State Senate Hearing on Princeton Battlefield Construction Project Set for Monday

Princeton, NJ -- State Sen. Christopher “Kip” Bateman (R-16), a ranking member of the Senate Environment Committee, is asking Princeton residents to show support for an historical landmark he says is being threatened by construction.

The Senate Environment Committee will hold a public hearing on Monday morning in Committee Room 10 on the third floor of the State House Annex in Trenton, 10 a.m.

Bateman called for the hearing in response to the Institute of Advanced Study’s plan to build 15 housing units on the land adjacent to the historic Princeton battlegrounds.

“Today, I am asking the community to help us secure another victory in Princeton by showing support at Monday’s hearing,” Bateman said. “It is unconscionable to even consider construction at the Princeton Battlegrounds. Archaeologists have uncovered Revolutionary War artillery shells in this sacred space. The first Marine lost his life right here on Maxwell’s Field. We cannot, and will not allow this hallowed ground to be irreversibly decimated.”

the land is the site of George Washington’s historic 1777 victory against the British – a battle many consider to be the turning point of the Revolutionary War, according to The Daily Record.

The Princeton Battlefield Society has led the fight against the project to this point, but suffered some legal setbacks, including the State Supreme Court’s decision to allow the project to move forward and a state judge’s ruling to uphold the Princeton Planning Board’s approval of the project, according to the report.

The Institute of Advanced Study, to which Albert Einstein once belonged, said it will preserve the site’s natural surroundings and historic significance, but work has already begun on Maxwell Field, according to the report.

“This is a critical moment in our fight to preserve the Battlegrounds, a sacred space that has sadly become one of the most endangered historical landmarks in New Jersey,” Bruce Afran, the attorney for the Princeton Battlefield Society, said. “We have found so much evidence that the Battle of Princeton literally happened there. We are grateful for Senator Bateman’s support of our fight to protect this national treasure.”

The proposed housing would allow Princeton University faculty members to spend more time on campus and encourage collaboration between them and visiting scholars, according to the report.