Bicentennial Celebration Papers, 1971-1979

Most of these files came to the Monmouth County Archives ca. 1987 and derive from the papers of George Goodfellow (1900-1982), first chairman of the Monmouth County Bicentennial Committee (1971-1977). In 1996, the files were reorganized, incorporating a small addition donated by Elsalyn Palmisano, his successor under the reorganized Monmouth County Heritage Committee. The collection also includes a folder of correspondence of Donald F.X. Finn (1932-2001), another member of the Monmouth County Heritage Committee.  In 2013, Elsalyn Palmisano donated a folder on the Bicentennial she acquired from the New Jersey Collection, Learning Resources Center, Brookdale Community College, and these materials were integrated into the Monmouth County Archives’ collection.

This collection is open to researchers.

The collection is available to researchers in its original format.

The Monmouth County Bicentennial Committee and its successor committees organized events and collected and published information about events organized by individual municipalities in the county and elsewhere.  The Monmouth County Bicentennial Committee can be considered as one of the precursors of the Monmouth County Historical Commission.

George Goodfellow was the chair of the Monmouth County Bicentennial Committee throughout its existence from 1971 to 1976.  It was reorganized as the Monmouth County Heritage Committee in February 1977, with Goodfellow as chair.  In March 1977, the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders officially established another committee, the Monmouth County General Heritage Committee, with members appointed by the municipalities. Elsalyn Palmisano became the chair of both the Monmouth County Heritage Committee and the Monmouth County General Heritage Committee. For additional information on these committees, see the chronology which accompanies this finding aid.

In late 1988, the Monmouth County Historical Commission was appointed as a result of 1987 state legislation, but the Heritage Committee continued to exist until at least 1993.

The Monmouth County Bicentennial Collection contains minutes, correspondence, publications, and photographs. These records pertain to Monmouth County’s celebration of the American Revolution Bicentennial. The collection is a particularly good source for information about the Battle of Monmouth and the establishment of Monmouth Battlefield State Park.

The Monmouth County Bicentennial Collection is organized in subseries as follows:

• Minutes (Bicentennial Committee, 1971-1976, and Heritage Committee, 1977-1978)
• General Correspondence (Files of George Goodfellow, Elsalyn Palmisano Drucker, and Donald F.X. Finn)
• Subject Files
• Publications: General
• Publications: Serials
• Photographs (Photographs are stored separately.)

Monmouth County Archives
125 Symmes Drive
Manalapan, NJ 07726
Phone: 732-308-3771

Finding aid created on May 23, 2002 and updated on December 13, 2013.

The Monmouth County Archives also holds later files of the Monmouth County Heritage Committee, 1979-1993, COUN11100.  For additional information about the Heritage committees and the Historical Commission, see the Committee’s newsletter, The Monmouth Chronicle; copies from Volume 1 to 15 (1981-1996) are available in Box 10 of the Elsalyn Palmisano Preservation Papers.

Bicentennial Chronology (PDF)

Bicentennial Shelf List (PDF)