Nathaniel Bonnell House

Elizabeth, NJ

The Nathaniel Bonnell House was built in 1682.

Historical Marker Database

The Bonnell House is the oldest house in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and one of the oldest residences in the state. It stood on this site in 1682 and was likely built years earlier. The house represents the carpentry skills of Nathaniel Bonnell, a Huguenot originally from New Haven, Connecticut. He came to Elizabeth about 1664 and was one of the original settlers and a member of the incorporating organization, the Elizabeth Associates. Between 1670 and 1685, Bonnell and his wife Elizabeth (nee Whitehead) raised seven children here. The family worked several farms in the environs, one of which in Connecticut Farms (now Union, NJ) was left to his son and namesake, Nathaniel.

What's Nearby

Explore more of The Liberty Trail by visiting these nearby attractions.

Historic Site

A two‑story yellow colonial house with dark brown trim and twin brick chimneys stands behind a small front porch and brick walkway.

Nathaniel Bonnell House

Elizabeth, NJ 07201

Nathaniel Bonnell House

Historic Site

A red historic house with white trim and twin brick chimneys stands behind a flagpole and walkway lined with bushes.

Boxwood Hall State Historic Site

Elizabeth, NJ 07201

0.10289063767841

Boxwood Hall State Historic Site

Historic Site

A tall brown stone Gothic‑style church tower with pointed arches and ornate spires rises above trees under a bright blue sky.

Saint John’s Episcopal Church

Elizabeth, NJ 07201

0.48893536580256

Saint John’s Episcopal Church

Historic Site

A tall brick church with a white clock‑tower steeple rises above a fenced grassy area with trees under a bright blue sky.

First Presbyterian Church and Elizabethtown

Elizabeth, NJ 07201

0.54473751556235

First Presbyterian Church and Elizabethtown Academy

Historic Site

A light‑stone courthouse stands behind a grassy area with a tree, a small cannon monument, and a historical marker noting the site of an early borough courthouse built before the Revolution.

Cannon at Elizabeth Courthouse

Elizabeth, NJ 07201

0.56182415789008

Cannon at Elizabeth Courthouse

Historic Site

A colonial era militia statue enclosed by a circular black fence stands in a small plaza with an American flag behind it, surrounded by multi‑story city buildings under a bright blue sky.

Minuteman Statue

Elizabeth, NJ 07201

0.7581092328491

Minuteman Statue

Historic Site

This is a sketch of a cannon stationed on a battlefield.

Battle of Connecticut Farms and Liberty Hall

Union, NJ 07083

2.4088508072202

Battle of Connecticut Farms and Liberty Hall Museum

Historic Site

Historic House

Liberty Hall

Union, NJ 07083

Former home of NJ's first elected governor

2.4088508072202

Liberty Hall

State/County Park

Historic Site

Elizabethtown Point

Elizabeth, NJ 07206

2.6522980615722

Elizabethtown Point

Historic Site

A kiosk with informational signs stands in a grassy park beside a street, with tall buildings rising in the background.

Union Veterans Honor Roll Park

Union, NJ 07083

6.263799851554

Union Veterans Honor Roll Park

Battlefield

Connecticut Farms and Springfield

Union, NJ 07083

Militia & Continentals push back a Hessian incursion

6.3050508386616

Connecticut Farms and Springfield

Historic Site

Caldwell Parsonage

Union, NJ 07083

6.8456007913649

Caldwell Parsonage

Historic Site

Lafayette Tour Marker, Staten Island, New

Staten Island, NY 10302

6.8923757086332

Lafayette Tour Marker, Staten Island, New York (NY-120)

Historic Site

A large bronze monument shows soldiers and civilians in dramatic motion, with horses and figures emerging from a rugged base in an outdoor urban park.

Military Park

Newark, NJ 07102

9.0826068485202

Military Park

Historic Site

A bronze memorial plaque mounted on stone honors Colonel Israel Angell, featuring an engraved tribute letter from George Washington.

