<P> In 1798, Eliza had accepted her friend Isabella Graham's invitation to join the descriptively named Society for the Relief of Poor Widows with Small Children that had been established the previous year . In 1806, two years after her husband's death, she, along with several other women including Joanna Bethune, founded the Orphan Asylum Society . Eliza was appointed second directress, or vice-president . In 1821, she was named first directress, and served for twenty - seven years in this role, until she left New York in 1848 . By the time she left she had been with the organization continuously since its founding, a total of forty - two years . The New York Orphan Asylum Society continues to exist as a social service agency for children, today called Graham Windham . </P> <P> Eliza defended Alexander against his critics in a variety of ways following his death, including by supporting his claim of authorship of George Washington's Farewell Address and by requesting an apology from James Monroe over his accusations of financial improprieties . </P> <P> Eliza remained dedicated to preserving her husband's legacy . She re-organized all of Alexander's letters, papers, and writings with the help of her son, John Church Hamilton, and persevered through many setbacks in getting his biography published . She was so devoted to Alexander's writings that she wore a small package around her neck containing the pieces of a sonnet which Alexander wrote for her during the early days of their courtship . Even in her nineties, she remained dedicated to charity work, and after moving to Washington, D.C., she helped Dolley Madison raise money to build the Washington Monument . </P> <P> By 1846, Eliza was suffering from short - term memory loss but was still vividly recalling her husband . Eliza died in Washington, D.C. on November 9, 1854, at age ninety - seven . She had outlived her husband by fifty years, and had outlived all but one of her siblings (her youngest sister, Catherine, twenty - four years her junior). Eliza was buried near her husband in the graveyard of Trinity Church in New York City . Angelica was also laid to rest at Trinity, in the Livingstons' private vault, while Eliza's eldest son Philip had an unmarked grave near the churchyard . </P>

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