Revolutionary War Sites and Stories in Elizabethtown (1775–1783)

By adminPublished On: April 28, 2025Categories: Revolutionary War & Early American Republic (1775–1800)3.5 min read

During the American Revolution, Elizabethtown’s churches, homes, and gathering places stood within a community exposed to military movement and raids. Today, these places offer ways to explore Elizabeth’s Revolutionary history—but a connection to the war does not necessarily establish that a building served as military headquarters.

Which Revolutionary War sites can you explore in Elizabeth, New Jersey?

Start with First Presbyterian Church and its burial ground, Belcher-Ogden Mansion, Boxwood Hall, and the former Red Lion Inn site. Each has a different historical connection. Distinguish surviving buildings from historic locations and documented events from later traditions when using them as sources.

????️ Key Sites of Revolutionary Activity in Elizabethtown

Belcher-Ogden Mansion

The mansion connects Elizabeth’s colonial and Revolutionary history. The Historical Society of Elizabeth records its use as Governor Jonathan Belcher’s residence and its later ownership by William Peartree Smith.

Stories about Washington attending a wedding celebration here need careful attribution. The Society’s research questions the traditional October 1778 wedding account and distinguishes documented chronology from a possible later reception. The house’s history is valuable without treating that disputed story as proof of military headquarters or strategy meetings. Historical Society of Elizabeth: The Elizabeth Legend of George Washington

First Presbyterian Church

The church’s wartime history includes destruction during the January 25, 1780 raid. Union County’s historical trail identifies the burning of the church, and the National Park Service chronology includes the Elizabeth Presbyterian Church and courthouse among buildings burned during the raids on Elizabethtown and Newark. Union County: The Last Invasion Historic Trail; National Park Service: January 25, 1780

The church seen today should not be described as the intact wartime building. The Presbyterian Historical Society’s archival guide records rebuilding after the Revolutionary-era destruction and again after a 1946 fire. Guide to the First Presbyterian Church Records

Homes of Patriot Leaders

Private homes help connect local places with the people of the Revolutionary era. Boxwood Hall provides a documented example: The New Jersey Historic Trust identifies it as a home of Elias Boudinot, president of the Continental Congress that ratified the peace treaty with Great Britain, and Jonathan Dayton, a signer of the Constitution. It also records visits by George Washington and Alexander Hamilton.

These associations establish a historical connection; they do not by themselves prove that the house was a wartime headquarters. New Jersey Historic Trust: Boxwood Hall

Taverns and the Red Lion Inn Site

The Red Lion Inn belongs to Elizabeth’s tavern history. The Historical Society identifies Samuel Smith’s inn at the site of today’s Elizabeth Public Library. This is a historic location, rather than a surviving colonial tavern that visitors can enter. Historical Society of Elizabeth: Forum 2014

The Society’s account describes both American and British officers using the inn as military control of the area shifted. That connection places the tavern within the town’s wartime life. Historical Society of Elizabeth: Forum 2014

Historical Connections at a Glance

Place	Supported connection	Important distinction
Belcher-Ogden Mansion	Colonial residence; Revolutionary-era ownership and traditions examined by the Historical Society.	Washington’s wedding attendance is disputed; headquarters use is not established here.
First Presbyterian Church	Church burned in the January 1780 raid.	The current structure reflects later rebuilding.
Boxwood Hall	Home associated with Elias Boudinot and later Jonathan Dayton.	A notable resident or visitor does not establish headquarters use.
Red Lion Inn site	Former tavern location at today’s public library.	The colonial inn is not the current building.

???? Elizabethtown Under Fire

On January 25, 1780, British and German forces raided Newark and Elizabethtown. The National Park Service records surprised American posts, captured troops, and burned buildings, including the Elizabeth courthouse and Presbyterian Church. National Park Service: Morristown Encampment Chronology

The episode gives concrete evidence of the dangers faced by the community. Elizabeth’s Revolutionary story can be told through these documented events while leaving room for further research into the individual places where military work occurred.