Caldwell Parsonage
On June 7, 1780, after the Battle of Connecticut Farms, retreating British and Hessian Troops passed this parsonage. A shot was fired through a bedroom window, and Hannah Caldwell, the wife of Rev. James Caldwell, fell dead. Was it a mistake? Or, was it murder — an attempt to punish “the Fighting Parson” of the NJ militia and the Continental Army?
The British burned the parsonage, the Connecticut Farms Presbyterian Church, and other buildings in the area. The parsonage was rebuilt two years later on its original foundation. An artist’s interpretation of Mrs. Caldwell’s death appears on the official Seal of Union County.
Today, the Parsonage displays furniture, clothing, personal belongings and other items relating to the families who established Connecticut Farms (incorporated as the Township of Union in 1808). Artifacts on display date from the 18th century to the early 20th century.
Presbyterian pastors resided here until this century. Acquired by the Union Township Historical Society in 1960, the building now serves as a repository of local history.
