In my search for Civil War monuments, I have visited many that were erected soon after Appomattox, but I have also discovered quite a few that were erected in the 21st Century. Cranbury in New Jersey has both a 19th Century monument and a monument that was dedicated in 2011 during the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War. This monument is next to the Fire Department 2 South Main St, Cranbury, NJ 08512. It is beside Cranbury Brook which empties into Brainerd Lake across the street. This monument is in the historic district of Cranbury, a quite beautiful area. Nearby is Cranbury Inn, a Revolutionary War site which still serves food.
The brook was a naturally occurring feature but it was altered in the 19th Century to accommodate a mill. You can see the altered brook in the photo below.
Because there were saloons serving the workers at the mill, the Women’s Christian Temperance Movement (WCTU) set up an ornate water fountain across from the mill.
In the early 19th Century, temperance was a moral crusade to persuade men not to drink and to rescue those men who had become alcoholics. The WCTU was a revolutionary development. Organized in 1873 it sought to persuade governments to outlaw the sale of alcohol for anything other than medicinal purposes. The organization was a protofeminist group very tied into evangelical Protestant denominations. It advocated for greater purity in America. The organization reached its greatest power when the 18th Amendment was passed.
While there are few members of the WCTU today, there are still remnants of its program. Many counties still have prohibitions on the sale of alcohol.
As you can see in the photo below, I went there shortly before Christmas. The lake is just beyond the fountain.
The lake itself is an artificial creation to control the water for the mill in the 19th Century.
You can see the dam for the mill in the photo below. The first mill was established in 1736. It was a gristmill. In 1840, a second mill, a sawmill, was constructed. The mills operated until 1917.
The Civil War monument is in Memorial Park. During the Revolution, American troops on their way to Monmouth camped here. George Washington visited his men at this site.
The site has a large flagpole honoring American soldiers who served in all wars. The large stone monument at the center of the photo above honors those who served the United States during the Civil War.
Washington stopped here on June 26, 1778 to visit his troops, as this marker attests.
The newest addition was the Civil War monument.
On the back of the monument is a special dedication to the men of Company H of the 14th Regiment New Jersey Volunteers. The funding was provided by the New Jersey Civil War History Association. That group has a living history unit that portrays the 14th Regiment. That regiment was known as the “The Monocacy Regiment” after its heroic actions at that 1864 battle in Maryland.
The regiment was organized in July of 1862 and mustered into service at Freehold.
As you can see from the date of the dedication, the monument was dedicated during the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War.
A view from the monument over to the lake on a rainy late-Fall day.
All color photos are by Pat Young.
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