PRINCETON: Land deal in the works to expand Battlefield State Park

By Philip Sean Curran, Staff Writer
The Christie administration, the Civil War Trust and the Princeton Battlefield Society are involved in an arrangement to acquire land on Stockton Street to expand Battlefield State Park.
The roughly two-acre parcel is a private home owned by Joseph and Saundra Gigliotti, municipal tax records showed Monday.
“The Trust does have an interest in preserving this area of the Princeton battlefield,” said Civil War Trust spokeswoman Meg Martin by email Monday, “but I don’t have any other comment at this time.”
The state Department of Environmental Protection, whose Green Acres program is involved, and the Battlefield Society, did not respond to requests for comment Monday.
Municipal administrator Marc D. Dashield said Monday that the town is not involved in the purchase.
It was in July 2015 that the Christie administration and others announced they had partnered on acquiring about 4.6 acres that used to be a private residence, also on Stockton Street, and grow the park to its current nearly 80 acres, the DEP said at the time.
The Civil War Trust, a Washington D.C. based organization, originally was formed to preserve Civil War battlefields; it expanded its mission to include the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. The organization has tried, so far unsuccessfully, to acquire land from the Institute for Advanced Study to prevent it from being turned into faculty housing.
The Battle of Princeton occurred on Jan.3, 1777, and is seen as a turning point in the fight for independence. Forces led by George Washington defeated their British adversaries, during a campaign that began with Washington crossing the Delaware River and fighting his way into New Jersey.