By Emily Schopfer
RUMSON – Although the country’s Semiquincentennial (250th) is not until July 4, Rumson is getting the party started early. The borough is preparing to celebrate RumsonAmerica250 with the June 14 unveiling of a new Revolutionary War statue in Victory Park.
The life-size bronze monument will be created by Colorado-based sculptor Sutton Betti. Betti, who is no stranger to military sculptures, wrote on his website that his sculptures “are a representation of the bravery, courage and dedication of the men and women who serve and have served our country. It is an honor to create a memorial to show respect and appreciation to those who have sacrificed so much.”
The RumsonAmerica250 Committee announced the commissioning of Betti’s sculpture in a press release Feb. 10. “This bronze soldier will honor the spirit of the American Revolution in a timeless manner and commemorate the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary (Semiquincentennial),” said Sarah Pomphrey, chair of RumsonAmerica250 and Rumson Borough Council member, in the press release.
“This has been two years in the making,” Pomphrey said in a Feb. 24 interview, “researching candidates of sculptors, which is harder than you think.”
The bronze monument is a $45,000 undertaking, funded entirely through sponsorships and donations of time, labor and money, according to Pomphrey. The solider itself is not modeled after any one real-life person, but rather “captures the essence of the Revolutionary War era,” she said.
“Originally, we were just going to do a ‘Declaration of Independence’ in (Victory) Park,” Pomphrey said. “That all of a sudden turned into a monument of a solider. And we have that surrounded by six bronze plaques, including four pages of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Declaration of Independence.” Currently five of the plaques are on rotation within various Rumson Borough schools until they take their permanent place in Victory Park alongside the new sculpture.
Victory Park itself has significance aside from the monuments within it. The park was a donation by the Borden family who “created Victory Park and presented it to the community on July 4, 1920” as a dedication “to the Rumson men who served during the war,” according to the Rumson Historic Preservation Commission.
Pomphrey’s hope is one day to have some sort of educational tour in Victory Park that can lead visitors from the Revolutionary War through the World Wars.
In addition to the plaques and planned monument, the RumsonAmerica250 committee is creating a 50-year time capsule in collaboration with one Rumson school for Victory Park. The participating school has not yet been chosen; a contest will determine the winner.
The committee often works with local schools. The plaque rotations, essay and poster contests – and the time capsule – are just some examples of this partnership. Part of RumsonAmerica250’s mission statement is to “celebrate our nation’s birth and pass on the recognition of the greatness of our nation for generations to come,” according to the borough’s website.
In addition to local schools, the RumsonAmerica250 committee has worked with the Rumson Historic Preservation Commission and is fully funded through donations and sponsorships. “Fortunately, we have in Rumson so many super talented and dedicated people,” Pomphrey said, who feels the success of the committee and its mission is the result of community collaboration.
The committee focuses not just on engagement and collaboration, but education as well. Committee member Linda Lipman said there are multiple lectures planned on a variety of topics, ranging from a talk on President George Washington to talks on forgotten heroes of the Revolutionary War, including immigrant and Native American participants.
In addition to these lectures, residents do not have to wait until June 14 to celebrate.
March 8 is Rumson’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade, with a RumsonAmerica250 trolley and special exhibition of the MonmouthNJ 250 truck. You can see the RumsonAmerica250 Trolley again May 23 at Rumson’s Memorial Day Parade. On June 14, Victory Park will be hosting a Flag Day like no other, with food, fun and the unveiling of the monument. On July 3, the committee will charter a yacht for a “Two If By Sea” sunset cruise, visiting the Sandy Hook Tall Ships and the Statue of Liberty.
While Pomphrey expects the chartered sunset cruise to be amazing, she said she is most looking forward to the Flag Day festivities. “The solider and everything in the park is near and dear to my heart,” she said. “I’m very, very proud of it, and I think it’ll be there for years and years to come.”
For residents looking to stay up to date on the latest RumsonAmerica250 events, lectures, or sponsorship opportunities, visit rumsonnj.gov/rumson-america-250. Donations and sponsorships can remain anonymous.
The article originally appeared in the February 26 – March 4, 2026 print edition of The Two River Times.
