About This Place
The Union County Courthouse complex on Broad Street occupies the site where colonial-era government buildings stood when Elizabethtown served as the administrative center of the region. The courthouse area represents the continuity of civic function on this site from the colonial period to the present.
Revolutionary Significance
Elizabethtown was New Jersey's first colonial capital and a center of governance from the earliest days of English settlement in 1664. The colonial courthouse and associated government buildings were located in the area around Broad Street, where the town's civic, religious, and commercial functions converged. During the Revolution, the courthouse area was the site of Committee of Safety meetings, militia musters, and the administrative work of maintaining a community under constant military pressure.
The current courthouse building dates to the nineteenth century and has been expanded multiple times, but its location on Broad Street preserves the geographic relationship between government and community that has characterized Elizabeth since its founding. The courthouse grounds include monuments and markers related to the town's history.
Location
2 Broad St, Elizabeth, NJ 07207
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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