N.J. state police troopers’ names were spray painted at historic Warren County site

Vandalism on a historic Knowlton Township homestead included the names of two New Jersey State Police troopers, according to police.
New Jersey State Police said officers found graffiti spray painted on two structures when they responded to a criminal mischief complaint at 10:06 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 2, at Ramsaysburg Historic Homestead. The graffiti included the names the two New Jersey state troopers, police confirmed.
The investigation is ongoing, and no further information is available at this time, a state police spokesman said.
Jeff Rusch said volunteers were at the site until Friday evening setting up for Explore Warren History Trail, an event occurring the next day. When they returned on Saturday, they discovered the vandalism.
Rusch, a Warren County resident, is a member of Friends of Ramsaysburg — a non-profit organization devoted to the preservation of Ramsaysburg. The site is currently under restoration, he said.
The organization runs events on the site like the History Trail event.
He said the event involved the entire site, including the buildings with the vandalism. He said the event continued as police were investigating the incident on site.
“Everybody that came saw this garbage, and there was nothing we could do,” he said. “We just had to run the event with a lot of explanations.”
The two buildings that were vandalized are called the smokehouse and the shed, Rusch said. He said they are tucked in the back of the site, which is dark at night. The perpetrators could have vandalized the buildings without being seen, he said.
He said there are no security cameras at Ramsaysburg, but he believes that will change.
Rusch is unsure why Ramsaysburg was targeted. He said the site has never been vandalized.
“We were all just in disbelief,” he said. “It’s just awful.”
Chelsea Kun can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on instagram at @chelsealehighvalley