Connecticut Farms Church History
In the summer of 1667, the Rev. Abraham Pierson and his followers from Connecticut traveled for weeks under difficult circumstances to find a new settlement. The beautiful land they chose was outside Elizabethtown, fertile with an abundance of streams and within a few hours of the port. They named it "Connecticut Farms". From here, they traveled four or five miles, each way, every Sunday, through Indian country, by horse and wagon, in all kinds of weather, over dusty or muddy "roads" to attend church in Elizabethtown. Tiring of this travel in 1730, they erected a frame structure on the rise of the hill, along the main road and named it after the town.
The church and community prospered for the next fifty years until war came to Connecticut Farms. On June 8, 1780, after their defeat at Springfield, retreating British and Hessian troops pillaged and ransacked the town, shot Rev. Caldwell's wife at the Parsonage, and burned most of the buildings, including the church. All records of that time were lost. Undaunted and with some help from two neighboring churches, the farmers began to rebuild on the same site. On Sunday morning, one could see the parishioners marching along with their benches, boxes, boards and chairs, as there were no pews.
The 1800's were not always easy. In 1806, the Sunday school was started in Potter's corncrib. At times, finances to support the church were sparse and the Trustees sold the grass and apples from the Church orchards and cemetery. The congregation went through years of decline and revival, as did the country. A new manse was built just after the turn of the century and additions to the original structure were added in 1920 and 1949. The membership continued to grow. In 1970, the church and cemetery were designated as an historic site - the first in New Jersey to be listed in the Register of Historic Places.
In 275 years, the congregation called Connecticut Farms has been served by seventeen ministers and has had its share of peaks and valleys. We are now in a time of renewal and growth. While we value our history, we are determined to shape the future with a ministry of compassion and outreach.
Yesterday... ...and today.
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:
In June, while I was away, Diane Tevnan fielded a question from Wally Brixner of the 1st Presbyterian Church of Caldwell. On July 4th, his pastor is portraying Rev. James Caldwell and they were looking for information about Rev. Caldwell to aid that portrayal. I thought I would share with you some of the information in our church file that I found. Misinformation about Rev. Caldwell says that he was a pastor at Connecticut Farms. He was not.
We do not hear very much about James Caldwell's early years, on which I would like to concentrate in this article.
He was born in Cub Creek, Virginia, in April 1734 to a Huguenot family from Northern Ireland. He came by his patriotic beliefs naturally since his uncle was John C. Calhoun. (Calhoun later became Vice-President of the United States.)
On September 17, 1760, fresh out of the College of New Jersey in Princeton, Caldwell was ordained a minister of the Presbyterian Church and preached his first sermon seven days later. On May 25, 1761, Rev. Caldwell left for the Carolinas as a circuit rider, preaching in frontier towns.
At age 27, his calling brought him to Elizabethtown to assume new ministerial duties. On March 14, 1763, he married Hannah Ogden of Newark whose parents were Esquire John Ogden and Hannah Sayre. The Ogden family was one of the first families to settle Elizabethtown in 1664. James and Hannah's first child was born January 29, 1765. They were to have nine more; one who died at an early age. James Caldwell took a tremendous interest in the education of his children.
During the Revolutionary War period, the Presbyterian Church was the largest and most impressive looking edifice in Elizabethtown. The church was destined to receive as its rector a man who was to become its most famous minister, the Rev. James Caldwell. He remained its pastor from 1761 through 1780. Because of his enthusiasm and devotion to his duties, his congregation steadily grew. He was an ardent "house caller," and never missed a chance to invite new people to attend services. Despite the many hours he spent on church business, Caldwell was a devoted family man. A good deal of time was allotted for his family and working in his garden.
Caldwell's duties as pastor also included riding his horse to preach in outlying communities, especially during the 1760's and 1770's. Under his inspiration and guidance, he helped establish new churches. On February 2, 1779, at a settlement called Horse Neck (now Caldwell), documents were written and signed by James Caldwell and representatives of the congregation for the establishment of a church.
Pastor Caldwell had great energy. He preached two two-hour-long sermons each Sunday. The first began at 10 a.m. and the second at 2 p.m. At least once a month, he traveled to the Spring Fields to preach in the church there. He also initiated a Thursday evening service.
He was an ardent patriot who used every means at his command, including his sermons and prayers, to condemn the tyrannical acts of King George and his ministers against the common people. It was his contention that the common man had a dignity before God, and that the oppression from earthly powers was not in accordance with God's law. His church in Elizabethtown was used as a meeting place and a hospital for the Continental Army until it was burned to the ground by the British Army.
In September we will continue with James Caldwell, "the Fighting Parson" and the war years.
Further historical information:
Check out the historic Connecticut Farms Church Cemetery
A web site devoted to the history and people of the Connecticut Farms Cemetery. The site includes many photos, including historical headstones. Many of the Epitaphs are documented. The site even includes a searchable database of those interred.
The Caldwell Parsonage Museum
To explore more of the rich colonial heritage Union (formerly Connecticut Farms) has to offer, visit the Caldwell Parsonage, Caldwell Avenue, Union, New Jersey. Hours: 9:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. weekdays. Email: caldwellparson@aol.com. Phone: 908-687-7977. Admission is free.
The following brochure (in PDF format) is available for download: here. It was shared with us by Mr. Michael Yesenko, President of the Union Township Historical Society.
Built by Connecticut Farms Church in 1782 - 1783 after the original parsonage was burned down, it served as the church parsonage for most of the nineteenth century. The need for extensive repairs and its distance from the church prompted the church to built a new parsonage (manse) adjacent to the church in 1901, on Stuyvesant Avenue. The Parsonage house as well as the Church are on the National Register of Historic Places.
Library of Congress Web Site
Connecticut Farms Church at the Historical Collections for the National Digital Library Historic American Buildings Survey / Historic American Engineering Record
In the 1930s, as a WPA project, the Federal government hired surveyors and architects to architecturally render and catalogue colonial sites throughout America. Connecticut Farms Church was among those included. A team spent several weeks at the church in 1939, crawling and climbing from cellar to steeple. These drawings provide an interesting glimpse of the church at that time. Much of the present structure remains true to the drawings. The originals are stored at the Library of Congress and can be accessed by this link.
