- December 13, 2025
- Gordon Bond
On March 31, 1870, Thomas Mundy Peterson became the first African American in the nation to vote under the Fifteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution when he cast a ballot in a Perth Amboy, NJ city charter election. He had been working in the stables of J. L. Kearny that morning when his employer suggested he exercise his right as a citizen, showing him a newspaper announcing the Amendment was the new law of the land. Peterson wasn’t sure about it—there would be a municipal election in a few weeks. Maybe he would wait until then. On the way home for lunch, he was encouraged by other members of the city’s unusually progressive white community. He likely discussed it with his wife, Daphne, before deciding to stop by City Hall on his way back to work, casting his vote and making history.
The home where he mulled over his decision was at 9 Commerce Lane, a long gone alley running south from Commerce Street, between High and Rector Streets. The Peterson family resided there between 1866 and 1904. It disappeared from maps by 1913 and the lot remained empty until an electrical supply company constructed a warehouse in the 1950s. This, however, was on a slab-foundation, meaning any deeper evidence of the house could have been protected. In 2010, while researching his book about Peterson, independent historian Gordon Bond rediscovered the site’s significance—and recognized the opportunity for an archeological investigation! It is possible remains of the house or a trash pit could turn up physical artifacts associated with Peterson’s time.
So why hasn’t this been done? The site is owned by the Kushner real estate company and has been part of their Harborside development projects since the early 2000s. Efforts by local historians and preservationists have advocated that an archeological investigation be conducted prior to development so any artifacts can be removed. The Kushner company has been adamantly opposed to allowing this for reasons only known to themselves. The investigation would take only a week or two and there is no desire to prevent the development. Perth Amboy City Hall had publicly indicated support for this requirement. Recently, however, a revised development plan has received initial approval by the City that does not include archeology. Earlier this year, a petition to allow a dig was created by the local chapter of the NAACP (https://c.org/gYxt6dJLy4). Preservation NJ has supported this initiative, and the Peterson home site was listed on its 2025 10 Most Endangered Historic Places along with the old police headquarters on the same block.
On January 7, 2026, the developer will be appearing before the planning board seeking a Major Site Plan approval. We encourage everyone who is interested in history, preservation, civil and voting rights history, and African American history to attend and let the board know this issue matters! Even if nothing is found, insisting on an archeology requirement would cost them little, not delay development, and earn them the good will that would come from exhibiting appreciation and sensitivity to the legacy of the communities involved in the story.
Please consider showing your support by filling the meeting hall at YMCA Building, 357 New Brunswick Avenue, at 7:00 p.m. on January 7, 2026!
