Elizabeth, NJ 250th Anniversary Committee

Elizabeth, NJ 250th Anniversary Committee 🇺🇸 We're dedicated to honoring the rich history of Elizabethtown, NJ, and commemorating America's 250th anniversary in 2026.

Join us as we celebrate Elizabeth's pivotal role in shaping our nation's future.

Elizabeth’s history is still being written — one ceremony, one story, and one legacy at a time.The 2026 Elizabeth Athlet...
06/15/2026

Elizabeth’s history is still being written — one ceremony, one story, and one legacy at a time.

The 2026 Elizabeth Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony honored athletes, teams, scholarship recipients, families, and community leaders who continue to shape the city’s proud sports tradition.

From the Class of 2026 inductees to this year’s scholarship recipients, this moment reflects what makes Elizabeth special: talent, perseverance, school pride, and a community that shows up for its own.

We’ve added this moment to the GoElizabethNJ250 timeline as part of Elizabeth’s modern history — and the full photo gallery is available through the Elizabeth Athletic Hall of Fame Association.

Read the timeline entry and view the full gallery:
https://goelizabethnj250.com/elizabeth-today-the-road-to-250-2000-present/2026-elizabeth-athletic-hall-of-fame-induction-ceremony/

06/12/2026

Elizabeth’s history is America’s history.

The 313+ Ancestors Speak Project honors the lives, legacy, and memory of the 313+ ancestors buried in Elizabeth, NJ — preserving a powerful chapter of our city’s story that deserves to be seen, shared, and carried forward.

As Elizabeth prepares to commemorate America’s 250th, stories like this remind us why local history matters. The monument, the movement, and the community behind it all help tell a fuller story of who we are and what we carry forward.

Visit 313AncestorsSpeakProject.org to learn more about the project, experience the monument, and join the upcoming Juneteenth activities.

The Welcome Station is officially open in Elizabeth, NJ.As part of GoElizabethNJ250 and the city’s preparation for Ameri...
06/03/2026

The Welcome Station is officially open in Elizabeth, NJ.

As part of GoElizabethNJ250 and the city’s preparation for America’s 250th anniversary, the grand opening ceremony brought together Jennifer Costa, Rev. Dr. Wanda M. Lundy, Mayor J. Christian Bollwage, local leaders, historians, reenactors, Elizabeth Tour Ambassadors, and community partners to celebrate a new space for history, tourism, culture, and storytelling.

Watch the full ceremony video and explore the photo gallery from this milestone event.

Short-form recap videos highlighting the music, crowd, ribbon cutting, and atmosphere inside the Welcome Station are coming later this week.

👉 https://goelizabethnj250.com/elizabeth-today-the-road-to-250-2000-present/welcome-station-opens-elizabeth-nj/

The Elizabeth I. Kellogg Building at 40 West Jersey Street helped complete what UCNJ Union College of Union County, NJ h...
05/19/2026

The Elizabeth I. Kellogg Building at 40 West Jersey Street helped complete what UCNJ Union College of Union County, NJ had been building toward since 1970: a permanent two-building campus in downtown Elizabeth.

Opened in fall 2009, the six-story Kellogg Building added classrooms, the campus library, archives, continuing-education programs, and the RWJ Barnabas School of Nursing. It also arrived during a difficult economic moment, standing as a sign of investment while much of the country was facing the Great Recession.

Mayor J. Christian Bollwage saw the project as a turning point for Midtown, calling UCC “a catalyst for further economic development.” Years later, after Hurricane Ida forced the building to close for more than a year, the Kellogg Building reopened in December 2022 and welcomed students back to a corner that had once been a vacant lot.

Submitted by Ricardo Munoz as part of the Elizabeth at 250 timeline project.

Read the full timeline entry:
https://goelizabethnj250.com/modern-elizabeth-cultural-evolution-1980-2000s/ucnj-kellogg-building-elizabeth-2009/

In 1992, Union County College — today UCNJ Union College of Union County, NJ — opened the Sidney F. Lessner Building at ...
05/18/2026

In 1992, Union County College — today UCNJ Union College of Union County, NJ — opened the Sidney F. Lessner Building at 12 West Jersey Street, giving its Elizabeth campus a permanent home in the heart of the city’s business district.

Before becoming a college campus, the eight-story building had served as the headquarters of the Elizabethtown Gas Company. Union County College saw something bigger: a downtown education hub connected to trains, buses, classrooms, labs, and career support.

