Quakertown, New Jersey

Quakertown is an unincorporated community located within Franklin Township in Hunterdon County, New Jersey.[2] It was once known as Fairview.[1][3] The area was settled by Quakers from Burlington County, who organized a meeting house here in 1733.[3] The Quakertown Historic District was listed on the state and national registers of historic places in 1990.

Quakertown, New Jersey
Unincorporated community
Quakertown Methodist Episcopal Church
Quakertown, New Jersey
Location of Quakertown in Hunterdon County Inset: Location of county within the state of New Jersey
Quakertown, New Jersey
Quakertown, New Jersey (New Jersey)
Quakertown, New Jersey
Quakertown, New Jersey (the United States)
Coordinates: 40°33′56″N 74°56′30″W
Country United States
State New Jersey
CountyHunterdon
TownshipFranklin
Elevation650 ft (200 m)
GNIS feature ID879564[1]

History

In 1828, local wheelwright, John Deats (1769–1841), invented an iron plow, the Deats plow. In 1831, his son, Hiram Deats (1810–1887), started to make these plows. In 1836, Hiram built a foundry here for plow and stove castings. He later expanded his manufacturing business at Pittstown and Stockton and became the first millionaire in Hunterdon County.[4][5][6]

In 1836, a commercial tannery was built here by John Allen. The millstone used for crushing tree bark and extracting tannin is now in front of the Potter/Allen house.[7]

Historic district
Quakertown Historic District
William Probasco House, built c. 1814
LocationRoughly bounded by Quakertown, Cherryville Roads, Quaker Lane, and Locust Grove Road
Area78 acres (32 ha)
Architectural styleBungalow/craftsman, Greek Revival, Italianate
NRHP reference No.90001242[8]
NJRHP No.1590[9]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPAugust 23, 1990
Designated NJRHPFebruary 20, 1990

The Quakertown Historic District is a historic district along Quakertown Road, encompassing the village. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 23, 1990 for its significance in architecture and community development. It includes 74 contributing buildings.[10]

The district includes the Quaker Meeting House, a Friends meeting house, that was reconstructed in 1862 using the stones from the original 1754 building. The Potter/Allen House is a stone house built in 1765. The Federal style William Probasco House was built c. 1814. The Quakertown Methodist Episcopal Church, built in 1878, features an ornate 3-stage steeple.[10] It is the tenth oldest Methodist Church in the county.[11]

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Quakertown include:

References
  1. "Quakertown". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
  2. Locality Search, State of New Jersey. Accessed January 31, 2015.
  3. "The Township of Franklin". Hunterdon County, New Jersey.
  4. Snell, James P. (1881). History of Hunterdon and Somerset Counties, New Jersey. Everts & Peck. pp. 444–445.
  5. Ramsburg, Bernard F. (2014). "Industry, 1964". The First 300 Years of Hunterdon County, 1714–2014. Flemington, New Jersey: Hunterdon County Cultural & Heritage Commission. p. 129. LCCN 2013957213.
  6. "A Brief History of Franklin Township, Hunterdon County". Franklin Township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey.
  7. Ramsburg (2014), p. 132.
  8. "National Register Information System – (#90001242)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
  9. "New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places – Hunterdon County" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection – Historic Preservation Office. September 30, 2020. p. 6.
  10. Brecknell, Ursula C. (April 1986). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Quakertown Historic District (Quaker Meeting)". National Park Service. With accompanying 46 photos
  11. "Quakertown Methodist Episcopal Church". New Jersey Historic Trust.
  12. Genocchio, Benjamin (July 22, 2006). "Master Who Turns Mud Into Vessels of Beauty". The New York Times.
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