(PRINCETON, NJ) -- “Ever since the New York Times published its feature article, Sunday, January 31, on our preservation of Joseph Bonaparte’s estate in Bordentown, we have heard from people all over the country,” enthused Linda Mead, President and CEO of D&R Greenway Land Trust. “People wrote to us of chairs and of china; of their own Bonaparte connections; and with offers to help - from fundraising to organizing to gardening.” On Sunday, January 24, The Philadelphia Inquirer, having also sent a reporter to Point Breeze, published a comprehensive article on the preservation process, emphasizing future plans for this expansive and beautifully situated land.
Joseph Napoleon Bonaparte -- former king of Spain and of Naples, whose older brother was the former Emperor of France -- bought the Point Breeze estate in 1817 from diplomat Stephen Sayre. The land is sited high upon the Bordentown Bluffs, overlooking extensive marshlands and the confluence of Crosswicks Creek and the Delaware River. This location, between the cities of New York and Philadelphia, was documented in many paintings of the era that can be seen today in museums. The site provided easy access to Philadelphia by boat. Remnants of tunnels, leading from Bonaparte's mansions to the waterways, can still be viewed.
In a matter of days after the New York Times’ report, this preservation saga was taken up by the Times of London, and that city’s Daily Mail. The Daily Mail of London leads with: “New Jersey is known for many things: stunning beaches, luscious tomatoes, Bruce Springsteen and Atlantic City. Now, one small town is working to make the state synonymous with something else - European royalty.”
The preservation of this significant property is a partnership among the New Jersey Green Acres Program, --which in 2021 celebrates its 60th Anniversary--, the City of Bordentown and D&R Greenway Land Trust. Working remotely throughout the pandemic, the partners negotiated a contract for purchase from the owners of the property, Divine Word Missionaries. The partners received word from Rome in October that the contract was approved. Two months later, December 18, 2020, the property was purchased and permanently preserved.
The story was also covered in Great Britain by Royal Central, the most popular independent source for royal news on the web. Royal Central emphasized, “What is not so well known is what happened to this monarch after the end of Napoleon’s reign. That he ended up moving to the United States is a story that is not well known….Point Breeze included sculpture gardens, coach trails, brick bridges, stables, a gardener’s house and a lake that Bonaparte had made by damming a nearby creek. The centrepiece was the palatial, three-story, nearly 38,000-square-foot mansion that contained an extensive wine cellar, an extravagant art collection and a library that contained 8,000 volumes, more than the Library of Congress at the time, and Bonaparte employed hundreds of people at the Estate.”
The premiere Spanish news service, EFE, recently contacted D&R Greenway, arranging to send a reporter and photographer for the purpose of creating a feature news release, as well as a video of this property, formerly owned by the exiled King of Spain. The fourth largest wire service after the Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse, EFE is interested in this fascinating story for the Spanish-language community.
Joseph Bonaparte’s years upon the Bluffs of Bordentown, - with daughter Zenaide and nephew and son-in-law Charles Lucien, one of America’s first ornithologists--, were the happiest of the ex-king’s life. The vibrant habitat of their estate, the creek and the extensive marsh below were ideal for plants and animals discovered and named by Charles Lucien, in continuing correspondence with his scientific colleagues in Europe. Among Charles Lucien’s finds was the Cooper’s hawk, named for his friend, author James Fenimore Cooper, who visited Point Breeze. A young John James Audubon visited his friend Charles here, sketching birds seen on the estate. D&R Greenway trustee James Fiorentino, an internationally renowned artist and Trustee of D&R Greenway, is creating a new series of paintings to highlight these species.
As part of the overall property's preservation, D&R Greenway Land Trust purchased the only remaining structure from Bonaparte's estate, the Gardener's house. Extensive gardens grew food and provided beauty for the estate. Reporter Dan Slotnick of the New York Times quotes Mead, “There's a real opportunity to celebrate the history and at the same time make this very relevant to people today who want to come and walk on the trails, learn about the land and possibly even garden on the property.” It is said that Joseph Bonaparte brought asparagus to the United States, grown here for the first time in the country.
The Mayor of Bordentown was born and raised in the City. He calls the preservation of Point Breeze a “once in a lifetime experience.” The New York Times points out that James E. Lynch Jr., mayor of Bordentown, --a community of about 4,000 people spread over one square mile--, said his constituents were thrilled that Point Breeze would become a park instead of a housing development or a storage warehouse, which some developers had been interested in building.
The property’s preservation was a dream of many, including D&R Greenway trustee Peter Tucci who has assembled a legendary collection of Bonaparte artifacts, including letters, books, furniture and art. Following renovation, Tucci will exhibit the treasures throughout the Gardener’s house. “You can understand why a former king would choose this for his home,” said Tucci, who in 2005 was named a Chevalier (Knight) of the French Legion of Honor — which was established by Napoleon Bonaparte. “Joseph Bonaparte spent what today would be about $50 million” to build his first house on Point Breeze, Tucci added. The two mansions built by Bonaparte are no longer in existence; only the Gardener’s house and remnants of past structures remain.
Mead points out that, --in addition to featuring the Bonaparte era--, exhibits will educate the public about regional natural resources and land-use history, dating back to Native Americans whose agrarian lifestyle was supported by the Delaware River and its tributaries. NBC 10 News and the Philadelphia Inquirer report: The historic tract is the southern gateway to the Abbott Marshlands, which stretch between Bordentown and Trenton. “This wetlands area was the most important Native American settlement east of the Mississippi,” Mead said. Once it’s open to the public as a park, Point Breeze “will draw visitors who can then discover the Delaware River watershed and the region’s broader hiking and water-trail network.” D&R Greenway welcomes contributions to assist with the costs of renovation and telling the fascinating story of this land.
D&R Greenway Land Trust, an accredited nonprofit, has saved over 21,000 acres of New Jersey land since its founding in 1989. By preserving land for life and creating public trails, it gives everyone the opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors. The land trust’s preserved farms and community gardens provide local organic food for our neighbors—including those most in need. Through strategic land conservation and stewardship, D&R Greenway combats climate change, protects birds and wildlife, and ensures clean drinking water for future generations. D&R Greenway's mission is centered in connecting land with people from all walks of life.
D&R Greenway’s Johnson Education Center, home to its art galleries in Princeton, is currently closed to ensure health and safety due to COVID although its outdoor trails and labyrinth are open.
