New Jersey Revolutionary Road Trip Part III Episode: Travels with Darley

Join Darley Newman on a New Jersey Revolutionary Road Trip, uncovering more hidden treasures and sharing untold stories from Somerset County to Middlesex County. Explore the iconic Wallace House, where George Washington spent a pivotal winter during the American Revolutionary War, and the bustling streets of Somerville and New Brunswick. Discover the significance of the Washington Rochambeau Trail, indulge in colonial-inspired cuisine, explore living history at the East Jersey Old Town Village and immerse yourself in living history at events like History on the Green.

The journey begins in Somerville, where Darley meets Dr. De Rode at the Wallace House, where George Washington spent a winter during the Revolutionary War. Here, Darley learns about the significance of the Washington Rochambeau Trail in New Jersey. Darley and Dr. Iris de Rode then explore History on the Green, an annual event in Somerville consisting of art, music, literature, and reenactments. Darley sets off from the Green to tour downtown with Natalie Pineiro with the Downtown Somerville Alliance. They pop into the family-owned Boulevard Seafood for lunch. Darley reunites with Dr. De Rode at a French restaurant across the Green to toast history.

Darley continues to the town of Hillsborough and meets up with Jeremy Lees, the creator of Flounder Brewery located inside a centuries-old barn. Then, Darley travels around 20 minutes to East Jersey Old Town in Piscataway, which she describes as a mini-colonial Williamsburg. County historian Mark Nonestied shows Darley around the site’s collection of historic buildings. Darley steps inside one of the colonial homes and meets Sharon Goodman, who tends the kitchen garden and creates colonial-inspired dishes. Darley gets to sample bread made from a centuries-old recipe. Darley then takes a look inside the Indian Queen Tavern, originally built in the 1700s in New Brunswick, but relocated to East Jersey Old Town in the 1970s. 

Darley heads over to New Brunswick, home to the main campus of Rutgers University. Mark Nonestied meets Darley on campus to share insights into New Brunswick history and Rutgers’ colonial roots. Then, Isha Vyas, Division Head of Folklife and Cultural Heritage for the Arts Institute of Middlesex County, takes Darley for an afternoon drink to share more about how this hub city draws in diversity and culture. 

Back in Piscataway, Darley meets Mark at the Cornelius Low House, one of only two homes left from the historic port community of Raritan Landing. For dinner, Darley returns to New Brunswick, where Chef Bruce Lefebvre trained at the Culinary Institute of America, serves up colonial inspired dishes at his restaurant: The Frog and the Peach. 

The journey continues in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. Lisa Nanton takes Darley though the Proprietary House, home of the last New Jersey Royal Governor, William Franklin, the illegitimate son of Ben Franklin. This is followed by a visit to St. Peter’s Episcopal Church. Darley stops for lunch at The Barge, a restaurant established in 1925 and loved by locals. Darley checks out Perth Amboy’s City Hall, where Mayor Helmin Caba shows Darley its impressive interior. City historian John Dyke joins them to share more about the city’s history. That marks the end of Darley’s New Jersey Revolutionary Road Trips. Stay tuned for more in 2024. 

Learn more about this episode at darley-newman.com and watch it on PBS and streaming. Follow and subscribe to the new “Travels with Darley” podcast on iHeart, Spotify, Audible, Amazon, Google, Apple, and wherever you listen to your favorite podcast.