Franklin Park, New Jersey
Encyclopedia
Franklin Park is an unincorporated area within portions of North Brunswick Township
and South Brunswick Township
in Middlesex County
and Franklin Township
in Somerset County
, in New Jersey
, United States
. Route 27 (historically known as Old Road/King's Highway and once part of the Lincoln Highway
system) bisects the village and serves as the dividing line between the two counties.
The area is served as United States Postal Service
ZIP Code
08823. Most of the 2001 anthrax attacks
letters had the address of Franklin Park.
As of the United States Census, 2000
, the population for ZIP Code Tabulation Area
(ZCTA) 08823 was 7,389.
, named for the tributary of the Millstone River
that flows through the area, first came to importance about 1710.
In that year a congregation of the Six Mile Run Reformed Church
was formed making it the oldest congregation in Franklin Township and remains an important part of the community. The first building was replaced by a new building in 1766 and was later replaced in 1817 by a third structure on the same site. The current building replaced the 1817 church that was destroyed by fire in 1879. The Frelinghuysen Memorial Chapel was added in 1907 and the Fellowship Hall was dedicated in 1958.
Franklin Park, then Six Mile Run, served as the first site of the Somerset County Courthouse and jail from 1714 until 1737 when a fire destroyed the building and the county seat was moved to Millstone, New Jersey
. Occasionally Franklin Park was referred to as Somerset Courthouse during the time the courthouse was located here. A commemorative marker is located on Route 27 between Clover Place and Bennington Parkway near the original courthouse site.
Several early taverns were established here and welcomed travelers using King's Highway while headed towards New Brunswick
and New York City
going north and Princeton
, Trenton
and Philadelphia going south. Wood's Tavern was operating by 1745 and Gifford's Tavern by the 1760s. John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson are known to have stopped at Gifford's Tavern. In 1874, Gifford's Tavern was replaced by the 26-room Beekman's Hotel, aka Franklin House, which operated until it was destroyed by a major fire in 1929. The building occupied by Chauncey’s Restaurant (now demolished) was purportedly once a barn of the Beekman’s Hotel.
The first post office in Franklin Township was established here in 1826.
The village name was formally changed from Six Mile Run to Franklin Park on June 25, 1872.
In the late 19th century in addition to the Beekman’s Hotel and another known as Manley’s Hotel and the Six Mile Run Reformed Church, the community included a wagon factory, blacksmith, wheelwright, butcher, hay scales, ice house, a school, and a general store called Hullfish’s Store, as well as residences for about 110 people.
Today many of the historic commercial buildings are gone but newer commercial buildings have taken their place to serve the rapidly growing population in the surrounding area.
The former Franklin Park School on Route 27, built in 1909, was a two room building until three more rooms were added in 1931. Renamed the Phillips School in 1954 in honor of Mrs. Jane E. Phillips, who had earlier invested in a school to be built by that name in honor of her late husband at Ten Mile Run (closed since 1931) and established a trust fund for graduates of the Phillips school to attend New Jersey State Teachers College at Trenton (most recently known as The College of New Jersey
), it ceased being used as a public school in 1976. The building was then used by Franklin Township’s Recreation Department until 1993 when it was abandoned due to structural problems. After being sold and renovated, it reopened as a privately run pre-school.
The current Franklin Park School section located between Hillview and Central Avenue is the original ten room building constructed in 1957. In 1998, a major expansion, accessed from Eden Road, was completed increasing enrollment capacity from about 130 to over 900 students.
Franklin Park has been served by the Franklin Park Volunteer Fire Company since 1936. Originally housed in the converted South Middlebush one-room schoolhouse that had been relocated to Route 27 in Franklin Park, the company had to build a new building after an oil stove fire destroyed the first firehouse in 1946.
