BORDENTOWN CITY, NJ – In honor of May being Historic Preservation Month, Senator Troy Singleton is partnering with the Bordentown Historical Society and D&R Greenway Trust for a "Serve with Senator Singleton" community service project. The event will take place on Saturday, May 22 from 10AM to 12PM at the Point Breeze Estate (also known as Divine Word Missionaries) at 101 Park Street in Bordentown City.

Senator Singleton and volunteers will help with trimming landscaping, removing brush and other tasks needed to clean up outdoor areas on the property. Equipment will be provided but volunteers should bring their own work gloves and face mass and wear appropriate clothing and shoes. To sign up to volunteer, click HERE.

"I am immensely proud to represent a district that is so rich in our history, much of which is nestled in historic Bordentown," said Senator Singleton. "For our May community service project, it is fitting that we work to maintain the grounds of one of our historic treasures – the Point Breeze Estate – so that it can be further beautified and restored by the Historical Society and D&R Greenway Land Trust in the months and years to come."

The Point Breeze Estate, which comprises 60 acres on Park Street, was permanently preserved in the City of Bordentown in December 2020. Bordentown City will be moving both its City Administration Building and Police Department to the property, and the land's acres will now be part of a large lot of continuously preserved land and trail region.

In the 1800s, Joseph Bonaparte—Napoleon's older brother and the former King of Spain and Naples – lived on a palatial estate on the property for seventeen years. Together, D&R Greenway and the Bordentown Historical Society are working to create exhibits for a new museum. Their vision is to open the Gardener's House (the last remaining structure from the time of Bonaparte), and eventually restored gardens, to the public to provide an educational opportunity to learn about the history of the property that goes back 13,000 years to Native Americans.

This event will be the Senator's 30th "Serve with Senator Singleton" event since becoming State Senator in 2018. Previous volunteer efforts include indoor and outdoor clean-up days, animal welfare projects, clothing and supply drives, painting projects, and community event set-up and staffing. To date, more than 1,200 hours have been donated by volunteers to local community service projects. Since the pandemic, the Senator has focused on outdoor projects that can accommodate social distancing.

D&R Greenway, an accredited land trust, has saved over 21,000 acres of New Jersey land since its 1989 founding. D&R Greenway's strategic land conservation and stewardship combat climate change, protect wildlife, and ensures clean drinking water for future generations. D&R Greenway's mission is connecting land with people from all walks of life.

The Bordentown Historical Society's mission is to preserve, teach and inspire curiosity about Bordentown's rich history. Their vision is to develop a first-class center for historical and cultural attractions in Bordentown.

Original Article