Join us at Old First Cemetery at Siloam Hope First Presbyterian Church in Elizabeth, NJ on Wednesday May 29th, 2024!
All 48StateTour! events are free & open to the public + no registration required

Old First Cemetery
42 Broad St. Elizabeth, NJ 07201
5/29/2024 9am-3pm

Find A Grave
Go Elizabeth NJ
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Location Details
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This is the site of the founding of Elizabethtown and the State of New Jersey in 1664. The church was the first house of worship in Elizabethtown, was burned by British and Loyalist forces in 1780 and rebuilt in 1786. The Reverend James Caldwell was pastor of the church. Along with the graves of James and Hannah Caldwell, the cemetery is the resting place of many soldiers, patriots and ancestors who fought for our independence during the Revolutionary War. On June 18, 2023 - a memorial was dedicated the the 313+ freed and enslaved African Americans who were buried in unmarked graves in this cemetery. The Old Academy School on the property was attended by Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr.

*info above provided by our local event cohost, Reverand Dr. Wanda Lundy
photos below provided by Jason Ellington with 313+ Ancestors Speak Project*