Blackwells Mills, New Jersey
Encyclopedia
Blackwells Mills is a census-designated place
located within Franklin Township and Hillsborough Township in Somerset County, New Jersey.
Blackwells Mills is situated on the west bank of the Millstone River
about two miles south of Millstone
. A mill
was first built there in 1746 by Peter Schenk. Through his daughter, the mill passed to the Mercer family, and later sold to Blackwell, who built a house on the land. The mill burned down and was rebuilt in 1885 and further restored in 1943. The Delaware and Raritan Canal
along the river from Millstone to Blackwells Mills was a major force in the commercial development of the entire State of New Jersey
. It was built to complete connections in the Intracoastal Waterway
from New York State to Florida
.
, located at Blackwells Mills Road and Canal Road on the Delaware and Raritan Canal, was built around 1835, at the same time as the canal. It was constructed to house the bridge tender, who would open the swing bridge when canal boats came through, then close it to allow traffic to cross over the canal. The canal house is on the other side of the canal from Blackwells Mills and is located in Six Mile Run, New Jersey
.
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
located within Franklin Township and Hillsborough Township in Somerset County, New Jersey.
Blackwells Mills is situated on the west bank of the Millstone River
Millstone River
The Millstone River is a tributary of the Raritan River in central New Jersey in the United States.The Millstone River begins in western Monmouth County and flows northward through southern Somerset County into the Raritan River at Manville. Almost three quarters of its length is paralleled by...
about two miles south of Millstone
Millstone, New Jersey
Millstone is a Borough in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 418.Millstone was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on May 14, 1894, from portions of Hillsborough Township, based on the results of...
. A mill
Mill (grinding)
A grinding mill is a unit operation designed to break a solid material into smaller pieces. There are many different types of grinding mills and many types of materials processed in them. Historically mills were powered by hand , working animal , wind or water...
was first built there in 1746 by Peter Schenk. Through his daughter, the mill passed to the Mercer family, and later sold to Blackwell, who built a house on the land. The mill burned down and was rebuilt in 1885 and further restored in 1943. The Delaware and Raritan Canal
Delaware and Raritan Canal
The Delaware and Raritan Canal is a canal in central New Jersey, United States, built in the 1830s that served to connect the Delaware River to the Raritan River. It was intended as an efficient and reliable means of transportation of freight between Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and New York City,...
along the river from Millstone to Blackwells Mills was a major force in the commercial development of the entire State of New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. It was built to complete connections in the Intracoastal Waterway
Intracoastal Waterway
The Intracoastal Waterway is a 3,000-mile waterway along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States. Some lengths consist of natural inlets, salt-water rivers, bays, and sounds; others are artificial canals...
from New York State to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
.
Blackwells Mills Canal House
The Blackwells Mills Canal HouseBlackwells Mills Canal House
The Blackwells Mills Canal House is located at Blackwells Mills Road & Canal Road in Franklin Township, Somerset County, New Jersey, USA, on the Delaware and Raritan Canal. Across the canal is Blackwells Mills, New Jersey.-History:...
, located at Blackwells Mills Road and Canal Road on the Delaware and Raritan Canal, was built around 1835, at the same time as the canal. It was constructed to house the bridge tender, who would open the swing bridge when canal boats came through, then close it to allow traffic to cross over the canal. The canal house is on the other side of the canal from Blackwells Mills and is located in Six Mile Run, New Jersey
Six Mile Run, New Jersey
Six Mile Run has been used to name several different but related features in Franklin Township, Somerset County, New Jersey.-Historic district on the National Register of Historic Places :...
.