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Landmark

The Green

Hackensack, NJFeatured Site

About This Place

The Green is the historic central common of Hackensack, a public open space that has served as the town's civic, commercial, and military gathering point since the colonial period. During the Revolution, it functioned as the primary mustering ground for Bergen County militia, where local men assembled under arms before marching to defend the region against British and Loyalist incursions. The Green witnessed the passage of Washington's retreating army in November 1776 and served as a staging area for foraging expeditions, militia drills, and public announcements throughout the war years.

Today the Green remains a public park at the center of Hackensack, surrounded by commercial buildings and accessible to visitors. Markers and monuments on or near the Green commemorate the town's Revolutionary heritage.

Revolutionary Significance

The Green was the military and civic heart of Hackensack during the Revolution. Militia companies mustered here before marching to defend against British raids. Washington's retreating army passed through the Green in November 1776 after the fall of Fort Lee, and the space witnessed the full arc of the war in Bergen County — from the initial organizing of resistance to the final withdrawal of British forces.

Location

The Green, Main Street, Hackensack, NJ 07601

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Events at This Location

  1. 1774

    Bergen County Divided: Loyalties Split

    Reverend Dirck Romeyn, Judge John Fell, Sam of Hackensack

  2. 1775

    Formation of the Bergen County Committee of Safety

    Judge John Fell, Sam of Hackensack

  3. 1775

    Militia Musters on the Green

    Major John Mauritius Goetschius, Reverend Dirck Romeyn, Sam of Hackensack

  4. 1775

  5. 1776

    Fall of Fort Lee

    Sam of Hackensack

  6. 1776

    Washington's Retreat Through Hackensack

    Reverend Dirck Romeyn, Sam of Hackensack

  7. 1776

    British Occupation of Bergen County

    Reverend Dirck Romeyn, Sam of Hackensack

  8. 1776

    Desecration of the First Dutch Reformed Church

    Reverend Dirck Romeyn, Sam of Hackensack

  9. 1776

    Loyalist Raids and Partisan Warfare in Bergen County

    Major John Mauritius Goetschius, Sam of Hackensack

  10. 1777

    Capture of Judge John Fell by Loyalist Raiders

    Judge John Fell, Sam of Hackensack

  11. 1777

  12. 1778

    Continental Army Foraging Expeditions in Bergen County

    Brigadier General Anthony Wayne, Major John Mauritius Goetschius, Sam of Hackensack

  13. 1778

    Confiscation of Loyalist Property

    Judge John Fell, Sam of Hackensack

  14. 1778

  15. 1778

    Baylor Massacre at River Vale

    Major John Mauritius Goetschius, Sam of Hackensack

  16. 1783

    End of the War and Return of the Displaced

    Reverend Dirck Romeyn, Judge John Fell, Sam of Hackensack

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