James Madison Memorial
Main St. and Waverly Pl.
Map / Directions to the James Madison Bust
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This fine bust of James Madison sits in the median on Waverly Place. The monument was erected in 2003, and it commemorates the town's changing its name from Bottle Neck to Madison in honor of James Madison in 1834. [1]
James Madison was born in Virginia on March 16, 1751. He attended the College of New Jersey (Now Princeton University), graduating in 1771. Madison returned to Virginia and was commissioned a colonel in the Orange County Virginia Militia in 1775 but, due to health concerns, did not serve militarily.[2]
Madison played a number of important political roles in the Revolutionary War era and in the early years of the United States: [3]
• Elected to the Virginia Convention In 1776 which voted to declare Virginia's independence from Great Britain.
• Served on the Virginia Council of State 1777-1779 under governors Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson
• Served in the Continental Congress from 1780 until 1783, and then again from 1787-1788.
• Played a crucial role in organizing the Constitutional Convention. He is known as the Father of the Constitution.
• One of the three authors of the Federalists Papers, along with Alexander Hamilton and John Jay.
• Served in the Congress of the United States for four terms from 1789 until 1797.
• Served as Secretary of State under President Thomas Jefferson from 1801–1809.
• Served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809–1817.
Madison died at his Virginia home, Montpelier, on June 28, 1836.
Sayre House
31 Ridgedale Ave.
Map / Directions to Sayre House
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This house is a private residence.
Please respect the privacy and property of the owners.
The Sayre House (built circa 1745) was used as the headquarters of General Anthony Wayne during the Winter 1777 Morristown Encampment. At the time, General Washington was headquartered about 5 miles away in Morristown, along with the main body of the army. William Parkhurst Tuttle's 1917 book, Bottle Hill and Madison - Glimpses and Reminiscences from its Earliest Settlement to the Civil War, contains the following text about the Sayre House: [4]
"The venerable house which is still standing on Ridgedale Avenue, Madison, and known as the 'Old Sayre Mansion' was used by General Anthony Wayne as his headquarters while the army was in camp in Loantaka Valley. The house, built by Daniel Sayre about 1745, was the homestead of his son, Deacon Ephraim Sayre, during the Revolution... his house was always opened with a generous hospitality to the needs of both officers and soldiers.
"The office of the General was the front room in the north corner... It is memorable for the frequent conferences which there occurred between the famous officers of the patriotic forces, including the illustrious Commander-in-Chief.
"Rev. James Caldwell, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Elizabethtown, was a chaplain in the army as well as Deputy Quartermaster General. In addition to his other duties he frequently preached in Bottle Hill [Present day Madison]. He was a warm, personal friend of Deacon Sayre, and a number of times he preached in the mansion, using the south front room for the purpose."
MILLER'S STATION
Also Known As The Luke Miller House
Miller's Station
105 Ridgedale Ave.
Map / Directions to Miller's Station
Map / Directions to All Madison Revolutionary War SitesThis house is a private residence.
Please respect the privacy and property of the owners.This house was owned at the time of the Revolutionary War by Luke Miller. It had been built circa 1730 by Luke's grandfather, Andrew Miller. Luke joined the militia in June, 1776 when he was seventeen. He fought at the Battle of Short Hills in 1777. In 1778 he achieved the rank of Major. He fought at the Battle of Springfield in 1780, the last major Revolutionary War battle fought in the northern states. After the war, he returned to this house and worked in the blacksmith trade of his family. He lived at this house until his death at age 91 in 1851. He is buried in Hillside Cemetery in Madison. (See next entry).
General Washington is believed to have visited this house on several occasions during the 1777 winter encampment at Morristown. Washington's headquarters that winter were located five miles from here at Jacob Arnold's Tavern, which was located on the Green in Morristown. [5]
David Quirk, the owner and custodian of the Luke Miller House, has created an extensive website about Luke Miller and the house. It contains much information and documentation.
Those wishing to learn more about the house are recommended to the website at www.lukemillerhouse.com
A 2007 article on NJ.com talks about this house and the work that David Quirk did on it. It also has some photos of the inside of the house.HILLSIDE CEMETERY OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF MADISON
Hillside Cemetery
Main St., between and Prospect St. Cross St.
