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Historic House

Liberty Hall Museum

Elizabeth, NJFeatured Site

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

  1. 1664

  2. 1765

  3. 1774

  4. 1775

    Elizabethtown Militia Mobilization

    James Caldwell, William Livingston

  5. 1776

    Formation of the 3rd New Jersey Regiment

    James Caldwell, Hannah Caldwell

  6. 1776

    British Forces Enter Elizabethtown

    William Livingston, Cornelius Hetfield Jr.

  7. 1777

  8. 1777

    Loyalist Raids from Staten Island

    Cornelius Hetfield Jr.

  9. 1779

    Establishment of the New Jersey Journal

    Shepard Kollock, James Caldwell, Hannah Caldwell

  10. 1780

  11. 1780

    Burning of the First Presbyterian Church

    James Caldwell, Hannah Caldwell

  12. 1780

    Murder of Hannah Caldwell

    Hannah Caldwell, James Caldwell, Shepard Kollock

  13. 1780

    Battle of Connecticut Farms

    Hannah Caldwell, James Caldwell

  14. 1780

    Battle of Springfield

    James Caldwell, Hannah Caldwell

  15. 1781

    Killing of Reverend James Caldwell

    James Caldwell, Hannah Caldwell

  16. 1789