In December 1776, local Patriot Cornelius Vermeule allowed the construction of a militia post and fort on his plantation – the largest in the area. This encampment was key to protecting the southeastern flank of Washington’s Middlebrook encampment and played a noteworthy role in the 1777 Battle of Short Hills. In this presentation, Nancy Piwowar and Rich Palmatier will discuss the creation and significant military importance of the Blue Hills Encampment and Vermeule Fort and the story of the journey of locating the exact location of the long-forgotten Militia Post. Primary source documentation, maps, video and creative graphics will be used to enhance the presentation.

Nancy Piwowar is an independent local historian and President of the Historical Society of Plainfield who lives in the area of the lost fort. She has been searching for over forty years for the exact location of the fort, and in 2019 created a local committee with Rich Palmatier, a local historian from Scotch Plains.  His expertise is in the Battle of Short Hills and in local area historic maps. Through the efforts of this local committee, they, along with John Daniel, have created new primary source documentation about this fort.

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The New Jersey Studies Academic Alliance (NJSAA) is an interdisciplinary organization dedicated to advancing teaching and research about New Jersey. The organization brings together educators, historians, geographers, museum professionals, archivists, and librarians. As a proud RevolutionNJ Partner, NJSAA is excited to collaborate with Flounders Brewing in Hillsborough, NJ, to present a series of talks highlighting New Jersey and the 250th commemoration of the American Revolution. These talks are open to everyone and are all about making New Jersey’s Revolutionary past fun and easy to explore. Grab a drink, join the conversation, and connect with fellow history lovers and neighbors in a Revolutionary War era barn.