The purpose of the report is explained on page 5, which is essentially to identify, with the intent of preservation, historic sites in Hunterdon County. Hank points to pages 13-28 for information on early settlement and formation of the county during the colonial period. Page 15 has a map showing how the boundaries of the county changed over the years. An important point here is that the city of Trenton, now the site of the capitol of the State of New Jersey, and within Mercer County, was during the colonial period, within the bounds of Hunterdon County, and was the county seat until 1785. The character of the early settlements and settlers who came to Hunterdon County can be found on pages 14-16. The area was initially settled by diverse groups along both ethnic and religious lines. Maps on pages 20 and 21 show the location of townships in 1739 and 240 years later in 1979.
I found an interesting map at page 41 which illustrates the movement of people and settlements during the colonial period along the entire eastern seaboard. Four "centers" of migration are identified with origins in New England, southeastern Pennsylvania, Chesapeake Bay and southern North Carolina to eastern Georgia. If you are interested in historic architecture you will finds a concise overview with lots of illustrations in the pages that follow.
As the purpose of the report is to identify historic sites and develop a plan for their preservation, a good deal of the pages are devoted to an inventory of sites. This begins at page 104 and is arranged by present day (1979) townships and boroughs. There is some brief historical info in the short introductory paragraphs and some may find family names of interest listed among the numerous properties mentioned. Maps showing locations of the properties are included. There is no "name index" to the properties, but if you have interest in the earlier families of Hunterdon County, and some time, scrolling through the pages will no doubt yield names, and properties, that will catch your attention.
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| Hunterdon Co., NJ, 1851 (Library of Congress; Cornell, Samuel C, and Lloyd Van Derveer. Map of Hunterdon County, New Jersey: entirely from original surveys. [Philadelphia?: Lloyd Van Derveer & S.C. Cornell, 1851]) |
BGB 689
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