The Dove

I found him in the woods today, behind Liberty Hall, an 1772 Georgian style home built for William Livingston, who served as a delegate to the Continental Congress in 1774, 1775, and 1776. Livingston was elected the first Governor of the State of New Jersey in 1776 and his daughter married John Jay, the first Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court.

Liberty Hall has had many guests, including George Washington, Martha Washington, Lewis Morris, Lafayette, Elias Boudinot, John Jay and Alexander Hamilton. President Reagan and President Ford may have also visited with the Kean family, who purchased the home in 1811. Descendant Thomas Kean went on to become the 48th Governor of New Jersey in 1982.

I feel akin to the surroundings since I once ran like a wild child all over the property, trying to avoid having my tiny hiney shot at by my next door neighbor BB, who was hired by the Kean family to use their salt pellet gun on any errant trespassers like me. Apparently, BB liked his job so much that he went on to become a NJ State Trooper.