Boxwood Hall State Historic Site

Boxwood Hall is a two-story, wood-frame building in the Georgian style. Built in the 1750’s, Boxwood Hall served as the residence of the Woodruff, Boudinot, Dayton, Spencer, and DeHart families. It is best known as the home of Jonathan Dayton, the youngest signer of the Constitution, and Elias Boudinot IV, President of the Continental Congress that ratified the Peace Treaty with Great Britain. Boxwood Hall also hosted notable guests including Alexander Hamilton and George Washington. From 1845 to 1855, the building operated as a Young Ladies’ Academy. In the 1880’s, Boxwood Hall became the Elizabeth Home for Aged Women. In 1938, Boxwood Hall was threatened with demolition; however, a group of citizens saved it by raising funds to purchase and deed the building to the State of New Jersey. Boxwood Hall underwent restoration in the early 1940’s, stripping away late nineteenth-century alterations. It was subsequently opened as a museum in 1947.