The timing mattered. Elizabeth was navigating economic change, and many residents were looking for new skills and new opportunities. The Lessner Building became part of that story — a place where education, transportation, workforce development, and community access came together.

Submitted by Ricardo Munoz as part of the Elizabeth at 250 timeline project.

Read the full timeline entry:
https://goelizabethnj250.com/modern-elizabeth-cultural-evolution-1980-2000s/ucnj-lessner-building-elizabeth-1992/

In 1979, Union College continued expanding educational access in Elizabeth with the opening of its third local campus lo...
05/15/2026

In 1979, Union College continued expanding educational access in Elizabeth with the opening of its third local campus location: the Elizabeth Urban Education Center at 10 Butler Street.

Located in the Thomas and Betts Building, the center offered college courses in subjects like Reading, Accounting, Psychology, Business, Communications, Black American Literature, Black History, and the Sociology of Minorities.

It also became part of a broader workforce development effort. Working with Elizabeth CETA officials and the Union County Technical Institute, the site helped residents pursue high school equivalency certificates and job training in fields such as clerical work, baking, secretarial work, welding, plumbing, and auto mechanics.

The original Butler Street building no longer exists, but its role in Elizabeth’s education and workforce story still matters.

Submitted by Prizith Marin as part of the Elizabeth at 250 timeline project.

Read the full timeline entry: https://goelizabethnj250.com/civil-rights-social-movements-1900-1970s/union-college-elizabeth-urban-education-center-1979/

In 1975, Union College continued expanding access to higher education in Elizabeth by moving its urban campus to the Eli...
05/14/2026

In 1975, Union College continued expanding access to higher education in Elizabeth by moving its urban campus to the Elizabeth YMCA at 124 Madison Avenue.

The move built on the college’s mission to make earning a degree more accessible for Union County residents. At the YMCA location, Union College welcomed nearly 125 students each semester and served more than 700 students by Fall 1979.

Today, the building remains part of Elizabeth’s community life as part of the Gateway Family YMCA — another reminder that local history often lives inside the places we pass every day.

Submitted by Prizith Marin as part of the Elizabeth at 250 timeline project.

Read the full timeline entry:
https://goelizabethnj250.com/civil-rights-social-movements-1900-1970s/union-college-elizabeth-ymca-campus-1975/

Before it became Mabel G. Holmes School No. 5, the building at 707 South Broad Street helped expand access to higher edu...
05/13/2026

Before it became Mabel G. Holmes School No. 5, the building at 707 South Broad Street helped expand access to higher education in Elizabeth.

In 1970, Union College opened its Elizabeth campus there, creating new opportunities for full-time and part-time students during a period when the city was facing major economic and social change. It was more than a campus — it was a statement that Elizabeth’s residents deserved affordable, accessible education close to home.

Submitted by Prizith Marin as part of the Elizabeth at 250 timeline project. Read the full submission here: https://goelizabethnj250.com/civil-rights-social-movements-1900-1970s/union-college-elizabeth-campus-1970/

Some legacies deserve more than a mention. They deserve a place.A commemorative brick is more than a donation. It is a w...
04/09/2026

Some legacies deserve more than a mention. They deserve a place.

A commemorative brick is more than a donation. It is a way to honor your family, preserve a name, and become part of a lasting story connected to one of Elizabeth’s most meaningful sites of remembrance.

If you have ever wanted to recognize a loved one, celebrate your family legacy, or support a project rooted in truth, memory, and community, this is your opportunity.

Read more and purchase your brick here: https://goelizabethnj250.com/elizabeth-today-the-road-to-250-2000-present/commemorative-brick-elizabeth-nj-family-legacy/

Elizabeth didn’t just serve diner culture. It helped build it.When Jerry O’Mahony moved his diner manufacturing business...
03/23/2026

Elizabeth didn’t just serve diner culture. It helped build it.

When Jerry O’Mahony moved his diner manufacturing business to West Grand Street in 1925, Elizabeth became part of the story behind one of New Jersey’s most iconic exports: the diner. From this city, diner cars were shipped across the country, helping shape the image and experience people still associate with New Jersey today.

This is the kind of history that reminds us Elizabeth’s influence has always stretched far beyond its borders.

View the full timeline entry here: https://goelizabethnj250.com/industrial-growth-immigration-1800-1900/how-elizabeth-helped-build-new-jerseys-diner-legacy/

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50 Winfeld Scott Plaza
Elizabeth, NJ
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