NJ, USA

Elizabethtown Point (Elizabeth Marina)

Landmark

Elizabethtown Point, located at the southern end of Elizabeth where the Elizabeth River meets the Arthur Kill, was the colonial-era landing and ferry crossing that connected Elizabethtown to Staten Island and the wider Atlantic world. The area is now occupied by the Elizabeth Marina and surrounding waterfront.

What Happened Here

Elizabethtown Point was the commercial and strategic heart of colonial Elizabethtown. The ferry to Staten Island operated from this location, and it was the primary point of embarkation for travelers heading to New York. During the Revolution, the Point became one of the most dangerous places in the town. British forces on Staten Island could observe activity at the Point, and raiding parties frequently crossed the Arthur Kill to attack the landing and surrounding area.

It was at Elizabethtown Point that Reverend James Caldwell was shot and killed by Continental sentry James Morgan on November 24, 1781. George Washington landed at the Point on April 23, 1789, arriving by barge from the New Jersey shore en route to his inaugural ceremony in New York City. These events made the Point a site of both tragedy and celebration in Elizabethtown's history.