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Glover's Rock
History
Who is this monument dedicated to?
This large, glacial granite rock is named for Colonel John Glover (1732-1797) who, on October 18, 1776, led a brigade of 843 Americans against British General William Howe (1720-1814) and 4,000 British soldiers in the Battle on Pell’s Point.
John Glover was born on November 5, 1732 in Salem, Massachusetts. He moved to Marblehead, Massachusetts for a career in the successful fishing industry, with markets in France, Spain, and the West Indies.
In 1759, Glover joined the Third Military Foot Company in the Town of Marblehead as an Ensign, and the following year he joined the local Whigs who opposed Britain’s transgressions against the colonies. Following the Boston Massacre of 1770, Glover and fellow Whigs gained control over the Tory town government. Glover joined several anti-British committees to limit and subvert British rule including prohibiting trade with England. In May 1775, Glover became a Colonel of the Marblehead Militia which would become the 14th Massachusetts Continental Regiment. Glover raised a regiment of about 500 fishermen and sailors, including men who were Spanish, Native American, Jewish, and African American. In June 1775, Colonel Glover led his troops from Marblehead to the American camp at Cambridge, helping to obstruct the British army in Boston.
On September 13, 1776, he safeguarded the evacuation of New York City through Harlem, across the King’s Bridge, and into the Bronx and White Plains. General Howe and a British fleet had landed on Kip’s Bay, and the British Army was threatening General Washington’s position in White Plains. Glover spied the fleet off Pell’s Point, the site of present-day Rodman’s Neck.
On October 18, 1776, Colonel Glover commanded a brigade of four separate regiment, spreading them along Split Rock Road behind the stone walls that marked property lines. He then led 40 men in a direct attack on the British. After an exchange of fire, two Americans were killed, and Glover retreated north along the path with the British in pursuit. Soon, British forces hit the other three Continental Regiments and retreated to Pell’s Point. Only 12 Americans were killed, yet between 800 to 1,000 British soldiers were killed or wounded in the battle.
Colonel Glover thus enabled General Washington to position and hold his forces in White Plains before moving south. Glover’s “Marbleheaders,” with their experience as sailors, were also essential in Washington’s famous crossing of the Delaware River on December 25, 1776, for the Battle of Trenton. Glover was promoted to Brigadier General on February 23, 1777. After the war, Glover returned to Massachusetts and was elected to the state legislature in 1788 and 1789. He died in Marblehead on January 30, 1797.
How was this created?
The Bronx Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution erected a tablet on October 18, 1901 to honor the 125th anniversary of Glover’s heroic victory. After it was stolen in the 1930s, the Bronx County Historical Society dedicated another bronze tablet on November 11, 1960 to commemorate this important site.
Glover's Rock Details
- Location: Orchard Beach Relief Road; east end on east-bound lane
- Description: Tablet on natural boulder
- Materials: Bronze, natural boulder
- Dimensions: H: 30" W: 36"
- Dedicated: October 18, 1960
- Donor: Bronx County Historical Society
- Inscription: GLOVER'S ROCK / NEAR THIS SITE ON OCTOBER 18, 1776, / COL. JOHN GLOVER AND 600 PATRIOTS HELD OFF / BRITISH AND HESSIAN FORCES UNDER GEN. HOWE / LONG ENOUGH TO SAVE WASHINGTON'S TROOPS / FROM DESTRUCTION, ENABLING THEM TO WITHDRAW / TO WESTCHESTER AND ULTIMATE VICTORY / BRONX COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY / OCTOBER 18, 1960 /
Please note, the NAME field includes a primary designation as well as alternate namingsoften in common or popular usage. The DEDICATED field refers to the most recent dedication, most often, butnot necessarily the original dedication date. If the monument did not have a formal dedication, the yearlisted reflects the date of installation.
For more information, please contact Art & Antiquities at (212) 360-8163
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Contacts
Pelham Bay Park Administrator's Office: (718) 430-1891
Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum: (718) 885-1461
Park Enforcement Patrol: (718) 430-1815
Pelham Bay & Split Rock Golf Course: (718) 885-1258
Turtle Cove Driving Range: (718) 885-2646
Orchard Beach Nature Center: (718) 885-3466
Urban Park Rangers: (718) 548-0912
Events and General Parks Information: 311
Bronx Equestrian Center: (718) 885-0551
Friends of Pelham Bay Park: (718) 430-4685
Bronx Recreation: General Information: (718) 430-1825
Bronx Recreation: Special Events Permits: (718) 430-1848
Bronx Recreation: Sports Permits: (718) 430-1840
Bronx Recreation: Tennis Permits: (718) 430-1848
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