Caldwell Parsonage facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Caldwell Parsonage
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House in 2007
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 Location in Union County, New Jersey
Location in New Jersey
Location in the United States
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| Location | Union, New Jersey |
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| Nearest city | Newark |
| Built | 1782 |
| NRHP reference No. | 82004785 |
| Added to NRHP | 1982 |
The Caldwell Parsonage is located along Caldwell Avenue in Union, New Jersey, United States. It was the home of the Rev. James Caldwell, a Presbyterian minister and active supporter of the Patriot cause during the Revolutionary War.
The war is intertwined with the early history of the building. An original parsonage dating to 1730 was burned in 1780 by a Loyalist mob, and later that year Caldwell's wife Hannah was killed by British soldiers in the house during the Battle of Connecticut Farms. Caldwell himself was shot by an American sentry a year later.
In 1782, with the war over, what is now Connecticut Farms Presbyterian Church built the present building. It continued to serve as a home for its pastors until the 20th century, when the church built one closer to the building. In 1982 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places, as a well-preserved 18th-century farmhouse with a historical connection.
It currently serves as a historical museum, owned and operated by the Union Township Historical Society. It is open to the public on weekday mornings and afternoons. Several state grants have been made for renovations and upkeep of the aging structure.
