Celebrate Bastille Day at the historic Discovery Center at Point Breeze in Bordentown.
Dr. Richard Veit, professor of anthropology at Monmouth University, will speak from 2-3 p.m., July 14, at the center, 101 Park St. The event celebrates Bastille Day and the French connection of the Bonaparte family to Point Breeze. Veit has conducted multiple archeological digs around the Point Breeze property and will be talking about his findings as well as the history of the estate.
Veit is a historian with a deep interest in New Jersey archeology, who enthralls audiences with his descriptions of what took place on the land hundreds of years ago. He is a member of the Archaeological Society of New Jersey and has worked on multiple historical projects around the state. Through archeological digs at Point Breeze, Veit has uncovered artifacts from the time of Lenape hunters and fishers through the 20th century. At the Bastille Day event, attendees will learn about the different artifacts found as he weaves together the stories of two archeological digs that connect Point Breeze in Bordentown to France through the Bonaparte family.
Point Breeze was home to Joseph Bonaparte, Napoleon’s brother and exiled King of Spain, from 1816 to 1839. Bonaparte fled Europe after his brother was defeated at the Battle of Waterloo and eventually settled in New Jersey. At one point, Bonaparte owned around 2,200 acres in and around Bordentown City. Veit, in partnership with the Divine Word Missionaries and D&R Greenway Land Trust, conducted excavations around the site of Bonaparte’s first mansion and behind the gardener’s house that is now open to the public, exhuming artifacts, some of which are on display at the Discovery Center.
“I’m very excited to host Dr. Veit and learn the story behind his discoveries,” said Melanie Mead, the manager at the Discovery Center at Point Breeze. “This will be a special day when attendees can both hear about and see artifacts from Joseph Bonaparte’s first mansion, that was destroyed by fire in 1820.”
The Discovery Center at Point Breeze, which is managed by D&R Greenway Land Trust, was the historic home of h Bonaparte’s gardener. It is believed that Bonaparte stayed in the house after the fire and while his second mansion was being built. The house has been converted into a museum with exhibits including the Crown Jewels Gallery, an exhibit on the Lenape Nation, archeological displays, and a natural history room. The air-conditioned museum is open every week from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday through Monday. Those who wish to tour the museum before or after the reading event are encouraged to do so.
The event is free to the public however registration and a $10 donation is greatly appreciated. Please visit www.drgreenway.org for more information and register through info@drgreenway.org or (609) 924-4646.
