Clinton Township Newsletter

6 o c t o b e r 2 0 2 3 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 Happy Halloween! We Offer Specialty Services, Including: Our Care is Your Peace of Mind Specialty and Emergency Care Right in Your Backyard 23 Blossom Hill Road Lebanon, NJ 08833 Call us at (908) 236-4120 or visit us at www.crownvet.com • Emergency/Critical Care • Anesthesia • Acupuncture • Pain Management • Dermatology • Surgery • Cardiology • Oncology • Ophthalmology • Rehabilitation C o m m u n i T y s p o T L i g H T o n A n n A n D A L E H i s T o R i C D i s T R i C T : H i s T o R y , m y s T E R i E s , A n D C u R i o s i T i E s g A L o R E ! By: Kate Johnson, Vice-Chair, Clinton Township Historic Preservation Commission | Kate.ella.johnson@gmail.com As summer travel wanes and we return to our routines of sending children off to school, hustling to work, and preparing for the holidays ahead, I am reminded of how quickly time passes. August folded into September in the blink of an eye, and am thrilled for upcoming fall festivities in our beautiful Township. My name is Kate Johnson. As a current member and vice-chair of the Clinton Township Historic Commission, I volunteer alongside our Commission members who aim to promote awareness of the rich history within our Township. My spouse and I own an 1853-era home in the Annandale Historic District. As a first-time contributor to the Clinton Township Newsletter, I'd like to share some words about one of our wonderful Historic Villages in Clinton Township as we approach the peak of spooky season. The CTHPC is a volunteer Board, providing general education to the public. Our Commission is focused primarily on sharing the deep, centuries old, historical lineage of our community, tucked within our beautiful Township, and advocate for the preservation of our historical sites throughout the Township. My love of and fascination with older homes began at a young age. I was raised in an 1894 Victorian home. In my adulthood, this early education and appreciation taught me that older homes command respect and carry an onus of responsibility to maintain them. The sweat equity required to maintain the architectural character, beauty, and historical integrity of the properties within the Village is a labor of love (though it's not for the faint of heart). The mysteries and tales our village holds are ripe with endless possibilities, and intersect when we share the tales, stories, documented history, and folklore that has been handed down over generations. It is a wonderful use of our imaginations to educate ourselves about the history of our community. At the heart of a holiday like Halloween, our imaginations run wild. For fans of Hunterdon County history, Halloween feels like the perfect backdrop for pondering the mysteries that our historic village celebrates and elicits. Annandale Historic District is listed in the Federal and New Jersey State Historic Preservation registries. Many properties include homes with contributing outbuildings on their properties, rich with their own stories and history. Visitors and residents are met with an immediate feeling of transformation to a bygone era when exiting the highway or stepping off the commuter train. One cannot help but imagine what life was like for the earlier members of this community. Since we came to live in Annandale Village, we have spent the last couple of years researching many of the homes, barns, and outbuildings, fascinated by the mysteries they hold and the stories they tell. I've spent many days pouring over the history of revolutionary war disputes, the homes here, their original owners, familial ties, and evolution of the community within the the village over the last 170 years. As owners of historic homes, we often find ourselves daydreaming in folklore - contemplating the history our property holds within its lot lines, and the mysteries our homes hold in their walls. My imagination is heavily active with every new snippet of information learned about our home, and our Historic Village. How many children were born here? Who died here? What kinds of animals were kept in the barn? Why is there buckshot all over my barn? How many families have called this structure home in the last 170 years? Is anyone buried in the backyard? When's the last time two people sat side by side relieving themselves in the outhouse? What renovations did it see, who did them, and why? Most things continued on next page ...

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