A commemoration of the 250th Anniversary of the Greenwich Tea Burning was organized by the South Jersey Chapter and the Col. Richard Somers Chapter, NJSSAR.

This event was held at 2pm on Sunday, 22 December 2024 at the Greenwich Tea Burning Monument, 1031 Ye Greate Street, Greenwich, NJ 08023. This is in Cumberland County and was one of the first commemorations in NJ associated with the 250th.

The Greenwich Tea Party, occurring on December 22, 1774, in Greenwich, New Jersey, was a small but significant act of defiance during the American Revolution. It was the last of six tea parties, less known due to the town’s small size. After the Tea Act sparked protests across the colonies, many Americans, including those in Greenwich, boycotted tea as an act of resistance. The Greyhound, a ship carrying the tea, was redirected to Greenwich by Captain J. Allen to avoid conflict in Philadelphia. The tea was stored in the cellar of Dan Bowen, a pro-British sympathizer. When Greenwich residents discovered this, they raided the cellar, took the tea, and set it on fire. Some participants, like Richard and Lewis Howell, were later tried, but the trials came too late as the Revolution had already begun. Notable figures involved in the event included Richard Howell (future governor of New Jersey), Ebenezer Elmer (future U.S. Congressman), and James Erwin (future mayor of Trenton). Sixteen others who participated also went on to serve in the military during the Revolution.