Revolutionary War POTA
Hancock House
Revolutionary War POTA Special Event
Saturday, August 1, 2026
0800 to 1600 Hours
Hancock House
Hancock's Bridge, NJ
The Historic Hancock House Gets “Activated” By GCARC
By Stan Slachetka WA2JRZ
“CQ POTA CQ POTA CQ Parks on the Air from W2MMD located at US-13255, the Hancock House State Historic Site in Hancock’s Bridge, New Jersey.”
On Saturday, August 1, 2026, this was the call that rang out on CW, FT-8, and SSB from eight different stations operated by members of the Gloucester County Amateur Radio Club. The Club’s POTA activation of the Hancock House was part of our recognition of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America and the important role of New Jersey in the American Revolution.
Kudos to everyone who brought their equipment and set up stations. It was impressive to see our individual and combined POTA capabilities, as well as the variety of gear and antennas that we deployed. What was just as impressive was the way Club members cooperated with each other in selecting the bands and modes that we operated and how everyone helped each other throughout the day.
Everyone was generous with their time, sharing their knowledge and experience with Club members - even those with no prior POTA experience - and allowing others to operate or log during the event. While operating was fun, it was just as much fun to talk radio (and other stuff) and learn a few new tips and tricks for future POTA activations.
Members who attended also had the opportunity to learn about the historic Hancock House and the important battle that took place at the site during the Revolution. Pete Michel of the New Jersey State Parks, Forests and Historic Sites staff, along with his wife and son, donned Revolutionary War period costumes and gave tours of the house, discussed its history, and gave demonstrations highlighting how people lived during that period. We learned a lot and got a better appreciation of the role that South Jersey played in the Revolution.
Pete, his family, and staff were gracious and welcoming hosts throughout the event, which was very much appreciated by everyone from GCARC who attended.
Before leaving, John Zaruba and I spoke with Pete. He was very impressed with our effort and appreciated how courteous and considerate we were throughout the day, especially in how we cleaned up after ourselves and made efforts to protect the historic character of the site. Collectively, we put on a good showing and made this an interesting and fun event for everyone, including the Hancock House staff.
Finally, and probably most important, the weather was favorable throughout the day (no rain!) and everyone had a great time.
Next up is the Historic Soldiers Weekend at Fort Mott on September 26 and 27. It will be a different type of experience with the Club doing both a POTA activation and operating as special event station W2M. It also will be a two-day event with a lot more interaction with the public. (See the accompanying graphic for more details.)
What will also make this activation special is the fact that we will be operating from one of the bunkers in the fort, providing us with a unique and interesting operating experience.
More information about the Fort Mott activation and the Historic Soldiers weekend will be provided in the coming weeks. We also will be providing an online registration form for members interested in participating. I am looking forward to another exciting Club event and hope you can participate.
Sorry if you couldn't attend our Hancock House POTA event, but hopefully you can join us at Fort Mott or in a future Club organized POTA activation.
By Stan Slachetka WA2JRZ
“CQ POTA CQ POTA CQ Parks on the Air from W2MMD located at US-13255, the Hancock House State Historic Site in Hancock’s Bridge, New Jersey.”
On Saturday, August 1, 2026, this was the call that rang out on CW, FT-8, and SSB from eight different stations operated by members of the Gloucester County Amateur Radio Club. The Club’s POTA activation of the Hancock House was part of our recognition of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America and the important role of New Jersey in the American Revolution.
Kudos to everyone who brought their equipment and set up stations. It was impressive to see our individual and combined POTA capabilities, as well as the variety of gear and antennas that we deployed. What was just as impressive was the way Club members cooperated with each other in selecting the bands and modes that we operated and how everyone helped each other throughout the day.
Everyone was generous with their time, sharing their knowledge and experience with Club members - even those with no prior POTA experience - and allowing others to operate or log during the event. While operating was fun, it was just as much fun to talk radio (and other stuff) and learn a few new tips and tricks for future POTA activations.
Members who attended also had the opportunity to learn about the historic Hancock House and the important battle that took place at the site during the Revolution. Pete Michel of the New Jersey State Parks, Forests and Historic Sites staff, along with his wife and son, donned Revolutionary War period costumes and gave tours of the house, discussed its history, and gave demonstrations highlighting how people lived during that period. We learned a lot and got a better appreciation of the role that South Jersey played in the Revolution.
Pete, his family, and staff were gracious and welcoming hosts throughout the event, which was very much appreciated by everyone from GCARC who attended.
Before leaving, John Zaruba and I spoke with Pete. He was very impressed with our effort and appreciated how courteous and considerate we were throughout the day, especially in how we cleaned up after ourselves and made efforts to protect the historic character of the site. Collectively, we put on a good showing and made this an interesting and fun event for everyone, including the Hancock House staff.
Finally, and probably most important, the weather was favorable throughout the day (no rain!) and everyone had a great time.
Next up is the Historic Soldiers Weekend at Fort Mott on September 26 and 27. It will be a different type of experience with the Club doing both a POTA activation and operating as special event station W2M. It also will be a two-day event with a lot more interaction with the public. (See the accompanying graphic for more details.)
What will also make this activation special is the fact that we will be operating from one of the bunkers in the fort, providing us with a unique and interesting operating experience.
More information about the Fort Mott activation and the Historic Soldiers weekend will be provided in the coming weeks. We also will be providing an online registration form for members interested in participating. I am looking forward to another exciting Club event and hope you can participate.
Sorry if you couldn't attend our Hancock House POTA event, but hopefully you can join us at Fort Mott or in a future Club organized POTA activation.
Hancock House Historic Site
The house was built in 1734 by William & Sarah Hancock, a prominent Salem County Quaker family. It was the scene of a British-led massacre during the American Revolution.
- This is not an official POTA site, but we have been in touch with POTA about either a special POTA park identifier for the day of our activation or possibly having the Hancock House assigned a new permanent park identifier. We will have more about that once we hear back from POTA.
- We have applied for a Special Use Permit for our activation on August 1 and are hoping to hear back on that shortly.
- The staff at the Hancock House are planning special demonstrations and tours in connection with our activation. The Hancock House will be open to the public during our activation and members of the public will be welcome to view our operation and ask questions and learn about ham radio and POTA.