Birthplace Needs Visitor Center to Make Caldwell Tourism Destination

The at the Grover Cleveland Birthplace is a Caldwell tradition. Starting at 1 p.m. and ending at 4 p.m., the day will be filled with free ice cream, lemonade, popcorn, magicians, balloons, street theater, old-fashioned games and dress up, a DJ, a special guest appearance by Uncle Sam and a tour the of the 1832 Historic House. This year, there will even be a and a visitor’s survey. 

I’m a big fan of the Caldwells. I’m not originally from this area; my husband and I moved here from Hawaii in 2001. In the years I’ve spent volunteering at , I found that residents are caring and the town merchants and local organizations are generous with their time and donations.

I discovered what a lovely little tourism attraction we have right here on Bloomfield Avenue; . I had known about the Birthplace because of the annual Ice Cream Social but didn’t know too much about President Cleveland. It turns out that he was one of the best Presidents of the United States and the only president to have been born and buried in New Jersey. The Grover Cleveland Birthplace State Historic Site is the only house museum in the country dedicated to President Cleveland.   

We have a huge potential for making Caldwell a tourist destination—visiting the Birthplace and strolling along the shops and restaurants is a charming way to spend half-a-day in the tri-state area. The Birthplace has about 6,000 visitors per year, but that can surely increase with a proper facility and town enthusiasm.       

I got involved with the Grover Cleveland Birthplace Memorial Association (GCBMA) and I’ve become passionate about it. There is an effort taking place to turn the carriage house in the back into a with full bathroom and meeting room space so visitors can be briefed before entering the Birthplace. It’s really exciting, though not many people know what is happening.  

The Ice Cream Social is the largest event for the Association and we are hoping to communicate all our plans with the local residents. The association is planning more events in the future: an old fashioned baseball game at North Caldwell Fireman’s field on Sept. 22 (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.), the Caldwell Street Fair on Oct. 7, and the GCBMA Annual meeting on Oct. 22 at the (with guest speaker, Lawrence Reed, who is a big fan of Grover Cleveland).    

Hope to see you all on the Fourth of July!