Department of Parks and Recreation

291 acres
200 Old Halfway Road
Barnegat, NJ 08005
(732) 929-4769

The restoration of Cedar Bridge Tavern was completed in 2018.
Cedar Bridge Tavern Historic Site is open to the public:
Weekdays:
Monday; 9 AM – 4 PM
Friday; 9 AM – 4 PM
Weekends:
Saturday & Sunday; 10 AM – 4 PM

For more information, School and Group Tours
Call: 732-929-4769 or email: CMcLearen@co.ocean.nj.us

Historic Cedar Bridge Tavern, located on 5 acres and surrounded by Bass River State Forest, dates back to 1816. However, the history of the site reaches much further. It is rumoured that the last skirmish of the American Revolution occured here on December 27, 1782. With rehabilitation work completed on the historic Cedar Bridge Tavern in the Pinelands of Barnegat Township, Ocean County now welcomes visitors to a site that plays a part in its history.
This historic tavern sits at an important 18th century crossroads of the east-west Old Springfield Road from Springfield in Burlington County to Manahawkin in then Monmouth County. It is on the original stagecoach route from the west to the shore. The road to Egg Harbor (later Little Egg Harbor – Tuckerton) is only a few hundred yards west of the tavern. By 1743, a sawmill, a tavern and a small village had developed around the bridge over a branch of the Wading River at Cedar Bridge.
The historic tavern restoration is the result of extensive architectural and archeological research that has resulted in the tavern being placed on the prestigious National Register of Historic Places on Aug. 8, 2013.
The multi-year renovation project to the circa 1816 building with an 1830’s kitchen addition took place under the direction of the Ocean County Board of Commissioners, the Ocean County Department of Parks and Recreation and its Cultural and Heritage Commission.
The completed tavern and property now stands as a historical showpiece in the County park system. As one of the most accurate and authentic restorations in New Jersey of this type of structure, the project allows Ocean County to leave a legacy to future generations.
The Ocean County Board of Commissioners purchased the Cedar Bridge Tavern on Dec. 27, 2007. As part of the sale, the Commissioners granted Rudy Koenig, the owner-resident from 1959 a “life-estate” to live in the building for the remainder of his life. Mr. Koenig passed on Jan. 12, 2012 and the County began the work of removing the non-historic elements from the home. Meanwhile funded in part by grants totaling $324,926 through the New Jersey Historic Trust, the County hired consultants and contractors to renovate the tavern.
As part of the project’s preliminary work, Annabelle Radcliffe-Trenner, principal of Historic Buildings Architects, LLC, Trenton, conducted a comprehensive preservation plan for the site, designed the plans, managed the prequalification of contractors and oversaw the detailed and historically appropriate restoration work.


The Affair at Cedar Bridge 1782
At this time each year the Ocean County Parks and Recreation Department along with the Ocean County Cultural and Heritage Department present, “The Affair at Cedar Bridge,” a reenactment of the last land engagement of the American Revolutionary War that took place at the Cedar Bridge Tavern Historical Site in Barnegat.
Online Contest: Here, you will find detailed information and a collection of videos and galleries all related to The Affair at Cedar Bridge.

“The Skirmish at Cedar Bridge.”
The link below is a detailed account of what happened on that fateful day. It gives the background that set up the event and explains the role, and dramatic death of Capt. John Bacon.
Link to PDF: Link to PDF:THE SKIRMISH AT CEDAR BRIDGE

GALLERY: “The Affair at Cedar Bridge 2019”
This is a view of last year’s event as we look forward to the one set for 2021.
Link to gallery:2019 Reenactment Photo Gallery

VIDEO: “The Cedar Bridge Tavern Restoration Project”
Historic Cedar Bridge Tavern, located on 5 acres and surrounded by Bass River State Forest, dates back to 1816. However, the history of the site reaches much further. It is rumored that the last skirmish of the American Revolution occurred here on December 27, 1782. With rehabilitation work completed on the historic Cedar Bridge Tavern in the Pinelands of Barnegat Township, Ocean County now welcomes visitors to a site that plays a part in its history.
Link to video: Cedar Bridge Tavern Restoration Project

VIDEO: “The Diggers at Cedar Bridge”
Diggers was an American reality television series, shown on National Geographic. Filmed in various locations across the United States, the series follows hobbyist metal detectorists “King George” Wyant and his friend Tim “The Ringmaster” Saylor as they travel the United States, looking for historical artifacts. Here is their take on The Affair at Cedar Bridge.
Link to video: National Graphic's DIGGERS at Cedar Bridge Tavern

GALLERY: “War at the Shore”
In 2015, Asbury Park Press staff photographer Tom Spader visited all the major Revolutionary War sites in Monmouth and Ocean Counties. This gallery, along with its text, shows how much really happened here, at the War at the Jersey Shore.
Link to gallery:War at the Shore: Revolutionary War Sites in Monmouth and Ocean Counties

VIDEO: “One Hundred Years of Wallpaper”
During the restoration project of the Cedar Bridge Tavern, multiple layers of wallpaper were found dating back over one hundred years. Architectural Conservator Christina Burris explains the detailed restoration process and how the different style of paper give a detailed look into the lives and styles of those that once called the tavern home over the years.
Link to Video: 100 Year of Wallpaper at Cedar Bridge Tavern

VIDEO: “American Glass and Cedar Bridge”
The Museum of American Glass in Millville, New Jersey demonstrates the art of making exact replica glasses that would have been used at the tavern.
Link to Video: American Glass & Cedar Bridge Tavern


Click HERE for the full history of the site from the Ocean County Cultural & Heritage Commission.

DON'T HIKE ALONE, TAKE YOUR PHONE
Know where you are at all times on the trails of Ocean County
Use the link below to pinpoint your location:
Ocean County Trail Tracker

Click the link below for a printable brochure of the Cedar Bridge Tavern Ocean County Historical Site
 Cedar Bridge Tavern Ocean County Historical site brochure.pdf