50 years later - Historical marker finds its way to Picatinny

PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. - A historical marker that was likely discarded more than 50 years ago now has a home at Picatinny Arsenal.

The plaque, which appears to be a duplicate of one currently situated outside the headquarters of Project Manager Soldier Lethality at Picatinny, arrived at the northern New Jersey military installation this summer after multiple entities came together to find it a lasting home.

Originally intended to be placed at Frankford Arsenal, a former United States Army ammunition plant located in Northeast Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the inscription on the plaque reads:

"Saratoga Park - Built during the command of Colonel James L. Wallace, to provide a memorial to the dedicated men and women of Frankford Arsenal and a showcase for the famous Saratoga Cannon - Dedicated 13 June 1973."

Opened in 1816 on 20 acres of land purchased by President James Madison, Frankford Arsenal was the center of U.S. military small-arms ammunition design and development until its closure in 1977. Among the many other products manufactured at the arsenal were fire-control and range-finding instruments, along with the gauges for these components.

When Frankford Arsenal closed, Picatinny Arsenal took possession of many of the historical artifacts that would later be placed on display throughout the installation or at the museum that has also since closed.

"It is good to see this plaque come to Picatinny to be part of our archives collection with our other Frankford materials, even though it may have been discarded due to inconsistencies during its production," said Jason Huggan, Chief of Picatinny Arsenal's Environmental Affairs Division.

"From a historical perspective, it is also good to have it in case further research is needed, or even by chance damage was to come to the existing plaques for the Saratoga Monument located onsite," Huggan said.

According to Picatinny Arsenal historian Jeff Ranu, the plaque, which weighs approximately 150 pounds, was cast but likely never used because it still has a "leader" attached to it. The leader is a component of a mold that helps align the mold's cavity and core halves. The pin guides one half of the mold into the other, allowing for accurate part placement.

"My best guess is that it was scrap intended to be melted down and cast into something else or if the material quality was poor, it was just going to be thrown out," Ranu said. "Someone saw it in the scrap bin at the casting facility, thought it was cool, and took it because it was being tossed out as scrap."

Detective Paulo Aquiles of the Picatinny Arsenal Police Department was contacted in March 2024 by a detective with the National Park Service. The park detective had been contacted by the owner of a gun shop in Winslow, Maine, who believed they had a piece of "stolen property" in their possession.

"The store owner is a veteran and wanted to return the sign to the U.S. Government," Aquiles said.

Upon initial contact, Aquiles could find no record of a "stolen" sign, but also did not rule out the possibility of records having been destroyed or missing after all these years. After further review it was discovered that the item was also not listed as a missing item from the Frankford Arsenal inventory either, adding further strength to Ranu's theory that the plaque had been discarded.

From there, and with the assistance of the Maine Army National Guard, the plaque was picked up and taken to Camp Keyes in Augusta, approximately 25 miles from the store, two months later.

Rachael Winston, Picatinny Arsenal's Cultural Resource Manager, then worked with Army National Guard Cultural Resources Program Managers to have the artifact transferred to Picatinny.

The "original" marker. which is currently in place at Picatinny, was moved here in 1978 shortly after the establishment of the United States Army Armament Research and Development Command at Picatinny, and the closure of Frankford Arsenal. The cannon displayed along with it is not the original Saratoga Cannon but rather Civil War cannons.

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