THE COMMON SENSE SOCIETY
www.commonsensesociety.org
The Common Sense Society commissioned sculptor David Frech of Beacon, New York to create this statue, only the sixth statue of Tom Paine in the world and the fourth in this nation. The Common Sense Society spoke before the Fort Lee Mayor and Council in executive session on July 19th and the Mayor and Council agreed to fund the down payment of $50,000 for this statue. The remaining payments of $79,000 will be met through fundraising efforts of the Common Sense Society.
The statue will be unveiled in 2009 in Monument Park, commemorating the death of Thomas Paine in 1809. The statue will be placed in the eastern section of the park facing the 1908 statue of two Revolutionary War soldiers. The Tom Paine statue will depict Paine at work on one of the most influential documents in world history, "The American Crisis." This document, published in December 1776, was written by Paine as a first hand account of the months he spent in Fort Lee in 1776 as an aide to General Nathanael Greene. He was with Greene and General George Washington and the American Army as they evacuated Fort Lee on November 20th, 1776, and retreated across New Jersey. General Washington ordered his officers to read "The American Crisis" to his troops prior to the Crossing of the Delaware .
The Common Sense Society of Fort Lee will work closely with the Thomas Paine National Historical Association and Museum of New Rochelle. The statue of Paine in Fort Lee will be only the sixth statue of Paine in the world and the fourth in the United States. We have secured famed historian /author Thomas Fleming to unveil the statue in November 2010.
Please check this website for event information. We are accepting donations and we seek 1,776 winter soldiers who can donate $100 each to make this statue a reality. We will accept all donations of any amounts and checks can be made out to:
Thomas Paine / VFW Account - send checks to the Fort Lee Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs, 309 Main Street, Fort Lee, NJ 07024 Attention: Tom Meyers.
Schedule of Events:
CLAMBAKE ON THE HUDSON
Join us SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10th, 2009 Noon to sunset for a clambake at the Alpine Boat Basin Dance Pavilion along the Hudson River at the Palisade Interstate Park (Exit 2 off the Palisade Interstate Parkway - follow signs to Alpine Boat Basin on River).
Music will be provided by Thaddeus MacGregor and there will be horseshoe games and dancing in the pavilion. Food will include hot dogs, clams on the half shell, hamburgers, soda, water, lemonade and watermelon.
Ticket prices:
Adults- $25.00 Children under 12 - FREE
FORT LEE HOLIDAY ARTS & CRAFTS FAIR
December 5th & 6th at the Fort Lee Community Center
$150 per table for vendors for two days. Fair runs from 11 AM to 6 PM Saturday and Sunday. All proceeds go towards the Thomas Paine Statue project in the Borough of Fort Lee. Please make checks payable to: Thomas Paine / VFW Statue Account. Call the Fort Lee Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs (201) 592-3663 for vendor applications or visit www.fortleenj.org.
Email us at: tmeyers@fortleenj.org
Visit us at: www.fortleenj.org |
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Fort Lee Office of
Cultural and Heritage Affairs
309 Main Street
Fort Lee, New Jersey 07024
(201) 592-3663 |