North Brunswick Township, New Jersey
-Demographics:At the 2010 census, there were 40,742 people, 13,635 households and 9,367 families residing in the township. The population density was 3,018.3 per square mile . There were 13,932 housing units at an average density of 1,158.8 per square mile...
and South Brunswick Township
South Brunswick Township, New Jersey
South Brunswick Township is a Township in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 43,417....
in Middlesex County
Middlesex County, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 750,162 people, 265,815 households, and 190,855 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,422 people per square mile . There were 273,637 housing units at an average density of 884 per square mile...
and Franklin Township
Franklin Township, Somerset County, New Jersey
-Communities of Franklin Township:The following are census-designated places, unincorporated enclaves, and historical communities located within Franklin Township...
in Somerset County
Somerset County, New Jersey
Somerset County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. In 2010, the population was 323,444. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Somerville....
, in 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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Route 27 (historically known as Old Road/King's Highway and once part of the Lincoln Highway
Lincoln Highway
The Lincoln Highway was the first road across the United States of America.Conceived and promoted by entrepreneur Carl G. Fisher, the Lincoln Highway spanned coast-to-coast from Times Square in New York City to Lincoln Park in San Francisco, originally through 13 states: New York, New Jersey,...
system) bisects the village and serves as the dividing line between the two counties.
The area is served as United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
ZIP Code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
08823. Most of the 2001 anthrax attacks
2001 anthrax attacks
The 2001 anthrax attacks in the United States, also known as Amerithrax from its Federal Bureau of Investigation case name, occurred over the course of several weeks beginning on Tuesday, September 18, 2001, one week after the September 11 attacks. Letters containing anthrax spores were mailed to...
letters had the address of Franklin Park.
As of the United States Census, 2000
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
, the population for ZIP Code Tabulation Area
ZIP Code Tabulation Area
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are statistical entities developed by the United States Census Bureau for tabulating summary statistics from Census 2000. This new entity was developed to overcome the difficulties in precisely defining the land area covered by each ZIP code...
(ZCTA) 08823 was 7,389.
History
Franklin Park, originally known as Six Mile RunSix Mile Run
Six Mile Run may refer to the following in the U.S. state of New Jersey:*Six Mile Run , a tributary of the Millstone River*Six Mile Run, New Jersey, several different but related features in Franklin Township...
, named for the tributary 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...
that flows through the area, first came to importance about 1710.
In that year a congregation of the Six Mile Run Reformed Church
Six Mile Run Reformed Church
The Six Mile Run Reformed Church is in Six Mile Run, Franklin Park, New Jersey and takes its name from Six Mile Run, a tributary of the Millstone River that flows through the area....
was formed making it the oldest congregation in Franklin Township and remains an important part of the community. The first building was replaced by a new building in 1766 and was later replaced in 1817 by a third structure on the same site. The current building replaced the 1817 church that was destroyed by fire in 1879. The Frelinghuysen Memorial Chapel was added in 1907 and the Fellowship Hall was dedicated in 1958.
Franklin Park, then Six Mile Run, served as the first site of the Somerset County Courthouse and jail from 1714 until 1737 when a fire destroyed the building and the county seat was moved to Millstone, New Jersey
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...
. Occasionally Franklin Park was referred to as Somerset Courthouse during the time the courthouse was located here. A commemorative marker is located on Route 27 between Clover Place and Bennington Parkway near the original courthouse site.
Several early taverns were established here and welcomed travelers using King's Highway while headed towards New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA. It is the county seat and the home of Rutgers University. The city is located on the Northeast Corridor rail line, southwest of Manhattan, on the southern bank of the Raritan River. At the 2010 United States Census, the population of...
and New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
going north and Princeton
Princeton, New Jersey
Princeton is a community located in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It is best known as the location of Princeton University, which has been sited in the community since 1756...
, Trenton
Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Trenton had a population of 84,913...
and Philadelphia going south. Wood's Tavern was operating by 1745 and Gifford's Tavern by the 1760s. John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson are known to have stopped at Gifford's Tavern. In 1874, Gifford's Tavern was replaced by the 26-room Beekman's Hotel, aka Franklin House, which operated until it was destroyed by a major fire in 1929. The building occupied by Chauncey’s Restaurant (now demolished) was purportedly once a barn of the Beekman’s Hotel.
The first post office in Franklin Township was established here in 1826.
The village name was formally changed from Six Mile Run to Franklin Park on June 25, 1872.
