"Save Princeton" Topic

"Days after his stunning victory at Trenton, New Jersey, General George Washington again met the Redcoats at the Battle of Princeton. While initially repulsed by the British army, the resilient Patriots were revitalized as Washington led a counterattack that drove the British to retreat. Washington's success at Princeton was his first victory over British regulars in the field, capping off 10 crucial days for the cause of independence.

As you may recall, earlier this year, part of the ground where George Washington led the storied charge at Princeton was being cleared in preparation for a faculty housing complex for the Institute for Advanced Study, a private independent academic institution. Well, thanks to the support of concerned citizens and Trust members like you, the Institute and the Civil War Trust have reached an agreement to preserve the site of George Washington's famous counterattack! But we again need your help to do it, as we must now raise the funds to make this preservation dream a reality…"
Main page
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Amicalement
Armand

But we need more strip malls with dry cleaners and donut shops!

(smile)

Amicalement
Armand

You would think that a corporation would be willing to contribute – Or even Princeton Alum. If those people thought it was worth saving.

Don't forget the Subway Sandwich shops that need to be on every block.

I noticed that Lockeed-Martin and Boeing gave big bucks to the Gettysburg Foundation that operates the wonderful Gettysburg Museum. What they have to do with the ACW is beyond me. You never know were you might find funds for a good cause. I sure would not have considered asking them. I guess it really doesn't hurt to ask.

It can never hurt .Corporations like giving because
a) Good publicity
b) Tax write offs

However organizations need to ask (usually) and some battlefield historic preservation people have a decided anti- corporate stance . "that is tainted money " They want their name on a sign reminding people that they gave "

Not saying all concerned with this are like that -but I have met a good number who are .

I think you are confusing corporations who want to develop and otherwise destroy historical property with most corporations are evil. Organizations like the Civil War Trust and others are against corporations who seek to do harm.

They are not good corporate citizens and may offer to donate large amounts to preservation groups to shut them up. If they accept such funds then the preservation group is tainted.

Most preservation groups are more than happy to accept most any kind of money. But must be careful not to accept money which appears to be hush money.

One would think that a university such as Princeton, with a multi-billion-dollar endowment, would be committed to historical preservation, and willing to come up with most or all of the needed funds. But nah …

I am unclear as to the Institute for Advanced Study's connection to the University. I had been told there was foreign involvement in that group, so they weren't particularly interested in U.S. history.

The Institute is located in Princeton, NJ, but is not directly associated with the University (as far as I can tell):

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How many battlefields do we have to preserve?
Seriously.
Are they graded by importance? Casualty list? Size?

We can't save them all.

True, but there are few Rev War battlefields preserved (I can only think of a few) and Lord Cornwallis remarked to Washington (while dining together) that history will remember he won the war in New Jersey, not at Yorktown. So, you tell me if this one is worth saving.

Rallynow,
No ,I am not confusing them at all- I know and am very aware of the differences . I also am aware of corporate reasons for giving and also for preservation groups reasons for not accepting their money .
I would venture to guess that I am much more in tune with both than yourself . I have been a member of the funding committees for 2 major corporations (1 a top 15 worldwide Pharma )and a number of minor ones. And have a strong interest in Historical preservation-especially battlefields ,and am an AWI re-enactor.

Tainted and hush money ? very idealistic and naïve bias – If the group is interested in saving something ,then they will do everything needed to do to save it .

Winston,
In one manner you are correct ,we cannot preserve all battlefields -and nor should it be tried (the boy that cried wolf syndrome )
However preserving significant (and some not so significant ) battlefields as they were is very important – if for no other reason than to give students a real sense of what the history of their country is and where people fought and died for their beliefs .

The tragedy of the AWI battlefields as that most are overbuilt with cities today. Most of the NY battlefields are paved under. Same with most of the Philly ones – though Birmingham Hill (Brandywine) is largely private land with homes and small farms. Trenton is a downtown area (and a mess). Some of the Southern battlefields are preserved, as is Yorktown (though some of it has slide into the river). Saratoga battlefield is one of the coolest, as it is still relatively remote and untouched. But, the point being, compare to Civil War battlefields, Rev War kind of gets shorted, and without the battle of Princeton, the victory at Trenton would have been relatively useless. And without the victory at Princeton, the war might well have been lost as patriotic fervor was waning at that point.

Perhaps David Bonk is lurking on here and as author of the Osprey book (enjoyed that one) can expound on the importance of Princeton.