform, and sample bread prepared in the manner of the period, among other attractions.
The FWCP offers two reenactments: The first crossing event is planned for Sunday, December 14, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (with the actual crossing at 1 p.m.). In addition to the crossing reenactment, the historic village will feature a full day of activities and demonstrations that highlight 18th-century civilian and military life.
The cost is $9 for adults, $5 for children ages 5-11, free for children younger than 5. Family rate (two adults and two children under 18) is $25. Online tickets for the first Crossing close before the event, however tickets can be purchased in person at the event.
This year, Tom Hand, founder of Americana Corner, is the guest narrator and featured author, who “hopes to rekindle a spirit of patriotism in his fellow Americans and remind them of our nation’s incredible past and why our founding era still matters today,” according to the FWCP website. Hand, who serves on the Board of Trustees for the American Battlefield Trust, will be signing copies of his books An American Triumph and America Victorious and giving a 30-minute author presentation. The signings are at 10 to 11 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., with an author’s presentation from 11 to 11:30 a.m.
Fourth Company Dragoons portraying mounted militia at Washington Crossing, Pa. (BWags Photography)
The New Jersey side on that day will hold its fourth annual “Washington’s Landing in New Jersey” event, in collaboration with the Friends of Washington Crossing Historic Park in Pennsylvania’s first crossing. The New Jersey park requests a donation of $10 per carload (which does not include entry to the Pennsylvania Park’s activities.)
The second, and more famous crossing reenactment, is on Thursday, December 25, from 12 to 3 p.m., with the actual crossing at 1 p.m. There is no cost. If the weather does not allow a safe crossing, ceremonies, speeches, and commemorative activities will still occur.
As New Jersey welcomes the troops from Pennsylvania, “It’s been a beloved Christmas tradition for as long as I can remember,” says Earling.
The crossings are financed by FWCP and contributions from private philanthropy, says Martin, who grew up in Princeton where her love of history was shaped by visiting the Princeton Battlefield. The events involve 250-300 reenactors, wearing historically accurate uniforms, she says.
The Durham boat replica in progress at the Independence Seaport Museum in Philadelphia. (Photo courtesy of the Independence Seaport Museum)
Durham Boat Project
As celebrations take place this year, excitement is building looking toward the 250th next year. The FWCP group and the Independence Seaport Museum (ISM) in Philadelphia are partnering to create a full-scale, 40-foot replica of a Durham boat, the same type of vessel that Washington and his troops used to cross the Delaware River. The boat will be delivered in spring 2026 to the Durham Boat Barn in Washington Crossing, Pa.
Visitors will be able to experience being in the boat (for safety reasons the boat cannot take visitors in the river), “bringing the bold spirit of Washington’s crossing to life in an unforgettable way,” said Martin. “We’re creating opportunities for visitors of all ages to connect with the story of the American Revolution.”
Dave Dormond, director of the Seaport Boat Shop and Waterfront Operations, and his team have been working on the replica boat since May.
“We are at a point where we have drawn out the plans full size, built plywood molds for our frames, and can now mount the molds to our table to begin steam bending,” he said in a video interview, panning the room to show the boat under construction.
A Durham boat is a double-ended boat, which means it comes to a point at both ends. This replica has white oak frames and a cedar and Douglas fir interior, materials that were used in the 1700s. The boats used for the reenactments now are similar but may not be historically accurate.
Work this past fall has involved bending the frames in place, detailed fairing (filling imperfections and sanding), and then using planes to shape it. “Once all of that is complete, we’ll do the planking outside of the boat,” says Dormond. “Once we’re done with the exterior, we can flip the boat over and work on the interior.”
The boat, while historically accurate, incorporates modern modifications to ensure it is durable, and ADA-accessible. In making a replica, notes Dormond, there are no original plans or drawings. In the 1960s and ’70s, drawings were created by a naval architect. “We are working off those plans, building the boat with modern materials only where necessary,” he says.
