Routes to Roots Heritage Trail
Saint Peter's Episcopal Church
St. Peter's Episcopal Church is the oldest Episcopal parish in New Jersey, with its first service dating back to 1685. The current church was designed in the Gothic Revival architectural style by local architect and brick manufacturer Alfred Hull, and was built in 1852. Especially significant are the stained glass windows that combine biblical and colonial themes. The church also possesses a massive silver Communion Service, which was given by Queen Anne. During the Revolutionary War, the church and its graveyard were occupied by British and American Troops. The church's cemetery is the final resting place of early settlers as well as prominent citizens including Thomas "Mundy" Peterson (1824-1904) of Perth Amboy, NJ. Peterson became the first African American to vote in an election under the provisions of the 15th Amendment to the United States Constitution. Contact the church for additional information.
Saint Peter's Episcopal Church
179 Rector Street
Perth Amboy, NJ
(732) 826-9033
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The Cranbury Inn
Identified by various sources, including a strong local oral tradition, as having been connected to the Underground Railroad. Runaway slaves were brought from Crosswicks Village or Allentown to Cranbury and then on to New Brunswick in traversing New Jersey to places farther north. Today, the historic site is home to one of New Jersey's premiere restaurants. Its present building comprises two of the three original taverns that were on the site; one dating from the mid 1700's and the other from the late 1700's. These original taverns were built together by the innkeepers house in 1800.
The Cranbury Inn
21 South Main Street
Cranbury, NJ 08512
(609) 655-5595
http://www.thecranburyinn.com
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The Van Dyke Farm (Pulda Farm)
South Brunswick Township
This historic property was deeded to the Van Dyke family in 1688, and remained in the family until 1957, when it was purchased by William Pulda. The property, which is today roughly 200 acres, includes a farmhouse, carriage house and family graveyard. A local group is working to save the property as it is believed that the property may yield valuable archaeological information. To date, it is purported that cramped slave quarters have been found over the kitchen still intact and a bill of sale for a young black girl was unearthed in the basement. The property may also have an unmarked slave cemetery nearby.
The farm has been listed by Preservation New Jersey as an endangered historic site.
Preservation New Jersey
New York Times Article
For additional information about the farm please contact the following:
Eastern Villages Association
William Klimowicz
(732) 297-5520
119 Davidson Mill Road
North Brunswick, NJ
klimo119@msn.com
http://mysite.verizon.net/vzeo8p8o/
Eastern Villages Association
Elaine Livingston
(732) 821-9757
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Black Heritage Riders
In 1992, the Black Heritage Riders (BHR) organized in New Jersey and within a few years became New Jersey's premier African American horse riding organization. BHR's goal is to inform and engage students and diverse audiences about the historical role African Explorers, African American Trailblazers, Cowboys, Horsewomen and Black Indians played in the western frontier. Through workshops, horse-riding and audio/visual aids, BHR provides creative educational programs that encourage, stimulate, and engage audiences in the disciplines of social studies, literacy, and science.
Black Heritage Riders
53 School Street
Piscataway, NJ 08854
(732) 572-5078 or (732) 648-9045
http://blackheritageriders.org
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COUNTENANCE: Notable County Facts & Faces
Thomas Mundy Peterson (1824-1904)
Thomas Mundy Peterson of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, was presented with a medal on Decoration Day (now Memorial Day), on May 30, 1884 in commemoration of his having been America's First African American Citizen to cast a vote under the Fifteenth Amendment. He was also the first African-American person to be appointed to rewrite Perth Amboy's Charter.
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County History and Resource Organizations
Jamesburg Historical Association
203 Buckelew Avenue
Jamesburg, NJ 08831
Phone: 732-521-2040
E-Mail: webmaster@jamesburg.net
Middlesex County Cultural & Heritage Commission
703 Jersey Avenue
New Brunswick, NJ 08901-3605
Work: 732-745-4489
Fax: 732-745-4524
E-Mail: isha.vyas@co.middlesex.nj.us
North Brunswick Historical Society
PO Box 7694
North Brunswick, NJ 08902
(732) 821-2644
Edison Twp. Historical Society
328 Plainfield Avenue
Edison, NJ 08817
(201) 287-0900
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