Perth Amboy City Hall

City Hall in Perth Amboy, Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States, is a historic building built in the early 18th century, listed on New Jersey Register of Historic Places and the National Register of Historic Places. It is now the oldest public building in continuous use in the United States.[3][2][4][5][6]

Perth Amboy City Hall and Surveyor General's Office
City Hall in 2023
Perth Amboy City Hall is located in Middlesex County, New Jersey
Perth Amboy City Hall
Perth Amboy City Hall is located in New Jersey
Perth Amboy City Hall
Perth Amboy City Hall is located in the United States
Perth Amboy City Hall
Location260 High Street
Perth Amboy, New Jersey USA
Coordinates40°30′23″N 74°15′57″W
Built1714
NRHP reference No.81000394[1]
NJRHP No.1897[1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPJanuary 12, 1981
Designated NJRHPOctober 3, 1980
Perth Amboy City Hall
General information
Typecity hall
LocationPerth Amboy, New Jersey
Construction started1714
Completed1717
Renovated1745, 1767, 1826, 1872, 2006
References
[2]

History

Construction of the building began in 1714 and was completed in 1717. It served as the local courthouse and jail, and was also used by the Provincial Assembly until 1775. The building has twice been rebuilt after being badly damaged by fire; first in 1731, rebuilt until 1745, and again around 1765 following an arson attack believed to have been committed by a former inmate who was imprisoned on debt charges. It was rebuilt a second time in 1767.[2]

City Hall has undergone three renovations, most recently in 2006, although some of the original structure remains. The building is now Victorian in style.[2]

The two-room Surveyor General's Office was built adjacent to City Hall in 1867, which was used by the General Board of Proprietors of the Eastern Division of New Jersey.[7]

Surveyor General's Office

Notable events

On November 20, 1789, the State of New Jersey became the first to ratify the United States Bill of Rights.[8]

On March 31, 1870 Thomas Mundy Peterson (1824–1904) became the first African American to vote in an election under the just-enacted provisions of the 15th Amendment to the United States Constitution.[9][10]

See also

References
  1. "New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places – Middlesex County" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection – Historic Preservation Office. June 2, 2011. p. 7. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 4, 2011. Retrieved 2011-06-06.
  2. "The History of Perth Amboy". City of Perth Amboy. Archived from the original on 2011-07-13. Retrieved 2011-06-06.
  3. "Perth Amboy City Hall (est. 1717) - Perth Amboy, NJ - Oldest Public Building and City Hall In America". Historic Towns of America.
  4. "Perth Amboy, New Jersey". citytowninfo.com. Retrieved 2011-06-06.
  5. "Port of Perth Amboy". World Port Service. Retrieved 2011-06-06.
  6. "Mr. Bloomberg, Perth Amboy Begs to Differ", The New York Times, July 24, 2007, retrieved 2011-10-11
  7. "Perth Amboy". Raritan/Millstone Guidebook. www.raritanmillstone.org. Archived from the original on 2008-11-21. Retrieved 2011-06-06.
  8. "Documentary treasures: Bill of Rights". State of New Jersey. 2003–2004. Retrieved 2008-04-25.
  9. "Perth Amboy Church Is 302 And Counting". The New York Times. February 15, 1987. Retrieved 2010-11-27. The first black man to vote in America, Thomas Mundy Peterson, was a member of St. Peter's and is buried in its graveyard. He voted in the Perth Amboy mayoral election of March 31, 1870, one day after adoption of the 15th Amendment to the United States Constitution.
  10. "African-American Firsts Remembered". Newark Public Library.
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