Clinton Township Newsletter

2 3 o c t o b e r 2 0 2 1 Within Clinton Township are four State and National registered Historic Districts and three other identified districts. A historic district typically consists of several properties that are united in the same area and comprised of individual elements that are geographically distinctive by historic association. The four New Jersey and National Register Historic Districts include Annandale Historic District; Cokesbury Historic District; and Potterstown Historic District, the Turnpike District and, at the center of Clinton Township; and Readingsburg Historic District. Other identified Historic Districts include Allerton Historic District, formerly known as Clinton Station, and Hamden Historic District. Annandale The Annandale Historic District is in the center of Clinton Township (State Route 31 and County Road 633 and 626). This village grew as Clinton Station, a depot of the New Jersey Central Railroad. Named for a town in Scotland, the population reached 380 people by 1880. A fairly dense and well-defined village, it is composed of 12 blocks and approximately 150 structures. The one church in town is the Reformed Church, located on the corner of Beaver Avenue and West Street. Most of the structures are single-family, detached homes dating from 1840-1910. Cokesbury The Cokesbury Historic District is located on the boundary line between Tewksbury and Clinton Township on County Road 639. An iron furnace was constructed there in 1754. Local historians claim the town was names after two Methodist bishops, Coke and Ashbury. By 1881, Cokesbury included a hotel, store, blacksmith shop, wheelwright shop, two churches, and fourteen dwellings. Potterstown The Potterstown Historic District is located on the border between Clinton and Readington Townships, off U.S. Route 22. A map dated 1872 indicated over a dozen dwellings and a store existed in this section of Clinton. Readingsburg The Readingsburg Historic District is located in northern Clinton Township at the mouth of Lockwood Gorge. The town of High Bridge is located about a mile south of Readingsburg and the village of Cokesbury lies several miles to the east. The district contains six principal buildings, all houses, and encompasses the entire hamlet, as well as some surrounding open space. Allerton The Allerton Historic District is located at the intersection of County Road 623 and Allerton Road. It was named for the Aller family, which maintained mills there as early as 1834. In 1860, the settlement was called Allerville. Eight years later the town constructed a Baptist Church, steam sawmill, store, chair factory, and a few dwellings. Hamden In the southwestern part of Clinton Township, along the banks of the South Branch of the Raritan River in an area now occupied by the YMCA's Camp Carr, lies a sleepy little hamlet called Hamden. Other than a road by this name that runs through it, there is little to remind us that this area was once a bustling little community. The Hamden Historic District was part of the 100-acre Hamden tract purchased by two brothers, Philip and John Grandin, in approximately 1760. The brothers started a thriving mill enterprise in Hamden along the Raritan River about the year 1760. Their mills flourished for many years and continued afterwards under several different owners. Over the ensuing decades, a community grew up around these mills. An 1873 map shows a store, blacksmith shop, three mills, and five dwellings. There are a few 18th century houses in this Hamden area that survive today. They are, by the name of their original owners: (1) John Grandin in the center of Hamden, (2) John Shader to the north, (3) Peter Van Buskirk Sr. and Abraham Shurt to the east, (4) Capt. Jacob Gearhart to the south and the (5) Col. Charles Stewart site to the west. New Jersey Turnpike The New Jersey Turnpike Historic District is a small village sandwiched between U.S. Route 22 and Interstate 78 in the center of Clinton Township. It contains an outstanding farm complex including individual structures, a primary dwelling unit, tenant house, out-kitchen springhouse, frame wagon house and a barn. T h e 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 Preservation Commission is interested in learning more about the history of our community. If you have stories, photos, or artifacts depicting the township's h i s t o r y y o u a r e w i l l i n g t o s h a r e , p l e a s e 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 linton Township Historic Districts 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 United Way of Hunterdon County (UWHC) is seeking volunteers to help with tax return preparation for low-to-moderate income Hunterdon County area residents. Last year 64 volunteers in our community helped to file 1,400+ returns, resulting in more than $2.5 million in refunds to Hunterdon County residents and employ- ees. Volunteers help to ensure that our hardworking neighbors who are in poverty or living paycheck to paycheck get back every dollar they are due, helping put them on a path to financial stability. UWHC offers several opportunities for po- tential volunteers, including roles as Income Tax Preparers, Translators, and Volunteer Facilitators. All positions receive free training through the Inter- nal Revenue Service (IRS) and support by UWHC for the following positions: Income Tax Preparers are generally individuals with some experience preparing taxes and knowl- edge of tax law. Regardless of experience, volunteers are trained using IRS tax materials with additional support from United Way of Hunterdon County. Translators work one-on-one with clients who need help interacting with their tax preparer. Vol- unteers fluent in Spanish are encouraged to join the team. Volunteer Facilitators assist clients, set appoint- ments, and make reminder calls to clients. These volunteers should be comfortable making and tak- ing phone calls, using the computer, and learning a scheduling software program. Volunteers benefit by gaining new skills, in- cluding how to become an IRS-certified tax preparer. Financial professionals can earn continuing educa- tion credits, retirees can leverage their experience by helping others in our community, and college students and young professionals can add this vol- unteer experience to their resume. Bill Hamilton became a UWHC tax return volunteer in 2017, with no prior experience helping others with their taxes. He tells us that "Not only do we save our clients $300 or more in tax preparation fees, but the training I received from the IRS helps me make sure that our clients receive the refunds and tax credits they are due. The experience is so rewarding, especially when you see first-hand how much this volunteer role helps our neighbors who need this assistance." If you are interested in learning more and registering for an information session, contact Amy Andersen (Program Man- ager, United Way of Hunterdon County) at 908.237.1689 or at: amy@uwhunterdon.org. Two information sessions will be offered in October, and volunteer training begins in November. About United Way of Hunterdon County: United Way of Hunterdon County has supported our community for more than 30 years, ensuring that every individual has the opportunity to thrive. We do this through a focus on poverty prevention, financial empowerment, and advocacy to create posi- tive change in our community. For more information on volunteering and building a stronger community, visit us at www.UWHunterdon.org or follow us on social media channels such as Facebook, Insta- gram, and LinkedIn. u n i t e d W a y o f H u n t e r d o n C o u n t y s e e k s v o l u n t e e r s f o r t a x s e a s o n

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