Winning Artists (left to right) Robin A. Jess -3rd prize for New Jersey Rises; Susan Spitz – Historic prize for A Break Between Battles; David Dorrell – 1st prize for The High Ground; Anna Smeda – 2nd prize for The Burning Schoolhouse: Skirmish at Swedesboro, 1778; Bernadette Perry – People’s Choice Award for Old Swedes Churchyard.
SWEDESBORO — On Saturday, April 11, Trinity Parish Hall was filled with art, history, and community as the Swedesboro-Woolwich Historical Society hosted “The Revolution Comes to Swedesboro,” a one-day celebration commemorating the 248th anniversary of the Skirmish at Swedesboro.
The event was held as part of the year-long celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. RevolutionNJ, a partnership between the New Jersey Historical Commission and Crossroads of the American Revolution, encouraged local historical societies to host events this year. Be on the lookout for other events in the area through the rest of 2026.
The event drew over 75 residents from throughout the area to view the society’s first juried art exhibition, hear dramatic readings from historical diaries, and learn about the Revolution’s impact on the local community.
Swedesboro Borough Councilwoman JoAnna Gahrs opened the program by reading a proclamation from Swedesboro Borough Council, signed by Mayor Thomas Fromm, honoring the historical society’s work in promoting Swedesboro’s role in the Revolutionary War.
At the close of the event, Exhibition Chairman Jonathan Steward was awarded an America 250! Commendation from the Oak Tree Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution for extraordinary effort in raising awareness of Revolutionary patriots and America’s 250th anniversary. The commendation recognized Steward’s work in chairing the event on behalf of the historical society.
“The results far exceeded my expectations and those of our judges,” Steward told the gathered crowd when introducing the art exhibition. “Artists were encouraged to create work that interprets the Skirmish at Swedesboro or reflects on any aspect of the American Revolution in Southern New Jersey.”
The exhibition featured works from regional artists in a wide variety of media and styles, from traditional paintings to mixed media and photography. A distinguished panel of judges evaluated the submissions: Bennett Carlton, local historian and author of King of the Tories: John Hatton and the American Revolution in Swedesboro and Woolwich Township; Eoin Kinnarney, a Swedesboro resident who has taught art at Rowan College of South Jersey for more than 35 years; and Carolyn G. Mortimer, a Salem County professional artist whose wildlife paintings hang in the U.S. Department of Interior and eight senatorial offices in Washington, D.C.
The Grand Prize went to David Dorrell for his acrylic painting, “The High Ground.” Dorrell, vice president of the Salem County Art League, began painting at age 11 under the instruction of his grandfather, artist Ernest Dorrell. He studied fine art at Glassboro State College and commercial art at Hussian School of Art in Philadelphia. Since retiring from engineering in 2023, Dorrell has won 17 awards for his paintings.
Anna Smeda received Second Place for, “The Burning Schoolhouse: Skirmish at Swedesboro. 1778.” Judges noted how the work engaged the viewer as if they were just outside the frame and made viewers bear witness to the tragedy happening in front of them.
Robin Jess, born and raised in Swedesboro, earned Third Place for “New Jersey Rises,” a watercolor and ink piece featuring the state flower rising strong in the foreground while the burning schoolhouse smolders in the background. Jess, former Executive Director of the American Society of Botanical Artists, created the artwork that appears on the New Jersey Pinelands license plate.
Susan Spitz of Eastampton was recognized with the $75 Historical Interpretation Award for “A Break Between Battles,” a photography-on-canvas piece capturing a reenactor’s expression of fatigue and contemplation. Judges said the work “felt like we were inside of his head feeling his emotions.”
Bernadette Perry won the People’s Choice Award for her hyper realistic acrylic painting, “Old Swedes Churchyard,” selected by attendees who voted for their favorite work upon arrival.
Exhibiting artists included Kimberly Kane of Mullica Hill, Woolwich Township resident Eric Nagy, Mary Ryback of Logan Township, and former Woolwich Township resident Elaine Murphy. Lori Kompa, Glenn Moore, Carol Schell, and Christine O’Malley rounded out the artistic contributors.
The historical program featured Carlton presenting “The Story of Swedesboro in the Revolution” and readings from primary sources. Drew Laverty, a history teacher at Kingsway Regional High School, performed a dramatic reading of passages from the journal of Reverend Nicholas Collin, the Swedish-born pastor of the Raccoon Swedish-Lutheran Church who witnessed the Revolution firsthand.
Additional readings drew from Moravian Church records by Eileen Shanaha and Quaker diaries to illustrate how the war affected pacifist communities caught between the opposing forces.
On April 4-5, 1778, approximately 300 British and Loyalist troops marched from Fort Billings to Swedesboro, hoping to capture local militiamen. Finding the Patriots gone, the troops pillaged homes and burned the log schoolhouse that had recently been used as a jail for Tories.
Patriot militia soon returned, taking a position on a wooded hill overlooking the town and began shooting. Bullets flew in all directions before both sides retired.
Historical Society President Martha Battisti welcomed attendees and reminded them that the society’s museum, located in Swedesboro Borough Hall, holds open houses most third Sundays from 1 to 3 p.m. Battisti went on to thank Old Swedes Trinity Episcopal Church for allowing the society to use the Parish Hall and the Gloucester County Certified Gardeners for donating the use of the art display frames.
Authors were also on hand for book signings, including Carlton with his book on John Hatton, Jo Ann Laughlin with Stratton Hall: A House With A Name, and Lois M. Stanley and Russell Shiveler, Jr. with Swedesboro and Woolwich Township: Images of America and Swedesboro and Woolwich Township: Postcard History Series.
The event concluded with a walking tour of the Old Swedes Cemetery, led by Carlton, featuring graves of Revolutionary War soldiers and prominent early citizens.
The Swedesboro-Woolwich Historical Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to obtaining and preserving the history of Swedesboro and surrounding Woolwich Township. The society meets on the third Wednesday of every month at 7 p.m. For more information, visit the society’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/SwedesboroWoolwichHS or email swedesborowoolwichhistorical@gmail.com.