ISM shipwrights are using a combination of modern and electric tools. For some aspects there is no modern power equivalent, like a spokeshave, explains Dormond, that was used to pull along the frame, shaping and smoothing the wood.
Durham Iron Works was in Bucks County, Pa. “They would import ore to Philadelphia by boat during the Revolution to make cannonballs,” says Dormond. “The boats are flat, wide, and stable in the water. They withstand wind. They are meant to carry large amounts of raw materials, which translated to carrying lots of men, and supplies.” The design stabilizes the boat to weather bad conditions.
“What gets lost is that there was just not one trip across the Delaware, but several,” he adds.
The finished Durham replica boat can’t be taken by river because there is a waterfall south of Bristol, Pa., so it will travel via I-95 and delivered in April or May to be installed along a new interpretative trail at Washington Crossing Historic Park in Pennsylvania.
Restoration experts from Cusworth Conservation, cleaning the mural. (Photo courtesy of WCPA)
Meanwhile, In New Jersey
The New Jersey side is immersed in 250th anniversary preparations as well. The WCPA’s restoration of a 1921 George Matthew Harding mural Washington Crossing the Delaware (the same name as Emmanuel Leutze’s 1851 painting) will allow visitors to “witness a truly American interpretation of the event, painted by a great Philadelphia muralist and military artist,” says Earling. “It’s new home in the new museum will help establish the park as one of the most important and inspirational sites in the nation.”
Ironically, the mural was planned to be unveiled for the country’s Bicentennial but was delayed until the Semiquincentennial. The work of Saturday Evening Post and Harper’s Magazine illustrator Harding was commissioned for Trenton’s former Taylor Opera House, where it was displayed in the lobby. The building was torn down in 1969, and the mural was offered to the State of New Jersey. It was covered in wheat paste and rice paper.
Originally slated for a 1976 Bicentennial display at the WCPA Visitors Center, it was deemed too large and stored in the basement of Ringwood State Park until it was rediscovered in 2021 by local historian Pat Millen. The painting is being restored by Cusworth Conservation in Lambertville.
Aerial view of the new Visitors Center. (New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection)
Big Plans
The State of New Jersey is investing more than $27 million in Washington Crossing State Park for the development of a new museum and Visitors Center, restoration of historic structures, and rehabilitation of park roads, along with wayfinding and interpretive signage enhancements. The projects are supported by partners including the Washington Crossing Park Association and the Swan Historical Foundation. Funding comes from constitutionally dedicated Corporate Business Tax revenues under the Preserve New Jersey Act, allocations made by Gov. Phil Murphy through the American Rescue Plan to enhance the state’s Revolutionary War historic sites ahead of the nation’s Semiquincentennial, and National Park Service grants, including the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
A webinar several months ago through the Pennington Library with the WCPA staff showed plans that call for preservation of historic buildings and structures, rehabilitation of the nature center, picnic pavilion and rest room upgrades, repaving of the main roads through the park by DOT, a new entrance, directional wayfinding signs and interpretive signs, tree work and masonry repair, and creating a historic properties management plan, according to the online presentation.
“Most of the park’s historic assets will be concentrated in one area, much closer to the site of the 1776 crossing,” notes Earling. “The previous museum was more or less in the center of the park, which required visitors to walk a bit over a half mile to reach the landing site. The new museum, nestled between the historic Johnson Ferry House and the Arboretum, will only require a five-minute stroll over the River Road pedestrian bridge to reach the Landing.”
A rendering of the new Visitors Center, approach from the bridge, at Washington Crossing State Park, Titusville. (New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection)
The new Visitors Center and Museum designed by Ikon.5 architects in New York is being built into the landscape with a green roof, from where one can see the site of the crossing. The building contains some 2,000 square feet of permanent immersive exhibits and 1,000 square feet for rotating exhibits, and a new theater with an immersive 4-D ferryboat crossing experience. The Swan Foundation has given books for the outdoor classroom, a collection on loan to the State of New Jersey. The terrazzo floor is based on London mapmaker William Faden’s 1777 map depicting the crossings, the march to Trenton, and the battles of Trenton and Princeton.