Col. Israel Angell Memorial and Rahway River

Springfield, NJ 07081

9.2862845004133

Col. Israel Angell Memorial and Rahway River Bridge

Historic Site

A bronze plaque mounted on a stone surface commemorates a June 23, 1780 battle where Americans delayed advancing British forces near Springfield.

Vauxhall Bridge Battle Marker

Millburn, NJ 07041

9.4299571743694

Vauxhall Bridge Battle Marker

Historic Site

A tan colonial‑style house with dormer windows, brick chimneys, and a columned porch stands behind trimmed hedges and a stone retaining wall, with an American flag flying beside it.

Hessian House

Millburn, NJ 07041

9.5847972368399

Hessian House

Historic Site

A yellow colonial‑style house with green shutters and a steep dark roof stands behind a leafless tree, with a stone walkway leading to its green front door.

Cannonball House at Springfield Battle Site

Springfield, NJ 07081

9.7378744367627

Cannonball House at Springfield Battle Site

Historic Site

Historic House

Cannonball House at Springfield Battlesite

Springfield, NJ 07081

9.7378744367627

Cannonball House at Springfield Battlesite

Historic Site

A white wooden church with a tall clock‑tower steeple and red doors stands behind a stone‑bordered lawn with a lamppost and statue.

Springfield Presbyterian Church

Springfield, NJ 07081

10.048301391164

Springfield Presbyterian Church

Battlefield

State/County Park

Historical Marker in Millburn, NJ, that details the "Forgotten Victory" of 1780

Battle of Springfield

Millburn, NJ 07041

10.549536356905

Battle of Springfield

Historic Site

A red‑roofed informational sign stands beside a split paved walkway in a green park, with flowers, trees, and a small bridge in the background.

Taylor Park and the Forgotten Victory Trail

Milburn, NJ 07041

10.564722114156

Taylor Park and the Forgotten Victory Trail

Historic Site

A bronze plaque mounted on a stone surrounded by greenery commemorates a June 23, 1780 militia action that halted a British advance toward Morristown.

Last British Thrust Marker

Millburn, NJ 07041

10.77147321284

Last British Thrust Marker

Historic Site

Fort Wadsworth

Staten Island, NY 10305

Historic Fort under British Occupation 1776-1783

14.34334568634

Fort Wadsworth

Historic Site

A black cannon sits atop a small stone structure with a glass window, surrounded by green trees under an overcast sky.

The Battle of Short Hills

Scotch Plains, NJ 07076

15.024470188029

The Battle of Short Hills

State/County Park

Battlefield

Paulus Hook

Jersey City, NJ 07302

Patriot morale is restored in New Jersey

15.564017187162

Paulus Hook

Historic Site

A tan historic building with green shutters and a columned porch stands along a brick sidewalk, shaded by large trees and marked by a streetlamp flying an American flag.