Map / Directions to Hillside Cemetery
Map / Directions to All Madison Revolutionary War SitesHillside Cemetery contains the graves of at least nine Revolutionary War veterans. These graves are all located on the top of the hill, which is the oldest part of the cemetery, known as Bottle Hill Cemetery or the Old Burying Ground. The top of the hill was also the site of the original Presbyterian Church building from circa 1749 until 1825. The current Presbyterian Church building is located at 19 Green Ave. [6]
The Revolutionary War soldiers known to be buried here are: [7]
Jacob Cory
(Died September 21, 1809)Ellis Cook
Samuel Gardner
(December 29, 1761 - December 31, 1823)
Private - Essex County MilitiaReverend Azariah Horton
(Died March 27, 1777, Aged 62)
Chaplain
Served pastor in the Presbyterian Church for 25 yearsLuke Miller
(September 8, 1759 - January 23, 1851)
Major, Morris County Militia
Lived at Miller's Station in Madison. (See above entry).
The Miller Family monument is pictured top row rightJohn Muchmore
(1742 - March 22, 1802)
Private - Morris County MilitiaDoctor Peter Smith
(Died April 16, 1818, Aged 70)Benjamin Thompson
(September 13, 1753 - October 14, 1830) novaDavid Thompson
(Died Oct 7, 1793, Aged 57)
Captain1. ^ Plaque on the back of the monument.
2. ^ For information about Madison's commission as colonel in the Orange County Militia, see the following document and accompanying notes on the website of the National Archives:
"Commission as Colonel of Orange County Militia, 2 October 1775" The Committee of Safety for the Colony of Virginia3. ^ James Madison Biography page on the website of Montpelier, the Home of James and Dolley Madison
4. ^ William Parkhurst Tuttle, Bottle Hill and Madison - Glimpses and Reminiscences from its Earliest Settlement to the Civil War (Madison NJ: Madison Eagle Press, 1917) p. 60 Available to be read at the Internet Archive here
▸ Tuttle does not provide individual source notes for the information in his book. However, in the preface he explains, "Nearly all of the facts of local history contained in this book are from notes of personal conversations with eye witnesses of the events narrated. The facts were obtained about the year 1855 by the Rev. Samuel Lawrence Tuttle, at that time pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Madison, N.J. With the earnest patriotism which always distinguished him, he sought out many aged people in the neighborhood, and obtained their recollections of the times and events of the Revolution. To embody and preserve these statements has been the main objective of this work." He doesn't mention it in the preface, but the dedication page makes clear that the Rev. Samuel Lawrence Tuttle was the author's father.5. ^ Information on Luke Miller, the house, and Washington's believed visits are all from the Luke Miller House website, which was created, researched and maintained by David Quirk, the owner and custodian of the house. The website has a great deal of information, and is recommended to those who wish to know more about the house.
• For more information and accompanying source notes regarding George Washington's 1777 encampment in Morristown, see the Morristown page of this website.
6. ^ Information about the history of the church and cemetery from the Church History and Hillside Cemetery pages of the Presbyterian Church of Madison website.
The website states that that the old church was completed "in 1749." However, there are two markers on the hill to show the location of the old church. One says "circa 1748" and the other says "circa 1749." I settled on circa 1749.7. ^ The graves of each of these men has a marker placed by the Loantaka Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution stating they are Revolutionary War veterans. All of the information listed (names, dates, military rank) was derived from the gravestones or the D.A.R. markers.
The tabletop gravestone of Reverend Horton states that he was "25 years pastor of this church." A marker placed at the grave by the Loantaka Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution states, "Chaplain Azariah Horton - A soldier of the American Revolution."
The ultimate field guide to New Jersey's Revolutionary War historic sites!
Madison New Jersey Revolutionary War Sites • Madison New Jersey Historic Sites
James Madison Memorial • Miller's Station • Luke Miller House • Sayre House • Hillside CemeteryWebsite Researched, Written, Photographed and Designed by Al Frazza
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