The exhibits will take visitors through a timeline of the Revolutionary War starting in 1775, to the Ten Crucial Days, Washington’s crossing of the Delaware River on Christmas Day, the first and second battles of Trenton, the Battle of Princeton, and concludes in 1783.
The museum will feature more than 60 minibiographies of “the famous and not so famous,” and battle maps.
Johnson Ferry House, the only building that existed on the night of the crossing; the Nelson House, a 17th Century hotel and barroom; and the Harvey Barn, or Flag Barn, will be renovated and restored.
The Bear Tavern on the corner of routes 546 and 579, currently used as an administrative office and the park police station, will be rehabilitated. And, the Nature Center will get some upgrades, as well as a naturalist.
An open-air theater plagued by vandalism and damaged by a tornado will not be refurbished for now, according to the presentation.
During construction, confirms Earling, the park remains open with trails, picnic sites, and roads open to visitors during regular park hours. The many buildings under restoration will be reopened as each is completed. The new museum will likely be the last to open, sometime in mid-spring.
Once In A Lifetime
Earling points out that the exhibits and celebrations can be the foundations of lifelong interest. “Many of today’s historians, reenactors, and history buffs caught the bug during America’s Bicentennial anniversary,” she says. “Therefore, I encourage folks to bring their kids, grandkids, neighbors, and friends to this year’s ‘semiquin’ celebrations to inspire the next generation of thinkers, as we all of us continue the work of ensuring the blessings of liberty in the United States. Plus, they will get to participate in “The Crossing Experience,” an immersive feature in which visitors will board a reproduction ferry boat and be surrounded by the sights and sounds of 1776, as they cross the Delaware into New Jersey — what could be better?”
“The 250th anniversary is very important to us,” agrees Martin. “It is important not just so everyone should understand the crossing, but that they might see themselves in the story. There are many opportunities, including fife and drum, encampment, nursing, contributions of women, the 4th Dragoon regiment. The second reenactment is a larger, interpretive experience.
“In general, I see a call to action. There is a lot going on, it is so important for our community to experience these events together. Make sure you are part of these celebrations — they are once in a lifetime.”
Washington Crossing Historic Park in Pennsylvania is located at the intersection of Routes 532 and 32 (River Road) in Washington Crossing, Pa. Individuals with disabilities who need special assistance or accommodations to attend crossing reenactments should call the Visitor Center at 215.493.4076 or email info@washingtoncrossingpark.org. It is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., except specific holidays. More information is at washingtoncrossingpark.org.
Washington Crossing Park, Pa., is owned by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and managed by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources in partnership with the Friends of Washington Crossing Park. The Friends provide guided tours, public programs, and support for critical preservation projects and major community -wide events, which are funded through private philanthropy.
Washington Crossing State Park in New Jersey is located at 355 Washington Crossing-Pennington Road, Titusville; 609.737.0623 or email WashingtonCrossing@dep.nj.gov. There is construction within the park and some closures (including a pedestrian bridge on Route 29), but the main gate is open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. For more information, visit njparksandforests.org/parks/washingtoncrossingstatepark.html or wcpa-nj.com/landing.
For Ten Crucial Days-related activities, the Trenton Downtown Association (trenton-downtown.com) hosts several events during its annual Patriots Week festivities December 26 to 31. In addition, Princeton Battlefield Society (pbs1777.org) will host its annual “Experience the Battle of Princeton” event on January 4 from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The Independence Seaport Museum in Philadelphia is located a 211 South Columbus Boulevard and can be reached at 215.413.8655. Visit phillyseaport.org for daily hours and more information. To learn more about the Durham boat-building process, monthly Table Saw Talks offer behind-the-scenes insights into the craftsmanship of wooden boat building. They are held on the second Sunday of each month until May 2026. More information is at phillyseaport.org/table-saw-talks.
