National Historic Landmark

Liberty Hall (Livingston, Gov. William, House)

Elizabeth, Union County, New Jersey
Listed
November 28, 1972
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
72000807

About this property

Liberty Hall, also known as the Governor William Livingston House, located on Morris Avenue in Union, Union County, New Jersey, United States, is a historic home where many leading influential people lived. It was documented by the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) in 1938. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places as a National Historic Landmark on November 28, 1972, for its significance in politics and government. It is now the Liberty Hall Museum. Originally a fourteen-room Georgian-style house, it was built in 1772. Liberty Hall stands today as a fifty-room Victorian Italianate mansion. Liberty Hall has been home to many historical figures and was the home of William Livingston, the first Governor of New Jersey, who served from 1776 to 1790; United States Supreme Court Justice Henry Brockholst Livingston; the Kean political dynasty, including Susan Livingston Kean, widow of Continental Congress delegate John Kean, United States Senator and Congressman John Kean, and Captain John Kean, son of United States Senator Hamilton Fish Kean; and, in its first year of occupancy, future Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton. Liberty Hall has had visitors of such stature as George Washington, Martha Washington, Lewis Morris, Marquis de Lafayette, Elias Boudinot, and John Jay, the latter of whom was married there. The Liberty Hall Museum is located on the Liberty Hall Campus of Kean University in Union, New Jersey between the campus' Main Campus in Union and East Campus in Hillside, New Jersey.

Location

Elizabeth, Union County, New Jersey
40.67942, -74.22690

Categories

POLITICS/GOVERNMENT
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Liberty Hall (Livingston, Gov. William, House)

This page lists Liberty Hall (Livingston, Gov. William, House). A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Liberty Hall (Livingston, Gov. William, House) report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Townley, James, House
Industrial
0.4 mi
Woodruff House
Industrial
0.7 mi
Fowler, Charles N., House
Industrial
0.7 mi
Whyman House
Industrial
1 mi
Elizabeth Station
Industrial
1 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Elizabethtown
1780Revolutionary War
1.4 mi
Battle of Short Hills
1777Revolutionary War
1.5 mi

Questions about this property

When was Liberty Hall (Livingston, Gov. William, House) listed on the National Register?

Liberty Hall (Livingston, Gov. William, House) was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 28, 1972.

What type of historic resource is Liberty Hall (Livingston, Gov. William, House)?

Liberty Hall (Livingston, Gov. William, House) is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Liberty Hall (Livingston, Gov. William, House) a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Liberty Hall (Livingston, Gov. William, House) has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Liberty Hall (Livingston, Gov. William, House)?

The period of significance for Liberty Hall (Livingston, Gov. William, House) is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Liberty Hall (Livingston, Gov. William, House)?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Liberty Hall (Livingston, Gov. William, House) will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Union County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Union County.

Explore UnionCounty ›

More historic places in New Jersey

Browse all historic places in New Jersey.

View New Jerseyhistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

New Jersey history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

New Jerseyhistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Liberty Hall (Livingston, Gov. William, House) will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report