Cumberland County Courthouse

Cumberland County Courthouse
60 W Broad St
Map / Directions to the Cumberland County Courthouse
Map / Directions to all Bridgeton Revolutionary War Sites

The Cumberland County Courthouse building which stands here today was built in 1909-1910. [4] It stands on Broad Street, where a number of earlier church buildings stood.

The courthouse which stood here during the Revolutionary War was the site of a public reading of the Declaration of Independence on Aug 7, 1776, just over a month after it was ratified on July 4th. A newspaper article published several weeks later described the occasion: [5]

"The  Committee of Inspection for the county of Cumberland, in the State of New-Jersey, the officers of the militia, & a great number of other inhabitants, having met at Bridge-Town, went into procession to the Court House, where the Declaration of Independency, the Constitution of New Jersey, and Treason Ordinance, were publicly read, and unanimously approved of: These were followed with a spirited address by Dr. Elmer, Chairman of the Committee, after which the peace officers staves, on which were depicted the King's coats of arms, with other ensigns of royalty, were burnt in the street. The whole was conducted with the greatest decency and regularity." (Dr. Elmer is buried in the Historic Broad Street Cemetery shown below; he was one of the Greenwich Tea Burners.)

The courthouse bell that rang out during the events of that day is now displayed in the lobby of the current courthouse. [6]