Bucco Measure Strengthens Historic Washington Association of NJ

Senator Anthony M. Bucco’s bill to revitalize the Washington Association of New Jersey (“WANJ”) with additional board members has cleared the Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism and Historic Preservation Committee.

The measure (A4370/S2919) allows the board of the association, chartered in 1874, to expand to 18 members.

“The addition of new leadership voices to this important association will help preserve the legacy of George Washington and the significant role New Jersey played in the Revolutionary War,” said Bucco (R-25). “The future of this association and its treasured historic sites rests on the shoulders of its dedicated volunteers. The effectiveness of WANJ’s mission can be broadened with new ideas and new talent to complement its existing core of committed members.”

One of the oldest historic preservation organizations in the country, WANJ was founded to acquire and preserve George Washington’s military headquarters at the Jacob Ford Mansion in Morristown. It is a not-for-profit advisory and fundraising body for the Morristown National Historical Park, the country’s first national historical park.

“Opportunities to join the board have been rare,” Bucco noted. “New seats allow  younger volunteers to get involved, learn, and grow into the next generation of the association’s leadership.”

Bucco is also sponsor of the Assembly version of the bill, which was unanimously approved by the General Assembly in March.

In addition to the Ford mansion, the historic park includes other historical sites: the Jockey Hollow encampment, site of the Continental Army’s winter encampment between 1779 and 1780; Fort Nonsense, an encampment overlooking Manhattan built in 1777; the New Jersey Brigade area, where American troops camped in December 1779; and the scenic Cross Estate gardens. The WANJ collaborates with the National Park Service as co-stewards of these.