Photo by Jenifer Rutherford
www.magazinevolume.com/DiscoverMiddlesex 59
Piscataway is home to a significant portion of Robert Wood
Johnson Medical School and the Busch and Livingston campuses
of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, as well as many
notable corporations including American Standard, Chanel,
Ericsson, Johnson & Johnson Healthcare Systems, PepsiCo and
the Colgate Palmolive Technology Center.
Its highly desirable location and easy access to the New Jersey
Turnpike, the Garden State Parkway, I-78, I-287 and Routes 18, 22
and 27 make Piscataway especially attractive to commuters and
corporations. Along with its great economic growth, Piscataway
maintains its friendly, welcoming atmosphere, making it a
wonderful place to live, work and play.
Did you know that Piscataway
was the site of the first national
Fourth of July party?
After the Declaration of Independence signed in 1776, America’s
first birthday in 1777 was only acknowledged across our young
country with sporadic celebrations. However, in early July 1778,
after defeating the British Army in the Battle of Monmouth, General
George Washington was headquartered at Ross Hall in Piscataway
with thousands of his troops camped along the Raritan River.
To mark America’s second birthday, Washington ordered soldiers
to “adorn their hats with green bows” and provided them with
a “double allowance of rum.” On July 4, 1778, American troops
paraded in two lines nearly a mile long for Washington and
other officers. At 5 p.m. a single canon was fired followed by
approximately 11,000 soldiers performing the “feu de joie,” a
celebratory firing of rifles in a succeeding pattern, on the riverbanks.
Washington hosted a celebratory ball that evening at Ross Hall
with guests including Nathanael Greene, Alexander Hamilton, the
Marquis de Lafayette, Lord Stirling and Baron von Steuben.
Ross Hall is no longer standing but the nearby Metlar-Bodine
House Museum, built in 1728, provides visitors with historical
displays including those of the colonial and revolutionary eras. A
decorative wall from the room where the Ross Hall ball took place
was preserved by Piscataway Township. It is being refurbished with
plans for it to be housed at an annex to the Metlar-Bodine House.
When you visit central New Jersey, make sure to visit the Metlar-
Bodine House Museum. Come to Piscataway on July 4th for one of
the best fireworks shows in the state. #First4th.
Come visit
the Metlar-Bodine
House Museum
Learn about central New Jersey's history from
Lenape and colonial times to the present through
exhibits displayed in a house built in 1728.
1281 River Road | Piscataway, NJ 08854
(732) 463-8363
www.MetlarBodineHouseMuseum.org
Piscataway – Home of the #First4th
/DiscoverMiddlesex
/www.MetlarBodineHouseMuseum.org