Clinton Township Newsletter

2 8 j u l y 2 0 2 1 W W W . C L I N T O N T W P N E W S L E T T E R . C O M A t N o r t h H u n t e r d o n T h r i f t S h o p ' s Christmas in July Sale, n o w o p e n t h r o u g h July 31, shoppers can have fun finding great bargains while getting a jump on the holidays! The big sale upstairs at the nonprofit shop, located at 51 County Road 635 (Charlestown Road) in Union Township, features holiday ornaments, decorations, lights, small artificial trees, holiday table settings and accessories, and holiday clothing, including ugly Christmas sweaters. During the sale, the shop will offer a different special sale each week. From July 4 through July 10, shoppers who spend $50 or more will receive 50% off their entire purchase! The week of July 11 through July 17 will feature a Buy One, Get One Free Sale. The upcoming sale for the week will be posted on the shop's Facebook page every Saturday in July at 2:00 pm. Also, the shop's annual Back-to- School Sale will open upstairs on Saturday, July 24. In addition, throughout July, there will be a 50% Off Sale for the entire shop, except for the items in the Christmas in July Sale upstairs. The shop thanks all those who donated items for its recent Diaper and Baby Items Drive, which benefited single parents who are helped by the Friendship Center for New Beginnings in Flemington, a nonprofit Christian organization that supports single parents in Hunterdon, Warren and Somerset counties. During July, the shop seeks donations of jeans and "everything denim," Christmas items, Halloween costumes and décor, men's items, outdoor kitchenware, small appliances, summer clothes, especially for kids, and school and college dorm items. The shop accepts donations of clean, good- quality clothing and home goods in a contact-free process and by appointment only by calling the shop at 908.-735.0177. For details of this process, visit the shop's Facebook page or its website at www. SentForOthers.org. The shop encourages anyone who wants to be part of an amazing mission and team, meet new people and get a great discount, in a safe environment, to become a thrift shop volunteer. The North Hunterdon Thrift Shop is a ministry of Clinton United Methodist Church. Shop hours are Monday, 8:30 am to noon, Wednesday, 8:30 am to noon and 3:00 to 6:00 pm, and Saturday, 8:30 am to 2:00 pm. For more information, call the shop, email: danielle@sentforothers.org or visit the shop on Facebook and Instagram. n o R t H H u n t e R d o n t H R i F t s H o P o P e n s C H R i s t m a s i n J u l y s a l e ! One of the oldest structures in Clinton Township, if not the oldest, is The Runkle House. The Runkle House is a small, wooden frame house located on Old Allerton Road behind the car dealership that faces Route 31. The Runkle house is on the opposite side of the road from the Immaculate Conception Church. For many older houses, the history is well known. For the Runkle House, we don't know too much about the house itself; however, we do have some interesting information on the owner of the house - Adam Runkle. Adam Runkle was of German descent, and it is stated that Adam's ancestry was probably related to the Runkles who lived in the Lahn Valley of Germany in the Middle Ages. It is supposed that when Adam was about sixteen years old, sometime between 1735 and 1745, he emigrated from Germany to America. Nothing much is known about Adam until about 1749, when Adam, already married to Mary Youngblood, is found living with her on his father-in-law's farm in Old Amwell, New Jersey (near Wertsville). Mary was the daughter of John Youngblood, a prosperous farmer. We have some information about John from his estate papers (see link below). Sometime between 1755 and 1765, the Adam Runkle family m o v e d t o a f a r m i n L e b a n o n Township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey. The deed to his 225-acre property, between Mahlon Kirkbride and his wife Mary, of Makefield, Bucks County, Pennsylvania and Adam "RUNCLE", was dated 15 Dec 1761. A transcription of this deed is found in Fisher's book noted below. Their home still stands near Annandale. Adam and Mary had eight children: 1. Mary RUNKLE; (b.c. 1750, Amwell, Hunterdon County) 2. John RUNKLE; (b. 29 Aug 1752, Amwell) 3. William RUNKLE; (b. 1755) 4. Abraham RUNKLE; (b. 14 Jan 1757) 5. Sarah RUNKLE; (b. 15 Feb 1761) 6. Jacob RUNKLE; (b.c. 1763 or 1764, Annandale, Hunterdon County) 7. Margaret RUNKLE; (b. 1765, Annandale) 8. Adam RUNKLE; (b. 18 Jan 1766, Annandale) Adam died sometime in the Fall of 1800. His will was dated 5 Jul 1791, the inventory of the estate was made 17 Nov 1800 shortly after his death, and the will was probated on 4 Feb 1801. A transcription of this will is found in Fisher's book. Mary survived Adam by about five years, and they were buried side by side on the hill to the north overlooking their home, the graves covered by unmarked flat fieldstones. The information we have on Adam Runkle brings the history of the House and early people of Clinton Township to life. Unfortunately, time has not been kind to the house itself. If you drive by the privately-owned house, you will see that it is need of significate repair. Hopes are that one day, the house will be restored and become a key part of the history of Clinton Township. The Clinton Township Historical Preservation Commission is interested in learning more about the history of our community. If you have stories, photos, or artifacts depicting the township's history you are willing to share, please contact the Clinton Township Historical Preservation Commission at 1225 Route 31 South, Suite D, Lebanon NJ 08833. You can also contact us via email at: historic.clintontownshipnj@ gmail.com. Getting to Know Your Township – An Historical Perspective Series C l i n t o n t o w n s H i P H i s t o R i C a l P R e s e R V a t i o n C o m m i s s i o n The Runkle House by Bill Buriak Acknowledgements and info: http://homepages.rootsweb.a11cestry.com/-runkle/U1dam.htm John's estate papers. Photo - Taken before 1899. Source: Ben Van D. Fisher, 1899, The Runkle Family, TA. Wright, Publisher and Printer, New York, bet. pp. 42-43. Excerpted from: Ben Van D. Fisher, 1899, The Runkle Family, T.A. Wright, Publisher and Printer, NY. Thanks to Runkle decedents who provided permission for use of excerpts. "I don't believe in the Constitution because I'm American. I'm American because I believe in the Constitution," ~ J.S.B. Morse, Author, Gods Of Ruin

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