Sentinels of History:
Three Historic Sites of Elizabeth Town
By: Charles Shallcross
From the earliest days of Elizabethtown, three venerable structures have witnessed a
remarkable history, including the growth of the town, the violence of wars, the birth of a
nation and all of the joys and sorrows that accompany such events. These silent sentinels of
history have endured and survived the vicissitudes of man and nature for more than three
centuries, bearing testimony to the history that has passed by their doors.
Although there are many sites of historical significance in the city of Elizabeth, none
were as closely linked during the desperate years of the American Revolution as the First
Presbyterian Church, Boxwood Hall and the Belcher Ogden Mansion. The First Presbyterian
Church, “Old First,” was the center of worship and seat of government from the beginning of
Elizabethtown in 1664. The first General Assembly met there in May of 1668.
As the church neared the end of its first century, it witnessed the arrival of its most
famous minister. Reverend James Caldwell, who would become known as “The Fighting
Parson,” came to Elizabethtown in 1762. The 28 year-old newly ordained minister, already a
strong proponent of colonial independence, would continue to urge even greater support for
the Patriots cause through his fiery sermons in the years before the outbreak of war with Great
Britain.
As revolution grew near and tensions mounted, the pastor and his church became a
target for those loyal to the King of England. Refusing to be silenced, Caldwell continued to
speak out. Indeed, legend has it that the situation became so dangerous, the Reverend began to
preach with a loaded brace of pistols at the pulpit. Not content with simply preaching for the
cause of independence, he enlisted as a Chaplin of Colonel Elias Drayton’s Third New Jersey
Regiment when hostilities broke out. Reverend Caldwell was later appointed Deputy
Quartermaster General and Assistant Commissary General of the Continental Army.
Sadly, neither Caldwell nor his church would survive the trials of the Revolution. In
January, 1780, the First Presbyterian was burned during one of the numerous devastating raids
conducted by British forces, encamped on nearby Staten Island. In 1781, Reverend James
Caldwell was killed while attempting to visit prisoners held at the Elizabethtown Waterfront.
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The previous year, his wife, Hannah, had been killed by a British Soldier during the Battle of
Connecticut Farms in what is now Union Township. That tragic event is today immortalized
in the Seal of Union County.
Still not recovered from the loss of their minister’s wife, the beleaguered citizens of
Elizabethtown gathered again in sorrow as Elias Boudinot delivered a eulogy “of surpassing
pathos” over the body of the fallen pastor, as it lay in state on the steps of Boxwood Hall.
Assembled around the bier, in what must have been a scene of utter heartbreak, were
Reverend Caldwell’s nine orphaned children.
The church was rebuilt after the war, has endured through fire and natural disaster, and
today it continues to serve the spiritual and social needs of the citizens of Elizabeth. The
adjacent churchyard, containing some of the oldest gravestones in New Jersey, still bears
proud witness to the role played by the “Old First” and its congregation during the tumultuous
years of the founding of our nation. The cemetery contains the remains of 227 soldiers of the
American Revolution, including three generals. Fittingly, in a prominent spot, marked by a
beautiful monument is the final resting place of the “Fighting Parson” and his wife Hannah.
Boxwood Hall, a short walk from the ruins of the First Presbyterian was the residence
of one of Elizabethtown’s most prominent citizens. Elias Boudinot was born in Philadelphia
in 1740. His family lived next door to a print shop and young Elias spent many happy hours at
the shop marveling at the latest creations and wondrous experiments of its fascinating and
famous proprietor, Benjamin Franklin. Little did young Elias realize how their paths would
cross again in the years to come.
Having become a successful and prominent attorney, Boudinot settled in
Elizabethtown in 1760. In 1768 he purchased Boxwood Hall, an imposing 18-room Georgian
mansion on a large estate that extended from present day Lafayette Street to Elizabeth
Avenue. As tensions increased between Great Britain and her colonies, Boudinot become
more active as a Patriot, and was elected to the New Jersey Provincial Assembly in 1775. In
1777 he was appointed Commissary General of Prisoners by the Continental Congress, and
elected to that legislative body later that same year.
Boudinot remained a member of the Second Continental Congress and in the year
between November 4, 1782 and November 3, 1783, he was elected President of Congress.
