PERTH AMBOY – Asm. Speaker Craig Coughlin (19th District) and Asw. Yvonne Lopez (19th District) meet with local and state officials to discuss renovations for the Proprietary House.  *Photo Courtesy of the Office of 19th Legislative District

Funding Will Go Towards Revitalization in Anticipation of Nation’s Semiquincentennial Anniversary

By: JOHN MOONEY
[from TapInto 12/1/22]
PERTH AMBOY – Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin (D-19th Dist.) announced a $3 million investment in the Proprietary House in preparation for the nation’s Semiquincentennial anniversary. The anniversary, taking place in 2026, will mark the signing of the Declaration of Independence and our nation’s 250th year of independence.

Support of the Proprietary House was among a number of historic Revolutionary War sites to share in a $25 million initiative advanced by legislators using federal American Rescue Plan dollars, as the state is preparing to greet visitors, both far and near, to mark the anniversary.
In the spring, Coughlin visited the Proprietary House with Assemblywoman Yvonne Lopez (D-19th Dist.) and other dignitaries to discuss the upcoming anniversary and how best to prepare the home for thousands of history buffs from across the globe.

Local officials say the home at 149 Kearny Ave. is the last-standing mansion of a royal governor among the 13 colonies. The nation’s birthday should serve as an opportunity to educate a new generation about the historical significance of the state-owned structure.

“The historical significance of Perth Amboy during the Revolutionary War rivals any city in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania or Virginia,” Coughlin said. “As America prepares for celebrations in 2026, it is vital that Perth Amboy’s history play an integral role, as well as a top tourism site.”

Coughlin, along with fellow 19th district lawmakers Sen. Joe Vitale and Lopez, led the charge for state funding to support sorely needed renovations of Proprietary House. Prior to this latest grant, the legislators secured $3 million in the state’s fiscal ’19 budget to support the building’s rehabilitation.

The site is now well maintained and showcases late 18th century living as the home of a loyalist royal governor, William Franklin through 1776.

“Perth Amboy played such a pivotal role during the Revolutionary War; our port was a major point of access,” explained Lopez, who lives just a few blocks from the Proprietary House. “In fact, our official city seal reads “aportus optimus,” which is Latin for `best port.’ We were a gateway to the New World, to rival New York.

“Many are unaware that more battles were fought in New Jersey during the war than any other state,” the assemblywoman added. “And key decisions were made right here, in New Jersey, that led to the successful outcome of the war.”

“Revolution NJ,” through the non-profit Crossroads of the American Revolution, was established in 2018 as the state’s planning entity for the upcoming anniversary. The group is now conducting planning studies to establish New Jersey as a major Revolutionary War Heritage Tourism destination.

“Urban areas are typically overlooked for heritage tourism potential, but are precisely the types of places that stand to benefit enormously,” Lopez said. “We need more grants to make the Proprietary House ready to accommodate many more visitors, while further boosting its historical and heritage identity in Middlesex County.”

Vitale said about six percent of New Jersey’s tourism dollars are generated from heritage tourism, amounting to just under $400 million in state and local tax revenues and $3 billion in economic impact.

“That’s about half of the average activity generated by heritage tourism nationally and third of what New Jersey could do if we were putting weight behind advertising and branding the way our neighbors do it,” the senator said. “There’s a New Jersey story to be told and we’re working to tell it.”

During the Revolutionary War, Proprietary House was occupied by both Patriot and British troops and, for a time, served as headquarters for both American General Hugh Mercer and British General Sir William Howe.

After the war, Proprietary House was abandoned, vandalized, and nearly destroyed by fire. Exposed to the elements, the ruins stood as mute witness to the wrenching personal costs of the American Revolution. Yet, its fortunes would be revived along with those of the new nation.

After hosting a royal governor, it became a stylish hotel, a private residence, a run-down boarding house and, now, a museum, operated by the non-profit Proprietary House Association. It is open for guided tours, lectures, concerts, storytelling, ghost tours, and teas, as well as for weddings, dinners, meetings, and luncheons.

The ground and first floors of the original mansion are now leased to the Association, charged with raising funds for programs, interpretation and restoration. Since the 1970s, countless volunteer hours and the financial support of history-loving donors have enabled the ongoing restoration of Proprietary House and its museum.

Funds will be allocated to the New Jersey Department of the Treasury and distributed to Revolution NJ, in partnership with the New Jersey Historical Commission and Crossroads of the American Revolution, to help in the restoration of the following state-owned Revolutionary War sites:

• Washington Crossing State Park
• Trenton’s Old Barracks
• Battle Monument in Trenton
• Princeton Battlefield State Park
• Monmouth Battlefield State Park
• Proprietary House in Perth Amboy
• The Indian King Tavern in Haddonfield
• Wallace House in Somerville
• Boxwood Hall in Elizabeth
• Rockingham in Kingston

“New Jersey’s role in the American Revolution is unquestionably significant,” Coughlin said. “The Battles of Trenton and Princeton singularly re-energized the fledging effort at perhaps the most crucial point of the war. Today’s sizable $25 million investment in capital upgrades across ten critical, state-owned sites marks a big step in the leveraging the full civic and economic potential of our state’s consequential revolutionary war history, not just in preparation for 2026 but for the years that lie ahead.”