Elizabeth in Union County, New Jersey — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Boxwood Hall
1750
Samuel Woodruff, Elizabethtown mayor, built Boxwood Hall about 1750. From 1772 to 1795 it was the home of Elias Boudinot (1740-1821), who served as president of the Continental Congress after the colonies signed a peace treaty with England, ending the Revolutionary War. In 1789 George Washington took lunch here on his way to Manhattan to be sworn in as the United States first president. Jonathan Dayton (1760-1824), a signer of the Constitution and later U.S. Senator from New Jersey lived here from 1795 to 1824.
[Captions:]
below: In the 19th century, Boxwood Hall was a girls' school, then the Home for Aged Women. Saved from the wrecking ball by local citizens in 1941, the house became a National Landmark in 1972.
left: Jonathan Dayton, third owner of Boxwood Hall
Erected by City of Elizabeth, New Jersey.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Government & Politics • Patriots & Patriotism • War, US Revolutionary. A significant historical year for this entry is 1750.
Location. 40° 39.823′ N, 74° 12.602′ W. Marker is in Elizabeth, New Jersey, in Union County. It is on East Jersey Street east of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, on the right
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in New Jersey’s North Jersey, in Greater Newark, and in the New York City Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American Northeast and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Netherland and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Lafayette's Tour (a few steps from this marker); Property of John Ogden 1680 (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); General Winfield Scott (about 300 feet away); The Belcher-Ogden Mansion (about 300 feet away); The Nathaniel Bonnell House (about 300 feet away); Pro Patria (about 300 feet away); Seven Astronauts (about 400 feet away); Elizabeth (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Elizabeth.
Other markers no longer nearby. The Nathaniel Bonnell House (was about 300 feet away but has been replaced with another marker now near it); a different marker also named The Belcher-Ogden Mansion (was about 300 feet away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, March 6, 2011
2. Boxwood Hall Marker
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, March 6, 2011
4. Boxwood Hall
Elias Boudinot, President of the Continental Congress, lived at Boxwood Hall and hosted guests including George Washington, the Marquis de Lafayette, Rev. James Caldwell, Richard Stockton and others. Alexander Hamilton stayed here while attending the nearby Old Academy.
This photo was taken before the Lafayette's Tour marker was erected.
This photo was taken before the Lafayette's Tour marker was erected.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 3, 2026. It was originally submitted on March 7, 2011, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 1,551 times since then and 48 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on January 3, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 2. submitted on March 7, 2011, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. 3. submitted on January 3, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 4. submitted on March 7, 2011, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.
