About This Place
Liberty Hall is the estate built by William Livingston, first governor of New Jersey, in 1772. The property, now operated as a museum by Kean University, encompasses a restored mansion, period gardens, and exhibits spanning over 200 years of the Livingston and Kean families' history.
Revolutionary Significance
William Livingston built Liberty Hall in 1772 as a country retreat from his legal career in New York. The name reflected his political convictions, and the estate quickly became a gathering place for patriot leaders. During the Revolution, the British mounted multiple raids on the property in attempts to capture Governor Livingston, who was forced to sleep in different locations to avoid kidnapping. The house was later expanded and modified by subsequent generations of the Livingston and Kean families, who remained prominent in New Jersey and national politics.
The estate's survival through more than two centuries, and its continuous association with politically active families, makes it a rare site where the Revolutionary period, the early Republic, the Gilded Age, and the twentieth century can all be interpreted in a single location. The museum's collections include furniture, documents, and personal effects spanning the entire period of the house's occupation.
Location
1003 Morris Ave, Union, NJ 07083
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Events at This Location
1664
1765
Elizabethtown Stamp Act ResistanceElias Boudinot
1774
Elizabethtown Tea BurningAbraham Clark
1775
Elizabethtown Militia MobilizationJames Caldwell, William Livingston
1776
Formation of the 3rd New Jersey RegimentJames Caldwell, Hannah Caldwell
1776
British Forces Enter ElizabethtownWilliam Livingston, Cornelius Hetfield Jr.
1777
Elizabethtown Intelligence NetworksElias Boudinot
1777
Loyalist Raids from Staten IslandCornelius Hetfield Jr.
1779
Establishment of the New Jersey JournalShepard Kollock, James Caldwell, Hannah Caldwell
1780
British Raid on Liberty HallWilliam Livingston
1780
Burning of the First Presbyterian ChurchJames Caldwell, Hannah Caldwell
1780
Murder of Hannah CaldwellHannah Caldwell, James Caldwell, Shepard Kollock
1780
Battle of Connecticut FarmsHannah Caldwell, James Caldwell
1780
Battle of SpringfieldJames Caldwell, Hannah Caldwell
1781
Killing of Reverend James CaldwellJames Caldwell, Hannah Caldwell
1789
Washington's Inauguration Journey Through ElizabethtownElias Boudinot, William Livingston