Clinton Township Newsletter

2 4 a p r i l 2 0 2 2 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 Not far from the Vought house, which is located near Clinton Township Middle School, sits the historic Thomas Jones stone tavern on Beaver Avenue. Around 1760, Thomas Jones opened the tavern and built a farmhouse in Annandale along the Easton- Brunswick Road, which we now know as Beaver Brook Farm. Jones Tavern figured prominently in the Revolutionary War. Thomas Jones became a captain in George Washington's army and helped Daniel Bray of Amwell secure the 20 to 30 iron ore-carrying Durham* boats that were used for transporting Washington's men across the Delaware River from Pennsylvania to Trenton in 1776. The tavern was a Patriot recruiting center for Continental army. Jones was an ardent Patriot and one can only imagine the meetings, arguments and plans that were made late in the night at the tavern. However, not all residents were supporters of the Patriot cause. Many, in fact, were passionate Loyalists. One of particular note was Jones's close neighbor, John Vought. The Vought family were staunch Loyalists. So much so, that John Vought led a group of Loyalists on a raid of the Jones Tavern at midnight on June 24, 1776. Jones was beaten in the assault and money was stolen from his house. A few weeks later, a group of militiamen, c o m m a n d e d b y C o l o n e l F r e d e r i c k Frelinghuysen, arrested the Voughts. Although they were released after paying a fine, by 1779 the Vought homestead was confiscated and sold to help defer cost of the war. It was not a good time to be a Loyalist in Hunterdon County. Ironically, before the war, Vought and Jones were not only neighbors, but also friends. Loyalist or Patriot, the side one chose to support was a life-altering decision. Each side risked all they had saved and worked for their entire lives. There was no going back. Your neighbors, friends, and even relatives remembered the side you were on and there were consequences. Despite the setback of the attack, in the end Thomas Jones was on the winning side. W h e n c o p i e s o f t h e D e c l a r a t i o n o f Independence were distributed to be read to the population, it was read from the balcony of Jones Tavern. Currently, the Jones Tavern is used as an office building. The Jones Tavern is one of many important historical structures in the Township that date back to and participated in the birth of our country. If you would like more information and to see a photo of Jones Tavern, both can found at the Historical Marker. 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. *Durham boats are sturdy and designed to carry heavy loads such as freight or iron ore and were used along the upper Delaware. Database link at: www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=18184 Getting to Know Your Township, An Historical Perspective Series – Jones Tavern 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 n e W s f R O m T h e g a R d e n C L u b O f h u n T e R d O n h i L L s ! The Garden Club of Hunterdon Hills is sponsoring two one thousand dollar scholarships for 2022-2023 to Hunterdon County students planning to further their education in the areas of horticulture, botany, floriculture, landscape design, agriculture, forestry, environmental studies, or urban planning. The scholarship is open to high school seniors and current undergraduate or graduate students. The deadline is April 15, 2022. SAVE THE DATE! Saturday June 11: Garden Tour & Gala Briar Lane, Lebanon NJ 08833 EVENT DETAILS: Guided garden tour, speaker presentation, flower arranging and container planting demos, antique garden books and prints for sale, silent auction and much more! Stay tuned for updates! Refer to Facebook for additional infrmation and to purchase tickets. To request a scholarship application contact the Garden Club at: gcohh@ gardenclubhunterdonhills.com. T h e h u n T e R d O n C O u n T y q u i L T i n g g u i L d The Hunterdon County Quilting Guild will meet at 9:30 am on April 15 at the Readington Reformed Church, 124 Readington Road, Readington, NJ 08870. Our April meeting is our annual Round Robin Meeting. We would love to welcome new members! Check out our website at: https://hcquiltingguild.wixsite.com// hcquiltingguild for our schedule of meetings and events or email us at: hunterdoncountyquiltingguild@gmail.com. We look forward to hearing from anyone interested in becoming a member! "The beautiful spring came, and when nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also." ~ Harriet Ann Jacobs What a strange thing! to be alive, beneath cherry blossoms." ~"Kobayashi Issa

• Cover