New Brunswick in Middlesex County, New Jersey — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Hardenbergh Hall

Photographed By David Weintraub

1. Hardenbergh Hall Marker

Inscription. Hardenbergh Hall was built in 1956 and named for Jacob Rutsen Hardenbergh, who profited from the enslavement of Black people. Hardenbergh was a founder of Queen's College (renamed Rutgers College) and appointed its first president. He was a Dutch Reformed minister who came from a prominent slaveholding family in Ulster County New York. Hardenbergh forced enslaved people to manage his household. We do not know how many or the names of enslaved people who came in and out of Hardenbergh's parsonage over the years, but his family owned many, including renowned abolitionist Sojourner Truth and her parents, Bomefree and Mau-Mau Bett. This marker honors Sojourner Truth, Bomefree, and Mau-Mau Bett and the other women, men, and children enslaved by the Hardenbergh family.

Erected by Rutgers University.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Education • Industry & Commerce.

Location. 40° 30.267′ N, 74° 26.98′ W. Marker is in New Brunswick, New Jersey, in Middlesex County. Marker is on George Street, 0.2 miles west of Bishop Place, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 615 George St, New Brunswick NJ 08901, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking

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distance of this marker. Frelinghuysen Hall (within shouting distance of this marker); The Birthplace of College Football (approx. 0.2 miles away); First Constitutional Convention in New Jersey (approx. 0.2 miles away); On This High Ground (approx. 0.2 miles away); Paul Robeson (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Reformed Dutch Church founded Queens College (approx. ¼ mile away); New Brunswick and the American Revolution / Crossroads of the American Revolution (approx. 0.3 miles away); Gray Terrace (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in New Brunswick.

Additional keywords. human trafficking; slave labor

Photographed By David Weintraub

2. Hardenbergh Hall Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on September 25, 2022. It was originally submitted on November 4, 2021, by David Weintraub of Edison, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 230 times since then and 58 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 4, 2021, by David Weintraub of Edison, New Jersey. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.