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Washington Crossing➤

Washington Crossing State Park marks the site of the famous crossing of the Delaware during the Revolutionary War. On the night of December 25, 1776, General Washington and his troops embarked on a daring and pivotal mission to launch a surprise attack on the Hessian forces stationed in Trenton, New Jersey. The successful crossing and subsequent Battle of Trenton provided a much-needed morale boost for the American forces during a challenging time in the war.

I visited the park with Take A Hike NJ after a snowstorm. Our group met in the nature center lot. We made our way through the park via snow covered trails. Next we visited the Johnson Ferry House and, down by the river, saw a replica of one of the ferries used to transport Washington near the Nelson House. We crossed the bridge over the Delaware to Pennsylvania’s Washington Crossing Historic Site and explored some more.

The Nelson House➤

The Nelson House may be small, but it holds a unique chapter in the story of Washington Crossing. Although the building wasn’t around during the 1776 crossing, it’s the last remnant of the once-bustling Alexander Nelson Hotel. That hotel served travelers crossing the river by ferry and, later, by bridge. A train derailment in 1904 destroyed much of the hotel, but this kitchen and ice house survived. In 1980, the Washington Crossing Association restored the structure to serve as a space for exhibits and interpretation.

While some confuse the Nelson House with a colonial structure, no building stood on this site during Washington’s crossing. The actual ferry house from that time is the white farmhouse up the hill, angled toward Route 29. That building once overlooked a busy ferry landing, first operated in the 1740s by Garrett Johnson. His boats, likely strung across the river on ropes, carried people, horses, and carriages between New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

In the 1830s, Bernard Taylor added a small tavern and ice house to serve ferry traffic. Once the bridge and canal opened in 1834, more travelers passed through. Alexander Nelson expanded the site into a 22-room hotel after 1846, turning it into a hub for canal and road travelers. That came to an abrupt end in 1904, when a broken axle sent six freight cars flying. One crashed through the hotel, narrowly missing a guest. Another hit the train station platform, while others tumbled into the Delaware and Raritan Canal. The main hotel was later demolished, but this small building remains as a link to that eventful past.

Today, behind the Nelson House, you’ll find a full-scale replica of a colonial ferry boat. This type of vessel once helped Washington’s army cross the Delaware River with 18 cannons on Christmas night in 1776. The ferry was operated then by James Slack, and his sturdy boats played a quiet but critical role in the surprise attack that helped turn the tide of the Revolutionary War.

Washington Crossing Posts➤

• Johnson Ferry House
• Washington Crossing State Park
• Nelson House
• Washington Crossing Historic Site

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Location: River Dr, Titusville, New Jersey
Designation: State Park, National Landmark
Date designated/established: 1912
Date of my visit: February 20, 2021