LIGHTS! CAMERA! REENACTION!

Help Us Preserve the Footprints of Hillside Farm’s Revolutionary History!

SPIRIT OF 1778 REENACTMENT PARTY!

Sunday, October 27, 2024
3 pm to 6 pm

Hillside Farm
Hopewell, NJ

Click HERE for
sponsorship opportunities and to purchase tickets!  

EXTRA! EXTRA!

Dress for the period and be an Extra in a special video
creation starring reenactors!
Or come as you are to watch the video filming

Then, join us for merriment & libations as we learn about Hillside Farm’s revolutionary significance

The participation of generous preservationists like you supports the mission of
D&R Greenway Land Trust – to preserve and care for land and inspire a
conservation ethic, now and forever.

JOIN US AS A SPONSOR AND SECURE YOUR ‘FOREVER’ PLACE IN THE CREDITS!

Did you know that — in addition to the vast open space and conservation value of Hillside Farm — more than 10,000 of George Washington’s troops sought respite at the Hillside encampment during the Revolutionary War? We are inviting you to travel back in time to honor this significant landscape: Are you ready to join us?

In the hot summer months of June 1778, General George Washington camped about 10,000 Continental Soldiers in Hopewell, NJ for three days on the road to what would be known as the Battle of Monmouth. There, Washington would prove the professionalism that the Continental Army gained during their winter training at Valley Forge. But for those three days, thousands of American patriots would rest and prepare for the oncoming battle in the beautiful Hopewell Valley.

D&R Greenway is pleased to announce it has received funding from the Mercer County Cultural & Heritage Division – and support from our area’s Revolutionary War experts – to create this video. Guiding us as creative directors are Archaeologist and Historian, Dr. Richard Veit, of Monmouth University, and Zachary Smith, an award-winning documentary filmmaker.

They will guide our special guests — you — as they set the stage to capture footage for this very special film initiative! Once completed, the video will be premiered in celebration of America’s upcoming 250^th Anniversary. This special story will be shared with local public television, and at the future Betty Wold Johnson Hillside Park Visitors Center.

D&R Greenway preserved Hillside Farm after it was donated to us in 2022 by the family of Betty Wold Johnson. The 800-acre preserve was once multiple different properties that Betty merged in order to preserve the quaintness of Hopewell Valley. Betty loved this region and preserving Hillside Farm is immeasurably important to her legacy of philanthropy.

About D&R Greenway Land Trust: D&R Greenway Land Trust is an accredited nonprofit that has reached a new milestone of over 22,000 acres of land preserved throughout central New Jersey since 1989. By protecting land in perpetuity and creating public trails, it gives everyone the opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors. The land trust’s preserved farms and community gardens provide local organic food for residents of the region—including those most in need. Through strategic land conservation and stewardship, D&R Greenway combats climate change, protects birds and wildlife, and ensures clean drinking water for future generations. D&R Greenway’s mission is centered on connecting land with people from all walks of life. www.drgreenway.org; info@drgreenway.org. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Hillside Farm will not open to the public until next year after a thoughtful process
is completed to ensure protection of conservation resources.

Sponsorships and ticket sales support our work to open Hillside Farm as a public preserve in the future.