Friends of the Indian King Tavern receives grant
[caption id=”attachment_42528" align=”alignleft” width=”300" caption=”Special to The Sun — Revolutionary War re-enactors and spectators gathered outside the Indian King Tavern celebrating the 235th anniversary of British encampment in Haddonfield earlier this summer.”]
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The Friends of the Indian King Tavern recently acquired a grant from the National Park Service’s American Battlefield Protection Program to create a map brochure of Revolutionary War battle sites in Camden and Gloucester counties.
“It’s thought of as a two-year project. I need to get a running start September/October so I can make enough progress for second-year funding,” said Garry Stone, state Park Service historian and historian for the Indian King Tavern.
The $3,500 grant is for the first year of the project.
Stone would oversee the project, collecting data from previous research and records, consult with other local historians and analyze geographical and historical data to make sure the map is as accurate as possible.
The grant, one of 24 National Park Service grants totaling approximately $1.13 million, helps preserve the existence of battle sites on American soil and educate on their importance.
The American Battlefield Protection Program, created in 1991 by the Secretary of the Interior, helped preserve land at 75 Civil War battlefields in 16 states, surveyed more than 650 battlefields in 16 wars and has distributed more than $14 million in grants since 1997, according to its website.
“We are proud to support projects like this that safeguard and preserve American battlefields,” said Jon Jarvis, director of the National Park Service, in a news release about the Friends of the Indian King Tavern’s grant.
“These places are symbols of individual sacrifice and national heritage that we must protect so that this and future generations can understand the struggles that define us as a nation.”
The brochure would have a map of the area from 1777 to 1778, showing marching routes, battle sites and communities.
On the other side, a 21st century map would display the community and roads of today with pictures and information on historical landmarks.
Stone has performed work similar to this before, working with other historians to complete the project.
“There have been people writing about our Revolutionary history since the mid 19th century, if not earlier,” he said.
Although Stone can use information documented by others before him, he has an added project of deciphering maps that were created to scale versus what was interpreted.
“There will be bumps all along the way. It’s a giant jigsaw puzzle. It’s complicated by the fact that some of the pieces burned in 1786 when the courthouse at Gloucester Landing burned,” he said.
By creating the map, the goal is to increase visitation to historical sites, knowledge and “constituency for preserving Revolutionary War heritage.”
Preserving historical integrity and educating the public are key components of keeping the historical integrity of the area alive, Stone said.
“They are living in what was once a war zone. A part of the Revolutionary War took place right here. The roads they drive on every day once had marching troops.”
“I don’t think many realize that this was a very uncomfortable place to live from September 1777 to June 1778,” he said.
Working at the tavern since 2005, curator Linda Hess said she has seen the Friends of the Indian King Tavern “push forward” with new ideas, creating ways to attract more people to the tavern.
“I think this brochure will be well received by Revolutionary War enthusiasts. I think they will embrace this, and, to be honest, those that have a lesser interest, I think they will be surprised to learn the amount of involvement in this area,” she said.
The Indian King Tavern, located at 233 Kings Highway East, is open Thursday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 4 p.m. For more information or to inquire about tours, call 429–6792 or visit the website
