LACEY – Along the winding stretches of Route 539, the dense forest of the Pine Barrens reaches for miles on end. But on the southbound side, a highly decorated boulder stands out as a landmark in the direction of Route 72.
The tales and origins of this otherwise ordinary rock are as vibrant as the red, white, and blue paint adorning it. Once known simply as the Painted Rock, it transformed into Patriot’s Rock after 9/11, its design giving it a new identity in the wake of tragedy.
Like the infamous Jersey Devil, the Patriot Rock is another mysterious enigma tied to the Pine Barrens. Its history has been explored in numerous feature articles and at least three published books, including one fiction novel that weaves it into a tale that includes the Jersey Devil.
The first point of interest lies in the circumstances surrounding the colossal boulder’s arrival on the roadside. It reaches a towering height of approximately 4 feet, and its width exceeds the length of most grown men who might contemplate stretching out beside it.
William Beuckman Sr., 75, now lives in North Carolina but lived in southern Ocean County for many years. He feels pretty confident he knows how the rock landed where it now lies on what’s been known as Route 539 since at least the 1960s.
“My father-in-law was working on construction of the jetties on Long Beach Island,” Beuckman related. “He confirmed that the boulder was on the way to the jetty when it somehow fell off the truck and was left behind.”
Beuckman’s account closely aligns with a couple of the legendary tales surrounding the mysterious appearance of this displaced boulder. One narrative suggests that the rock was one of three loaded onto a tractor-trailer on the way to the Barnegat Lighthouse, meant to join the jetty. However, a flat tire prompted the removal of one of the boulders to lighten the load for when the tire was changed.
This story is somewhat supported by research conducted by Ferdinand F. Klebold and summed up in “Building the North Jetty on Island Beach Barnegat Inlet.” It suggests the boulder may have dropped by the roadside between 1937-1940.
Klebold stated that to transport the approximately 78,000 tons of rock from quarries in Lambertville and Kingston, the contractor purchased several new diesel-powered trailer trucks. Larger boulders weighing 5 to 10 tons were strapped to flatbed trailers, and the eighty-mile trip through the Pine Barrens from Lambertville was difficult due to the heavy load.
Others have suggested that the rock fell from a truck several decades later and was either on the way to a drop-off point in Tuckerton or Barnegat. There may be some confusion with the latter, as Barnegat Light was once known as Barnegat City.
In her 2009 book “Voices in the Pines: True Stories from the New Jersey Pine Barrens,” author Karen F. Riley presents an additional perspective on the enigmatic origins of the sizable boulder along Route 539. Riley references accounts that suggest it either tumbled off the truck while navigating the road’s curve or that the driver deliberately shed its weight to circumvent a potential weight inspection.
From Unassuming Boulder To Patriot Rock
The image of the original Painted Rock appears to invoke a sense of nostalgia leading back to those from the baby boomer generation. Route 539 was a trusted back road leading to the sandy shores and excitement of Long Beach Island. Children and later teens would come to enjoy the diversion of the painted rock in the middle of nowhere.
Indeed, this was no run-of-the-mill rock; it served as a canvas that individuals carefully embellished with an array of thematic artworks. The rock’s appearance would shift with the changing seasons and the artistic inspirations of its creators.
The roadside attraction showcased depictions of various seasons and holidays, donning the likeness of a golden nugget at one point and even transforming into a formidable alien creature at another. Nevertheless, the rock sporadically fell victim to graffiti artists who left their mark on it.
For many years, the artist who painted the rock was believed to have operated under the cover of darkness and remained anonymous. This added to the mystique of the rock, whose origins were essentially unknown.
“I would go hunting for pheasant in that area,” said Beuckman. “Someone must have been dropping him off there. From what I understand, he sometimes tented in the woods and painted at night. I never did see him.”
Edward Joseph Gillesheimer, aged 93, passed away on January 17, 2021, at his Whiting residence, leaving a unique legacy. He gained local renown as the elusive artist behind “Patriot’s Rock” on Route 539. His obituary affirms his consistent dedication to repainting the iconic rock with a rotating array of holiday and patriotic motifs.
Fortunately, Riley’s book provides some valuable insight into Gillesheimer’s artistic endeavors at the mysterious boulder in the heart of the Pine Barrens.
When Gillesheimer retired in 1997 from Riverside Amusements, he had an abundance of spare paint and decided to use it to paint the rock. Riley wrote that Gillesheimer loaded his van with the necessary supplies and started each Monday morning at 7 a.m. to put his trusty paintbrush to work.
Remarkably, Gillesheimer humbly refrained from calling himself an artist. Instead, he regarded his work as a heartfelt endeavor to transform the rock into something more meaningful than a mere blank canvas. The designs were his own, often aligned with seasonal themes that added a touch of whimsy to the ever-evolving artwork.
Gillesheimer received accolades about his work both when it was anonymous and when he received “rock star” status after The Press of Atlantic City dubbed him that name.
Riley writes that Gillesheimer was not the first to paint the boulder in patriotic colors after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Three days after the tragedy, he arrived to paint the flag, only to find that someone else had already done it.
Although his website is no longer available, Riley shared that the identity of the new mystery painter was revealed to Jim Rahn, a former mathematics teacher at Southern Regional High School who maintained a website about the painted rock.
Jennifer Gilliam, wife of Air Force Lt. Douglas Gilliam, was eight months pregnant with her first child when she decided to add a sense of patriotism to the rock. She wrote to Rahn and said she’d waited a week after 9/11 to see if Gillesheimer planned to do so.
The Mystery Continues
The theme of the Patriot Rock has remained essentially unchanged, aside from a brief period in 2005 when someone drew a large peace sign over the American flag. This act sparked a debate about whether it was disrespectful or a protected form of free speech.
Surrounding the rock are an array of miniature American flags, POW memorial flags, and K-9 statues decked out in patriotic colors.
Jill Shelly of Union Beach said many motorcycle clubs and veterans’ organizations make a point to stop by the Patriot Rock to put flags up around it.
“I belong to Sinister Steel Motorcycle Association headquartered in Union Beach,” said Shelly. “We go there every year to clean up the area, remove old torn flags and replace new flags. It’s become a memorial in honoring our fallen and active soldiers.”
However, a couple of mysteries remain unsolved. First, the identity of the dedicated individual(s) currently responsible for repainting and preserving the rock’s brilliant red, white, and blue shades remains shrouded in secrecy.
Adding to the intrigue, a graveside monument bearing the name William J. McKee, the birth year of 1893 and the date of death as 1945, stands as a testament to a corpsman in the United States Army during World War I.
The connection between this memorial and the Patriotic Rock remains a baffling enigma. There’s no indication of when the stone first appeared on the site – or its significance to the location.
A Certificate of Death validates the existence of a William J. McKee, born on June 25, 1893, in Philadelphia, who passed away on January 29, 1945. This same gentleman served in the United States Army from 1917 until he was honorably discharged on March 13, 1919.
Nonetheless, the question lingers: Could this be the same revered figure commemorated at the site of the Patriot Rock?
As the Pine Barrens continue to unveil its hidden tales, one can’t help but wonder what other legends may lie in wait, eager to be unearthed.
