About This Place
The Princeton Battle Monument is a large limestone sculpture at the intersection of Nassau Street, Stockton Street, and Bayard Lane. Designed by Frederick MacMonnies and dedicated in 1922, the monument depicts Washington leading his troops at the Battle of Princeton, with the figure of General Mercer falling wounded at his feet. The monument faces south toward the battlefield site.
President Warren G. Harding dedicated the monument in a public ceremony.
Revolutionary Significance
The monument was funded by the State of New Jersey and represents one of the largest commemorative sculptures of the Revolution in the United States. Its dramatic composition captures the pivotal moment when Washington rode to the front to rally his retreating troops. The figure of Liberty leading the charge and the fallen Mercer at the base convey both the heroism and the cost of the engagement. The monument's prominent placement at a major intersection ensures that Princeton's revolutionary heritage is visible to everyone passing through the town center.
Location
Nassau St & Stockton St, Princeton, NJ 08540
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Events at This Location
1776
Witherspoon Signs the Declaration of IndependenceJohn Witherspoon, Richard Stockton, James Madison
1776
College of New Jersey Closes for the WarJohn Witherspoon, James Madison
1776
Capture of Richard StocktonRichard Stockton, Annis Boudinot Stockton
1776
Annis Stockton Buries Family Papers at MorvenAnnis Boudinot Stockton, Richard Stockton
1776
British Occupation of PrincetonCharles Mawhood, John Witherspoon, Thomas Olden
1776
British Damage Nassau Hall During OccupationJohn Witherspoon
1776
1777
1777
Night March from Trenton to PrincetonGeorge Washington, Hugh Mercer
1777
Battle of PrincetonGeorge Washington, Hugh Mercer, Charles Mawhood
1777
Mercer and Mawhood Clash at Clarke FarmHugh Mercer, Charles Mawhood
1777
Washington Rallies Troops at PrincetonGeorge Washington, Hugh Mercer
1777
Cannonade of Nassau HallGeorge Washington
1777
1777
Death of General Hugh MercerHugh Mercer, Benjamin Rush
1783
Witherspoon Rebuilds the College After the WarJohn Witherspoon
1783
Congress Flees Philadelphia MutinyElias Boudinot
1783
Continental Congress Meets at Nassau HallElias Boudinot, George Washington
1783
Congress Thanks Washington at PrincetonGeorge Washington, Elias Boudinot
1783
Treaty of Paris Announced at PrincetonElias Boudinot