Overlooking Arthur Kull, or the Sound and just north of Smith street in Perth Amboy, stands what is know as the "Castle,"
the residence of the Parker family. It is a large structure in two parts - one of stone, the other of wood. There is a deed existing of the gift of land by Elisha Parker to his son, John, which is dated 1715. The "Castle" was begun in 1719 by John [28]. There are records to show that the stone addition was made by Col. John Parker, who died in 1732. When the "new part", as it is still called, was added by James Parker [28], the stone building was reduced one story so that the upper room was on a level with the entrance to the new house.
The following video was made as a class project by a local college in the Perth Amboy area. The audio is not very clear and it is misleading. However, the pictures both inside and outside are remarkable and we hope you will enjoy.
John, son of Col. Parker, was a midshipman in the British Navy, afterward commanded a company in the Fourth Battalion of Royal Americas; then as colonel, held command at Fort William Henry; served in campaigns abroad and died in 1762. James, his brother, was at first a soldier and afterward a merchant in New York. In 1771, he was Mayor of Perth Amboy. During the Revolution, he saved his vast land possessions by remaining neutral between the contending powers. His son James, born in 1776 was a prominent character in the history of the State. He left among other children, a daughter who married William A Whitehead and a son Courtlandt, whose name is a household word in New Jersey.
The Castle has been for may generations the homestead of the Parkers, and forth from it have issued many of the names who have reached distinguished positions. Six or seven generations have isued from the Castle's portals to mix in the active business of life. The soldier, the lawyer, the merchant, the legislator have all been trained to usefulness within its walls and many have been the daughters, wives and mothers who have there imbibed those principles of vitrue.