Stage House Inn

Scotch Plains, NJ 07076

16.073384542455

Stage House Inn

Historic Site

Museum

Fraunces Tavern Museum

New York, NY 10004

Visit New York's Revolutionary past

17.253353266181

Fraunces Tavern Museum

National Park

Historic Site

Federal Hall

New York, NY 10005

Site where Washington took the first oath of office

17.444998893191

Federal Hall | National Memorial New York

Historic Site

Battlefield

The Green-Wood Cemetery

Brooklyn, NY 11232

18.087735356998

The Green-Wood Cemetery

Historic Site

Four Chimneys Marker

Brooklyn, NY 11201

18.169060641307

Four Chimneys Marker

Historic Site

Historic House

Governor's Mansion

Perth Amboy, NJ 08861

Mansion of Benjamin Franklin's Loyalist son, William

18.498586068831

Royal Governor's Mansion

Historic Site

Museum

Center for Brooklyn History

Brooklyn, NY 11201

Part of the Brooklyn Library with Rev War Resources

18.592498902308

Center for Brooklyn History

Historic Site

Historic House

Old Stone House

Brooklyn, NY 11215

Explore Revolution Brooklyn from 1776 - 1783

18.957119009012

Old Stone House

Historic Site

Historic House

Drake House

Plainfield, NJ 07060

Washington's HQ prior to the battle of Short Hills

19.605419062929

Nathaniel Drake House

Historic Site

Museum

Brooklyn Museum

Brooklyn, NY 11238

Museum in Brooklyn with Rev War collections

20.703227589974

Brooklyn Museum

Historic Site

A wooden entrance gate stands at the Old Barracks Museum, built from two tall posts and a horizontal beam. Beyond the gate, a gravel path leads to historic stone and brick buildings with red trim, surrounded by trees and greenery.

New Jersey Brigade Area

Morristown, NJ 07960

26.246682792244

New Jersey Brigade Area

National Park

Historic House

Ford Mansion

Morristown, NJ 07960

26.268231989014

Ford Mansion

Battlefield

Harlem Heights

New York, NY 10027

Confident British forces are checked in battle

26.319675687247

Harlem Heights

Historic Site

Historic House

Cornelius Low House

Piscataway, NJ 08854

27.154197708140

Cornelius Low House

Historic Site

Early 20th century post card depicting the First Presbyterian Church in Morristown, NJ

Morristown Church

Morristown, NJ 07960

27.283119412084

First Presbyterian Church

State/County Park

Historic House

Original outbuilding of Lord Stirling's Manor in New Jersey

Lord Stirling's Manor Site

Basking Ridge, NJ 07920

Private estate of Lord Stirling

27.285067139972

Lord Stirling's Manor Site

Historic Site

Buccleuch Mansion

New Brunswick, NJ 08901

27.29678473592

Buccleuch Mansion

Historic Site

Gardens & Grounds

Morristown Green

Morristown, NJ 07960

Where France committed to the cause of Independence

27.315571013528

Morristown Green

Historic Site

Arnold's Tavern

Morristown, NJ 07960

Washington's HQ for the first Morristown encampment

27.38548674451

Arnold's Tavern

National Park

Fort/Outpost

Fort Nonsense

Morristown, NJ 07960

27.604419855169

Fort Nonsense

State/County Park

Historic Site

East Jersey Old Town Village

Piscataway, NJ 08854

28.058799938611

East Jersey Old Town Village

Historic Site

Historic House

Hamilton Grange

New York, NY 10005

Home of Founding Father, Alexander Hamilton

28.18961623141

Hamilton Grange

State/County Park

Historic House

Dey Mansion

Wayne, NJ 07470

Washington's HQ before the winter camp at Morristown

28.312765243544

Dey Mansion

Historic Site

National Park

Sandy Hook

Highlands, NJ 07732

Strategic fortified lighthouse used by Loyalists

28.437667955507

Sandy Hook

Historic Site

Historic House

Staats House

South Bound Brook, NJ 08880

Von Steuben's Middlebrook HQ that hosted Washington

29.117067250232

Staats House

Historic Site

Abraham Staats House

South Bound Brook, NJ 08880

29.117067250232

Abraham Staats House

National Park

Historic Site

Morristown

Morristown, NJ 07960

Site of two Continental winter encampments

29.525145489760

Morristown

Historic Site

Historic House

Morris Jumel Mansion

New York, NY 10032

29.673835302487

Morris Jumel Mansion

National Park

Historic Site

Jockey Hollow

Morristown, NJ 07960

30.167916389234

Jockey Hollow

Battlefield

Fort/Outpost

Fort Lee

Fort Lee, NJ 07024

Cornwallis pushes American forces into New Jersey

30.270632170526

Fort Lee

Battlefield

Fort Washington

New York, NY 10033

Last American stronghold of Manhattan

31.101765180387

Fort Washington

Historic Site

Historic House

New Bridge

River Edge, NJ 07661

Site along Washington's Retreat route from NY

31.584410301038

Historic New Bridge Landing