The sun., 1902-03-09
OLD BOUDINOT HOUSE TO GO.
HTSTORTC RUILDING IN NEWARK
TO BE TORN DOWN.
It Was Bnlit by Elisha Boudinot. Jerseys
Famous Jurist Alexander Hamilton
and Lafayette We're Among It's
Guests-Its Re, olutiOnary Memories.

One Of the few remaining houses in New
ark tina, has history antedating the Revo-
luton is soon to disappear. 1t is the old
Elisha Boudinot house on Park place,
facing Military Park.
The park was set aside as a training
ground or military common as long ago
as 1865 when the town was founded, and
the Boudinot house, compared with the age
Of the city, is young. Elisha Boudinot was
born in Philadelphia in i742 and upon being
made a sergeant at law he removed 20 New
ark to begin the practice Of his profession.
Soon after this he built his house
1t stands in the very heart of the city
to-day and it's generous proportions, with
broad and deep front lawn and long back
yard, tell the passerby at glance that the
place was reared long ago when land was
cheap and people Of Importance had plenty
Of elbow room when they built their homes.
The house itself is a broad. three-story
frame structure with a roof that Is almost
fat.
The porch has still suggestions OF
Colonial times, although it has manifestly
been altered to meet the desires OF sue
ceeding generations. 1t was in this house
that LAFAYETTE was entertained in lS24
and during Elisha Boudinots day Alex
ander Hamilton often stopped there.
Boudinot was OF old Huguenot stock
and his ancestors fed to America after the
Revocation Of the Edict Of Nantes in lGs5
Elisha had a brother, Elias, who is better
known in the annals OF his country. Elas
was Commisary General Of prisoners for
the entire country during the Revolution,
while oddly enough. Elisha was commis-
sarv in charge of prisoners taken in New
Jersey
During the Revolution the old house
that is soon TO be torn down was visited
bv marauding Hessians who were terroriz-
inc the town at the time. They found
the Boudinot family absent and this evil
IDENTIFY enrsged them, for they ATTACKED
tho mort raits of Boudinot and his brother
that hung on the walls and with axes de-
stroved their frames and tore the canvases
into shreds.
and after II. was known not only in New
Jersey as one of the ablest OF lawyers,
hut IN New York as well. The late Chief
Justice Bradley used to tell how, when
a youth at Rut gers College in New Bruins
wick nm old professor told him that when
he was a small boy people used 70 flock
in from the outlying towns to New Bruns-
wick whenever il became known that
Boudinot was to appear IN court. 30
hi ghly was Boudinot thought OF that the
Iepislature by special act increased the
membership Of the supreme Court from
three 10 four in order that he might sit
on the Supreme bench of the State.
Elisha Boudinot was thrice married.
His first wife was daughter oi william
pearfroe Smith, Mayor Of New York from
I703 10 1907 His second wife was Rachel
Bradley, a sister Of Washington n's Att orney-
General Catherine Beeknan, daughter
OF james Beekmsn Of New York, was
Boudinot = third wife II was In her fathers
and tried by court martial and sentenced
to be hanged.
Eoudinot rose steadily in prominence
as a nrist during the last years of the
eighteenth century and in 1870 had the
degree of doctor of laws conferred upon
him by Yale College. II was about this
time that Boudinot and Hamilton were
busilv engaged on their schemes for en-
coursging industry.
I'm the little annex, which still stands
Boudinot had his Office There he and
Hamilton drew up the scheme subsequently,
adopted by the Society for the Establish
ment of Useful Manufactures, by which
the present city Of Paterson was founded.
Boudinot and Hamilton here formu
lated the charters Of several other com
munities and an eminent New Jersey lawyer
said recently that so far as he could learn
il was these two men who laid the founda-
tion for the modern corporations which
are such a tremendous power in the world
to-day.
Boudinot lived, until 1919. and died in
the old house In Newark, Five years later,
when Lafayettewas on his last tour through
lected by the committee appointed bvt the
town 10 entertain the distinguished vis;.
tor as the most pretentious private bon..
and the one best fitted for the entertain
mont Of the General. ''"-
The old Boudinot house looks verr ,,,,.sa
did the day Lafayette entered liz bos.
pitable doors. II has a large rrn@,,S,s,,