Woodbridge in Woodbridge Township in Middlesex County, New Jersey — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
General Nathaniel Heard
Photographed by Larry Gertner, August 3, 2018
1. General Nathaniel Heard Marker
Nathaniel Heard (1730-92) was a leading Woodbridge patriot during the Revolutionary War. A member of the local Committee of Safety, Heard received the Lexington Alarm heralding the start of active rebellion in 1775 and forwarded it to patriots in New Brunswick. Named Colonel of the First Regiment of Middlesex Militia in January, 1776, Heard was ordered by the Continental Congress to march to Long Island to disarm and arrest Tories. On June 17, 1776, he arrested New Jerseys Royal Governor, William Franklin, under orders of the provincial Congress on New Jersey. Following the New York campaign of 1777, Heard was appointed Brigadier General of the New Jersey militia and served in that capacity until the end of the war.
Heard resided on what is now the southeast corner of Main Street and Amboy Avenue in downtown Woodbridge. When the British arrived in Woodbridge in December, 1776, they confiscated his property and burned his home and out buildings. Locally, a hill and a brook were named in his honor; he is buried at First Presbyterian Church of Woodbridge cemetery.
Erected 2013 by Woodbridge Township Historic Preservation
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Patriots & Patriotism • War, US Revolutionary. A significant historical month for this entry is January 1776.
Location. 40° 33.373′ N, 74° 16.835′ W. Marker is in Woodbridge Township, New Jersey, in Middlesex County. It is in Woodbridge. It is on School Street near N Park Drive, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 435 School St, Woodbridge NJ 07095, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in New Jersey’s Central Jersey, in Greater Princeton, and in the New York City Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American Northeast and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Netherland and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Fulton Street Train Wreck (within shouting distance of this marker);
Photographed by Larry Gertner, August 3, 2018
2. Heard Brook
To the east of Amboy Avenue, the brook runs in a concrete trough.
Photographed by Larry Gertner, October 20, 2018
3. Heard Brook and Marker
To the west of Amboy Avenue, the scene is more rustic.
Credits. This page was last revised on March 11, 2026. It was originally submitted on November 10, 2018, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. This page has been viewed 1,738 times since then and 184 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 10, 2018, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
