Woodbridge in Middlesex County, New Jersey — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
General Nathaniel Heard
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 Jersey’s 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.
More information visit www.wthpc.org
Woodbridge Township Historic Preservation Commission
Mayor John E. McCormac Woodbridge Township 2013
Erected 2013 by Woodbridge Township Historic Preservation Commission.
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, New Jersey, in Middlesex County. Marker is on School Street near N Park Drive, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Woodbridge NJ 07095, United States of America. Touch for directions.
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); First Presbyterian Church of Woodbridge (within shouting distance of this marker); Boynton Beach & Sewaren House Hotel (within shouting distance of this marker); School Number 1 (within shouting distance of this marker); Woodbridge Speedway (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); A Snapshot of Woodbridge History (about 400 feet away); M.D. Valentine & Brothers (about 400 feet away); Woodbridge History Trail (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Woodbridge.
Credits. This page was last revised on December 18, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 10, 2018, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. This page has been viewed 602 times since then and 44 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.