Historical Name: Tea Burning Monument
Common Name: Ginkgo
Latin Name: Ginkgo biloba
As children most of us learned in a history class of the Boston Tea Party that took place prior to the American Revolution. Few of us learned of a Tea Party that occurred right here in NJ. On December 22, 1774, some two dozen patriots donned in Native American outfits burned a large quantity of imported British tea in the market square of Greenwich (pronounced “Green-Witch”) in Cumberland County. The tea had recently been unloaded from the British ship Greyhound. It was originally destined for Philadelphia, but the Boston Tea Party and other violent acts against imported British goods over the previous year convinced the ship’s Captain to land at Greenwich, a town with known Tory residents. After the Tea Party, several of the “Indians” were arrested. Two trials were held, but in both cases the juries were made up of colonial sympathizers and everyone was acquitted.
Greenwich is a small picturesque village that looks more like a quaint colonial town in rural New England than a locale in NJ. The wide main street called Greate Street is lined with shade trees and beautiful old homes, some dating back to the 1600’s. The town is proud of its history and takes pride in the community’s appearance. In 1908 a monument was dedicated at the site of the tea burning. Several Ginkgo trees were planted around the monument, and still grow there today. In 2008 a tree grown from a seed collected from one of those Ginkgos was planted into UCNJ’s Historic Tree Grove.