Weehawken in Hudson County, New Jersey — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Death Rock of Alexander Hamilton
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, April 25, 2008
1. Death Rock of Alexander Hamilton
Inscription.
Death Rock of Alexander Hamilton. . Upon this stone rested the head of the patriot, soldier, statesman, and jurist Alexander Hamilton, after the duel with Aaron Burr.
Upon this stone rested the head of the patriot, soldier, statesman, and jurist Alexander Hamilton, after the duel with Aaron Burr.
Location. 40° 46.2′ N, 74° 1.032′ W. Marker is in Weehawken, New Jersey, in Hudson County. Marker is on Hamilton Avenue, on the left when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Weehawken NJ 07086, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Also see . . . 1. Duel At Dawn, 1804. (Submitted on April 25, 2008, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.) 2. Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr's Duel. American Experience. (Submitted on April 25, 2008, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.)
The Hamilton-Burr duel took place in Weehawken, NJ because dueling was illegal in New York.
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, April 25, 2008
3. Hamilton Duel Site
The stone where a mortally wounded Alexander Hamilton lay his head is located behind a bust of him.
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, April 25, 2008
4. Marker in Weehawken, NJ
The Death Rock is visible behind the bust of Alexander Hamilton. New York City can be seen in the background.
Photographed By Allen C. Browne, January 18, 2014
5. Alexander Hamilton
This 1806 portrait of Alexander Hamilton by John Trumbull hangs in the National Portrait Gallery.
“Illegitimate and orphaned at an early age, Alexander Hamilton possessed the drive and intelligence that attracted wealthy patrons who sent him to study at King's College (now Columbia University). An early advocate for independence from Britain, he enlisted in the army and came to the attention of George Washington, who made him a member of his military "family."
After independence, Hamilton supported a strong national government, assisting in the ratification of the Constitution by authoring, with John Jay and James Madison, the most original contribution to American political thought, the Federalist Papers. Washington, impressed with Hamilton's mastery of economics, made him the first secretary of treasury. Hamilton's policies assumption of state debts, encouragement of commerce and manufacturing, and promotion of a national bank are credited with laying the groundwork for a strong republic. He was killed in a duel with the vice president, Aaron Burr.”— National Portrait Gallery
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, April 25, 2008
6. Alexander Hamilton Bust
Hamilton looks away from New York City, where he died following his duel with VP Aaron Burr on July 11, 1804.
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, July 11, 2013
7. Duel Site Anniversary Event
Members of the Alexander Hamilton Awareness Society hold a Duel Remembrance ceremony on the 209th anniversary of the famous duel.
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, July 11, 2013
8. Closeup of Alexander Hamilton Bust
circa 1910
9. Alexander Hamilton Monument, Weehawken, N.J.
Note here that the bust is placed directly on top of the rock, with what is almost certainly a historical marker placed on the rock's face - thus explaining the flattened inscription area and visible bolt holes on the front of the current marker.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 13, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 25, 2008, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 5,502 times since then and 305 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on April 25, 2008, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. 5. submitted on June 19, 2015, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. 6. submitted on April 25, 2008, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. 7, 8. submitted on July 11, 2013, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. 9. submitted on September 24, 2015. • Craig Swain was the editor who published this page.