On June 28, 1778, nearly 20,000 soldiers fought across this open farmland in temperatures that reportedly reached 100°F, making it one of the largest — and most punishing — land battles of the American Revolution. The Continental Army under Washington engaged the British rear guard as Clinton's forces crossed New Jersey toward New York. The battle ended inconclusively, but the performance of the Continentals, who stood and fought effectively after years of training under Baron von Steuben, was a significant morale victory.
The park today preserves roughly 1,800 acres of the battlefield in a remarkably unchanged state — rolling fields, hedgerows, and a visitor centre with good interpretive displays. Trails wind through the key positions, and markers identify where various units fought. The restored Tennent Church, which served as a field hospital during the battle, still stands on the edge of the park. This is one of the better-preserved Revolutionary War sites in the northeast, and the open landscape gives a genuine sense of the tactical situation in a way that smaller or more developed battlefields cannot.