Elizabeth, NJ has played a crucial role in America’s story for over 250 years. From its founding days to the American Revolution, through industrial growth, immigration waves, and modern transformation, our city’s history is a testament to resilience and progress. Explore this interactive timeline to uncover key moments that defined Elizabeth and helped shape the nation.
©️2025 Elizabeth Destination Marketing Organization. All Rights Reserved. Supported in part by a grant from the NJ Dept. of State, Division of Travel & Tourism. | Design & Web Hosting PoweredByRemeoner
©️2025 Elizabeth Destination Marketing Organization. All Rights Reserved. Supported in part by a grant from the NJ Dept. of State, Division of Travel & Tourism. | Design & Web Hosting PoweredByRemeoner
During the American Revolution, Elizabethtown, New Jersey, served as a critical outpost just miles from British-occupied New York. Its homes, churches, taverns, and public spaces played pivotal roles as headquarters, meeting places, and encampments for Continental troops and patriot leaders.
This elegant home, once occupied by Governor Jonathan Belcher and later by prominent local figures, became an important meeting place for Revolutionaries. It symbolized Elizabethtown’s deep commitment to the patriot cause
Churches often served as makeshift military hospitals and meeting halls during the war. Given its central role in Elizabethtown’s life, the Old First Church likely hosted key gatherings and strategy sessions during the conflict.
Residences belonging to men like Elias Dayton, a colonel in the Continental Army and father of Constitution signer Jonathan Dayton, were natural gathering places for military planning and coordination.
Taverns such as the Red Lion Inn near Elizabethtown were strategic centers where soldiers met, exchanged intelligence, and coordinated raids across the Arthur Kill from British-held Staten Island
This public common became a rallying point for militia drills, official proclamations, and possibly served as a staging area for temporary encampments. The Green remained a symbol of civic pride and resistance throughout the war.
Because of its strategic importance, Elizabethtown suffered repeated raids and devastating attacks. In January 1780, for instance, British forces conducted one of several nighttime assaults, burning parts of the town and driving patriot forces back inland.
Despite the destruction, Elizabethtown’s commitment never wavered. It remained an active link between Washington’s army and other Continental forces in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
1895 – The Dix Building: A Commercial Pillar of Broad Street
Tucked along one of Elizabeth’s most storied corridors, the Dix Building at 208–210 Broad Street stands as a quiet witness to the city’s vibrant commercial past. Though now only three stories tall, its history once soared to six—mirroring the energy and ambition of late 19th-century Elizabeth.
The first known reference to the Dix Building appears in city directories from 1895, a time when Broad Street buzzed with industrial and retail expansion. Early photographs and architectural records suggest the building was a six-story structure with a stone façade, arched windows, and intricate moldings—hallmarks of the period’s commercial architecture.
🧑🏫 A Center for Commerce & Education
In its early years, the building hosted Elizabeth Clothiers, a retail store owned by William B. Daland. The upper floors became home to professional offices and even the Union Business College, reflecting the building’s multi-use function during an era of rapid economic and population growth.
By 1904, Leo H. Schwed, a prominent local clothier, relocated his business to the site. Eventually, he purchased the building outright and renamed it the Schwed Building—a name that may still ring familiar for longtime residents. These transitions reflect the dynamic nature of Elizabeth’s business district and the immigrant families who helped shape it.
🕰️ Then & Now
One of the enduring mysteries surrounding the Dix Building is its transformation from six stories to three. Though the exact date is unknown, it’s believed to have occurred sometime between the 1920s and 1940s, perhaps as a result of structural changes or modernization efforts. Today, the building is home to two ground-floor storefronts and five residential units across its remaining three stories.
Our knowledge of the Dix Building’s evolution is thanks in part to Arnold Christian Samuelsen, a lifelong Elizabeth resident and local historian. Samuelsen documented its significance in his research, noting the building’s first appearance in local directories and its role in the city’s retail history.
Though altered in height, the Dix Building remains an architectural and historical landmark—a physical link between the Elizabeth of today and the bustling, industrious city it was becoming in the late 1800s.
