About This Place
The Stony Brook Bridge marks the crossing point where the Post Road between Trenton and Princeton crossed Stony Brook. On the morning of January 3, 1777, Mawhood's British column had just crossed this bridge heading south toward Trenton when his scouts spotted Washington's army approaching Princeton from the southeast. The bridge and the adjacent Worth's Mill were strategic points during the battle.
The current bridge is not the original colonial structure, but the crossing point and the Stony Brook itself remain essentially unchanged.
Revolutionary Significance
After the main battle was decided, Washington sent troops to destroy the bridge over Stony Brook to delay any British reinforcements from Trenton. This demolition bought critical time for the American army to complete its operations in Princeton before withdrawing toward New Brunswick and eventually to winter quarters in Morristown. The bridge site thus played a dual role: it was the point from which Mawhood departed and the barrier that prevented Cornwallis from pursuing Washington.
Location
Mercer Road at Stony Brook, Princeton, NJ
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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