Clinton Township Newsletter

2 1 M a r c h 2 0 1 5 Fresh Seafood, Grilled Specialties, Italian Classics, Brick Oven Pizzas • Fireside and Patio/Courtyard Dining • Cigar Smoking on the Wrap-Around Porch Private Parties and Catering 1 F a i r m o u n t r o a d , L o n g V a L L e y www.RestaurantVillageAtLongValley.com 908.876.9307 Open for Dinner Tuesday – Saturday at 5:00 pm, and Sundays at 3:00 pm • Bar Open Late The Computer Guy A DIVISION OF BDB ENTERPRISES Is Your Computer Driving You Crazy? We'll fix your computer in your home and help you effectively use it! For HOME • Flexible hours • Computer repair • Internet connection, printer & file sharing • DSL/Cable setup • Virus/firewall help • MS Office training For BUSINESS • Web hosting • Computer purchasing • Web site design • E-commerce specialist • Search engine optimizing • Networking/Firewalls • Business solutions Bruce Bednar Office: 908-713-9843 Annandale, NJ Cell: 908-310-7988 LEBANON DOOR COMPANY • Overhead Doors • Electric Operators • Storm Doors 119 Main Street, Lebanon, NJ 08833 908-236-2620 Glenn Coats, Proprietor Established 1957 Fax: 908-236-2946 Home: 908-730-6536 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 p r e S e r v a t i o n C o m m i S S i o n Getting to Know your Township – A Historical Perspective – Jones Tavern B y B i L L B u r i a k 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 t h e J o n e s T a v e r n a t m i d n i g h t o n J u n e 2 4 , 1 7 7 6 . J o n e s w a s beaten in the assault and money was stolen from his house. A few weeks later, a group of militiamen, commanded by Colonel Frederick 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. When copies of the Declaration of 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 Database link at: www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=18184. * Durham boats are sturdy and designed to carry heavy loads such as freight or iron ore and were used along the upper Delaware.

• Cover