In the late 19th century in addition to the Beekman’s Hotel and another known as Manley’s Hotel and the Six Mile Run Reformed Church, the community included a wagon factory, blacksmith, wheelwright, butcher, hay scales, ice house, a school, and a general store called Hullfish’s Store, as well as residences for about 110 people.
Today many of the historic commercial buildings are gone but newer commercial buildings have taken their place to serve the rapidly growing population in the surrounding area.
The former Franklin Park School on Route 27, built in 1909, was a two room building until three more rooms were added in 1931. Renamed the Phillips School in 1954 in honor of Mrs. Jane E. Phillips, who had earlier invested in a school to be built by that name in honor of her late husband at Ten Mile Run (closed since 1931) and established a trust fund for graduates of the Phillips school to attend New Jersey State Teachers College at Trenton (most recently known as The College of New Jersey
The College of New Jersey
The College of New Jersey, abbreviated TCNJ, is a public, coeducational university located in Ewing Township, New Jersey, a suburb of Trenton....
), it ceased being used as a public school in 1976. The building was then used by Franklin Township’s Recreation Department until 1993 when it was abandoned due to structural problems. After being sold and renovated, it reopened as a privately run pre-school.
The current Franklin Park School section located between Hillview and Central Avenue is the original ten room building constructed in 1957. In 1998, a major expansion, accessed from Eden Road, was completed increasing enrollment capacity from about 130 to over 900 students.
Franklin Park has been served by the Franklin Park Volunteer Fire Company since 1936. Originally housed in the converted South Middlebush one-room schoolhouse that had been relocated to Route 27 in Franklin Park, the company had to build a new building after an oil stove fire destroyed the first firehouse in 1946.
Notable residents
- Peter Pumyea II (1739–1802) was a captain in the New Jersey militia during the American Revolutionary WarAmerican Revolutionary WarThe American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. He was born in Six Mile RunSix Mile RunSix Mile Run may refer to the following in the U.S. state of New Jersey:*Six Mile Run , a tributary of the Millstone River*Six Mile Run, New Jersey, several different but related features in Franklin Township...
, Franklin Township, Somerset County, New JerseyFranklin Township, Somerset County, New Jersey-Communities of Franklin Township:The following are census-designated places, unincorporated enclaves, and historical communities located within Franklin Township...
. He married Ida Rycken Suydam (1744–1824) on June 10, 1762. Ida was the daughter of Ryck Suydam. Ryck's father, Hendrick Rychen was from Suydam, Holland. Peter and Ida had a child: Peter Pumyea III (1768–1826) who married Sarah Addis. Sarah was the daughter of Simon Addis. In the Census of 1765-1772, Peter is recorded as "Peter Pommieeje" with his wife and children and two slaves: Caesar and Sam. As "Peter Pommieeje", he served in the Revolutionary War as captain of the 2nd Battalion, Somerset County, New JerseySomerset County, New JerseySomerset County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. In 2010, the population was 323,444. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Somerville....
militia. Both he and his wife lived and died at Six Mile RunSix Mile RunSix Mile Run may refer to the following in the U.S. state of New Jersey:*Six Mile Run , a tributary of the Millstone River*Six Mile Run, New Jersey, several different but related features in Franklin Township...
in Somerset County, New JerseySomerset County, New JerseySomerset County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. In 2010, the population was 323,444. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Somerville....
. He was buried in Elm Ridge Cemetery, North BrunswickElm Ridge Cemetery, North Brunswick-Notable burials:*Simon Addis , Captain in Revolutionary War*Peter Pumyea II , Captain in Revolutionary War*Theodorus Jacobus Frelinghuysen , immigrant from Netherlands and theologian- External links :* at Find A Grave...
. The inscription reads: "Peter Pumyea, Died September 21, 1802, aged 63 years, 5 months and 25 days" and "Ida Pumyea buried November 20, 1824". - Clifford Case (1904–1982) was a member of the U.S. Senate for 18 years and a member of the U.S. House of Representatives before that. He spent his childhood in Franklin Park while his father served as the minister at the Reformed Church mentioned above.
External links
- Census 2000 Fact Sheet for Zip Code Tabulation Area 08823 from the United States Census BureauUnited States Census BureauThe United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...