Saint James Church

Saint James Episcopal Church was established in 1704, and its original structure was built in 1724. In 1835 the church was destroyed by a tornado and rebuilt using as much of the original wood and fixtures as possible, with the rear section added in 1913. During 1776 and 1777, the Piscatawaytown area saw considerable military activity, and Woodbridge Avenue served as a main land artery for British communications and the movement of supplies and troops. The British Army used Saint James Church as barracks and a hospital from December 1776 to June 1777, and battles were fought at or very near the church. East of the church is a common grave of British soldiers who died in the Revolutionary War and were buried in British breastworks emplaced along the Post Road, now Woodbridge Avenue; at the request of opposing American forces, the British also buried a number of American soldiers, but their resting place is not known. The Piscatawaytown Burial Ground is one of the earliest in Middlesex County, its oldest readable monument is dated 1693, many American soldiers from several wars are buried there, and the highest-ranking veteran buried there is Brevet Major General Thomas Swords, a veteran of both the Mexican War and Civil War.

New Jersey · United States