In addition, PBS announced that renowned local historian and author Larry Kidder will deliver three special presentations this year.

The countdown will begin on April 19, marking the first day of the war when Crown forces fired on Massachusetts farmers and artisans at Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts.

The 2025 Battlefield Tours, led by historical interpreters at Princeton Battlefield State Park, will be offered on the following dates:

• May 18
• May 26
• June 1
• July 13
• August 10
• August 24
• September 14
• October 12
• October 26

Larry Kidder will present three lectures on the Battle of Princeton:

• June 15: The experiences of the Clarke family, on whose land the battle was fought.
• July 17: The military actions that led to the Battle of Princeton.
• September 28: Human stories about those involved in the battle.

“The fight on our hallowed battlefield didn’t happen in a vacuum,” PBS President Ben Strong said. “To really understand how we got here on January 3, 1777, we have to start at Lexington, move on to the Siege of Boston, the Battle of Long Island, the retreat across New Jersey, the Crossing, Trenton and then here.”

“Our new website will help everyone track the progress of the war until it literally landed on Thomas Clarke’s doorstep and then the doorsteps of the rest of Princeton. The old website gave its all for many years, but the new site will allow us to share more information, educate people more efficiently, and just looks cool and modern,” Strong said.

“And we’re also really fortunate to have Larry delivering three of his talks this year,” Strong said. “It’s hard to find anyone who knows the battle better than Larry and he is a treasure. We hope you all take advantage of those three talks and we hope you come for our Battlefield tours.”

The new PBS website, including links to register for the Battlefield Tours, may be found at PBS1777.org.

About the Princeton Battlefield Society

The Princeton Battlefield Society is a national historic non-profit organization dedicated to the protection, preservation, and promotion of the Princeton Battlefield as a national treasure of the American Revolutionary War. For more information, including exhibitions and events, visit the Princeton Battlefield Society at https://PBS1777.org.

About the Princeton Battlefield

Princeton Battlefield State Park is a 681-acre state park located in Princeton. The park preserves part of the site of the Battle of Princeton and is located on Mercer Road (Princeton Pike), about 1.5 miles south of Princeton University. Highlights of the park include:

• The Princeton Battlefield site
• The Clarke House Museum
• The site of the Mercer Oak, a tree which stood in the middle of the battlefield until recent years
• The Ionic Colonnade designed by Thomas U. Walter
• A stone patio marking the grave of 21 British and 15 American soldiers killed in the battle

A poem was written for the site by Alfred Noyes, Poet Laureate of England.

About the Battle of Princeton

In one of the fiercest battles of the American Revolution, American troops under General George Washington surprised and defeated a force of British Regulars on the morning of January 3, 1777. American soldiers, pushed back by a strong British assault, were rallied by Washington, who rode his horse between the British and American lines, leading his men to his first field victory over British troops.

The Battle of Princeton capped 10 days of maneuvering and fighting, including three battles—two in Trenton—which began with Washington’s famous December 25, 1776 crossing of the Delaware.

Media Contact

Princeton Battlefield Society
Mark Herr
Phone: 203-517-8957
Email: Mark@MarkHerrCommunications.net