State steps in to protect land beside Monmouth Battlefield
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has acquired a 22-acre farm directly opposite the main entrance to Monmouth Battlefield State Park, preventing the construction of a planned industrial development and adding the parcel to the protected parkland.
The site, owned by members of the Guinco family, had been the focus of controversy since 2023 when plans were brought before the Manalapan planning board for an industrial building on the farmland. The proposals subsequently evolved into a four-building scheme that could have offered space for up to 56 commercial tenants.
The DEP purchased the property from developer Monmouth Battlefield Flex, LLC for $15 million, announcing the acquisition as a means of preserving the farmland and the important historic viewshed around the state park.
“The Friends of Monmouth Battlefield are delighted to learn that this parcel will be added to Monmouth Battlefield State Park and that the farmland will be saved,”
The comment comes from David Martin, president of the Friends of Monmouth Battlefield, as cited in the DEP press release. Martin said the acquisition will help preserve the park’s environs for posterity.
Historic context and local objections
Monmouth Battlefield is nationally known for the battle fought there on 28 June 1778, an engagement the DEP describes as “one of the longest battles of the American Revolutionary War.” Historical accounts note that British forces were retreating from Philadelphia to Sandy Hook when Continental troops under the command of what the DEP press materials describe as General Georgia Washington and Charles Lee were engaged in skirmishes and then larger actions on the field. The day’s events have spawned local legend, including the story of Molly Pitcher.
Local trustees and residents had objected to industrial proposals for the Guinco parcel, calling for further archaeological research and surveys. At a 2023 planning board meeting, attorney John Guinco introduced initial plans for a single industrial building; later proposals scaled the scheme up to multiple units. Opponents pointed to historic maps — including a 1778 “Butler Map” referenced by preservationists — which they say show an old colonial road crossing the land now under threat.
What the purchase secures
- Area preserved: 22 acres of farmland directly opposite the state park entrance.
- Purchase price: $15 million paid by the New Jersey DEP.
- Development halted: Plans for up to 48,000 square feet of industrial space and a later four-building, multi-tenant scheme
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Acres | 22 |
| Buyer | New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection |
| Seller | Monmouth Battlefield Flex, LLC (owned by Guinco family members) |
| Price | $15 million |
For local communities around historic sites, such purchases are often decisive: they preserve open views, protect potential archaeological resources, and constrain the spread of industrial or commercial development close to cherished landscapes. The Friends of Monmouth Battlefield, who opposed the development, welcomed the outcome as a victory for preservation.
While the transaction took place in New Jersey, the issue resonates with communities elsewhere — including here in Wales — that grapple with balancing development pressures against the protection of historic places and rural character. The move by the DEP underlines a willingness by state authorities to invest public funds to conserve landscapes that carry cultural and historic significance.
Further details on any planned management of the newly acquired parcel have not been disclosed beyond the DEP’s statement that the land will be added to Monmouth Battlefield State Park.
