About This Place
The burial ground associated with the First Presbyterian Church of Elizabeth contains graves dating to the colonial period, including those of Revolutionary War soldiers and prominent citizens of Elizabethtown. The cemetery provides a tangible connection to the individuals who lived through the town's Revolutionary era.
Revolutionary Significance
The churchyard was the primary burial ground for Elizabethtown's Presbyterian community from the seventeenth century through the nineteenth century. Among those buried here are soldiers who served in the Continental Army and the New Jersey militia, as well as civilians who endured the raids and deprivations of the war years. The slate and sandstone headstones, many worn by centuries of weather, bear the names of families that appear throughout Elizabethtown's Revolutionary history.
The burial of Reverend James Caldwell, the "Fighting Parson," was a particularly significant event for the congregation. His grave became a site of memory for the community, linking the physical space of the churchyard to the most dramatic episodes of the war in Elizabethtown.
Location
42 Broad St, Elizabeth, NJ 07201
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Events at This Location
1664
1765
Elizabethtown Stamp Act ResistanceElias Boudinot
1774
Elizabethtown Tea BurningAbraham Clark
1775
Elizabethtown Militia MobilizationJames Caldwell, William Livingston
1776
Formation of the 3rd New Jersey RegimentJames Caldwell, Hannah Caldwell
1776
British Forces Enter ElizabethtownWilliam Livingston, Cornelius Hetfield Jr.
1777
Elizabethtown Intelligence NetworksElias Boudinot
1777
Loyalist Raids from Staten IslandCornelius Hetfield Jr.
1779
Establishment of the New Jersey JournalShepard Kollock, James Caldwell, Hannah Caldwell
1780
British Raid on Liberty HallWilliam Livingston
1780
Burning of the First Presbyterian ChurchJames Caldwell, Hannah Caldwell
1780
Murder of Hannah CaldwellHannah Caldwell, James Caldwell, Shepard Kollock
1780
Battle of Connecticut FarmsHannah Caldwell, James Caldwell
1780
Battle of SpringfieldJames Caldwell, Hannah Caldwell
1781
Killing of Reverend James CaldwellJames Caldwell, Hannah Caldwell
1789
Washington's Inauguration Journey Through ElizabethtownElias Boudinot, William Livingston