[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 90 (Monday, June 5, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S7708]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


        THE TERCENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY OF GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ

 Mr. BRADLEY. Mr. President, today I wish to commemorate the 
300th anniversary of the founding of Gloucester Township. Three hundred 
years after its incorporation, Gloucester Township has grown from a 
small farming community along the banks of what is now Timber Creek 
into one of New Jersey's premier residential communities.
  On June 1, 1995, residents of Gloucester Township celebrated their 
300th year with a ceremony consisting of a reenactment of the 1695 
Proclamation of Incorporation. After the ceremony, the tercentenary 
committee presented a hand-sewn quilt consisting of 33 panels which 
traces the township's unique history and highlights the area's historic 
sites. The quilt, lovingly crafted by over 20 volunteers, took hundreds 
of hours to complete and is a fitting tribute to a special community. 
Like the memorial quilt, Gloucester Township is a creation of the sum 
of its parts, incorporating many small, distinct communities--each with 
their own histories and special characteristics--to add color and form 
to the township.
  When the mayor and town council of Gloucester donned their colonial-
era garb to reenact the Incorporation Proclamation, they payed tribute 
to an area of New Jersey that is rich in history. The community of 
Chews Landing, which predates New Jersey's statehood by years, is still 
sprinkled with old, historic homes many built during the days when 
George Washington and James Madison were subscribers to the St. John's 
Episcopal Church in Chews Landing. Other colorful figures in American 
history who have roots in Gloucester Township include: Lt. Aaron Chew, 
a local war hero; Abraham Clark, George Reed, and Charles Campbell, 
signers of the Declaration of Independence; F. Muhlenberg, a member of 
the Continental Congress and first Speaker of the House; William 
Patterson, former Governor of New Jersey; and Elias Boudinot, a member 
of the New Jersey Continental Congress and Director of the first U.S. 
Mint. Blenheim, home to the cemetery that is still known today as 
Wallin's Graveyard, was home to Charity Chew Powell and her husband 
Richard who lost 17 of their 20 sons in the American Revolution and 
other of our country's early wars.
  Gloucester Township is not only rich in history, it is also blessed 
with attributes that make the area such a wonderful place to live and 
raise a family. An outstanding school system, beautiful parks, an 
active little league, and a diverse population create an environment 
where the bonds of community can thrive. Approximately 56,000 
inhabitants strong, Gloucester Township is no longer a small town on 
the banks of a creek. Still, the small-town belief that fellow 
residents are actually friends and family, still flourishes and has 
allowed Gloucester's different communities to live harmoniously as 
their community has grown. Today, when the fragile ecology of our 
social environment is as threatened as that of our natural environment, 
I am delighted to have the opportunity to pay tribute to the 
inhabitants of Gloucester Township and the lessons they offer in 
community and modern living.
  Mr. President, I congratulate Gloucester Township once again, on 
their tercentennial anniversary.


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