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During this term under the Articles of Confederation, Elias Boudinot, acting on a resolution
proposed by his old friend Benjamin Franklin, signed the treaty ending the American
Revolution.
Having been a valued friend and compatriot to George Washington during the war for
independence, Washington honored Boudinot with a visit to Boxwood Hall on April 23, 1789
as he was on his way to his inauguration as first President of the United States in New York
City. One can only imagine the conversations shared around the table during that historic
lunch in the dining room of Boxwood Hall.
Elias Boudinot left Elizabethtown and his beloved home in 1795 upon assuming duties
as the Director of the United States Mint in Philadelphia. The house was sold to Jonathan
Drayton who lived there until is death in 1824. Dayton, who had been the youngest signer of
the Constitution hosted a special visit to Boxwood Hall by the Marquis de Lafayette during
the latter’s American tour in 1824. The two old comrades enjoyed a pleasant reunion and just
in time, as it happened, for Drayton died just a week after the visit.
The ensuing years saw the old house serving in various capacities as a private
residence, school and finally as a home for “Aged Women.” The ladies of Boxwood Hall
were well aware of the history of their home and took great pride in its heritage. In the late
1930’s the old house was scheduled for demolition. Funds were raised by concerned citizens,
including a very effective campaign of donations from the school children of Elizabeth, and
the house was purchased in 1938. It was turned over to the State of New Jersey and restored
to its 18th century appearance. Today, Boxwood Hall continues to be maintained as a museum
and educational resource and is open to the public.
Across the street and slightly to the east stands one of the most historically significant
structures in New Jersey. Although it is not known with certainty, portions of the house may
date back to 1680. The house stands on the town lot of John Ogden, son of Elizabethtown’s
legendary founder, John Ogden, Sr.
Already old when Boxwood Hall was built, the Belcher-Ogden House became the
residence of the Royal Governor of New Jersey, Jonathan Belcher, upon his move from
Burlington to Elizabethtown in 1751. Belcher resided in the house until his death in 1757. The
house was then purchased by William Peartree Smith, a prominent lawyer. The wealthy Smith
and his family lived in the house in good style and enjoyed the home’s spacious living
quarters, gardens and orchards.
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As tensions between Great Britain increased, Smith became more active in his
opposition to English rule. At a provincial convention in July 1771, he was named to head a
local committee of correspondence. This important position assured swift and accurate
communication of vital news and information. Peartree Smiths’s efforts in support of the
revolutionary cause put his family and home in danger. His son, Belcher Smith, was taken
prisoner by the British and the house was ransacked on at least one occasion with damages
estimated at almost 1,000 pounds. Amid the danger and destruction of war, a happy event
briefly lifted the spirits of the besieged little town. In the fall of 1778, a grand wedding took
place in the house. Smith’s daughter, Caty, was married to Elisha Boudinot, brother of Elias.
Unlike so many others, the old house survived the war years and in 1812 became the
home of New Jersey Governor, Aaron Ogden. Following a succession of owners in the
1800’s, the house was owned for the first half of the 20th century by Warren C. Dix, a
prominent Elizabeth Attorney. The Belcher-Ogden Mansion was acquired by Mrs. John Kean
and Mr. Edward J. Grassman in the early 1960’s and was painstakingly restored to reflect its
18th century appearance. Today it serves as a unique resource that allows visitors to step back
in time and experience life in Revolutionary-era Elizabethtown.
It has been a long time, in many ways, since Hessian Soldier, Philipp Waldeck wrote
the following entry in his diary in December of 1776: “Elizabeth Town is the most agreeable
place one can imagine, comfortable for trade, as one can sail to the middle of city in sloops.
The layout of the city is widely spread; the houses, which are very nice, are built far apart and
large vegetable gardens and fruit orchards lie between.”
The gardens and orchards are long gone and the noise and traffic of a 21st century city
would frighten and confound its 18th century inhabitants, but 1st Presbyterian, Boxwood Hall
and the Belcher-Ogden Mansion still stand. Linked together by history they continue to
remind us of a time when Elizabethtown and its brave citizens stood on the front lines in the
struggle for Independence.
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