About The Snyder Academy Museum

The Museum and Visitors Center of the Snyder Academy of Elizabethtown fosters renewed appreciation for the regional history and heritage of the diverse peoples called Americans by promoting education, research, and the performing arts

Elizabethtown grew quickly by virtue of its excellent seaport and proximity to productive farmland. First Presbyterian Church (FPC) attracted many of the early leaders of the colony, some of whom are buried in the cemetery. The church also called several of the most respected Pastors of the day, including Rev. Jonathan Dickinson, founder of what is now Princeton University, and Rev. James Caldwell, who was instrumental in rallying the people of North Central New Jersey to the side of the patriots in the American Revolution. A quick tour of the region will reveal these leaders remembered in the names of towns, roads, schools, and even colleges.

The story of the American Revolution cannot be fully appreciated without an understanding of the faith that inspired thousands of men and women to literally sacrifice their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor. The people of FPC and beyond had both faith in God and faith in each other. That faith helped preserve a city, create a state, and forge a nation.