5 March 1779
General Washington’s orders called the Continental Army Court‑Martial, presided over by Colonel Williams, to reconvene at the Red Lion Inn on 8 March during the Middlebrook winter encampment.

25 January 1780
While British forces razed nearby buildings in Elizabethtown, the Red Lion Inn alone escaped destruction—standing as a rare survivor of that raid.

23 April 1789
En route to Canvas Hall and then to New York for his inauguration, President‑elect George Washington breakfasted at the Inn—cementing its place in the first chapter of our presidential history.

Over a century later, the historic tavern gave way to civic ambition. With funding from Andrew Carnegie, city leaders demolished the old structure and, in 1912, unveiled the Elizabeth Public Library on the same site.

Today, a bronze marker at the library entrance honors Smith’s 18th‑century inn.

Address: 11 South Broad Street, Elizabeth, NJ

Historic Marker: Look for the Red Lion Inn plaque at the library steps

“General Orders, 5 March 1779,” Founders Online, NARA

“Elizabeth Public Library,” Visit Elizabeth NJ

“Historic Red Lion Inn,” RevolutionaryWarNewJersey.com

Chase & Ferraro, The Papers of George Washington, RWS vol. 19 (2009), p. 365

“Samuel Smith,” WikiTree