Frenchtown, New Jersey
Encyclopedia
Frenchtown is a Borough
in Hunterdon County
, New Jersey
, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 1,373.
Frenchtown Borough is located along the banks of the Delaware River
on the Hunterdon Plateau
. Various names have been applied to this settlement, after the many ferry operators residing on both sides of the river. Alexandria Ville, Sunbeam, and Frenchtown were the official names by which this community was known over the years. The Borough was formed by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature
on April 4, 1867, from portions of Alexandria Township
. Additional territory was gained from Kingwood Township
in 1865.
The first bridge across the Delaware at Frenchtown was a six-span covered wooden bridge built in 1841 on the five piers that still stand today, and the community became a gateway to Pennsylvania
. The Uhlerstown-Frenchtown Bridge, a free Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission
bridge over the Delaware River
connects Frenchtown to Uhlerstown
, Bucks County
, Pennsylvania.
, one of the three owners. In 1776, the three sold the settlement to Thomas Lowrey, a Flemington
speculator.
In 1794, Lowrey sold the tract to Paul Henri Mallet-Prevost, a Swiss fugitive from the French Revolution
. He and other early settlers were French speaking, leading some to begin calling the place "Frenchtown."
The town grew substantially in the next four decades. A trade in grain and other farm products developed. Boatmen and river men helped fuel Frenchtown's growth through their buying of cargo and food, and hiring of pilots. In the years after Henri Mallet-Prevost's death, his sons sold off portions of their property; no longer was the town privately owned.
The arrival of the Belvidere Delaware Railroad
in 1853 sparked continued growth in Frenchtown. Steam-powered industry became widely developed, and by the 1860s, mills were being converted into larger factories. Around the same time, the town had three major hotels, The Lower Hotel (Present day Frenchtown Inn), The Middle Hotel (no longer existing), and the Upper Hotel (The National Hotel). In 1889, Britton Brothers Big Brick Store, which sold a variety of goods, opened on Bridge Street.
In the early 20th century, growth was spurred by the arrival of Frenchtown Porcelain Works, the establishment of the Milford plant of the Warren Paper Company, and the rise of the poultry industry.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the borough has a total area of 1.3 square miles (3.4 km²), of which, 1.3 square miles (3.4 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (4.48%) is water.
Frenchtown borders Kingwood Township
and Alexandria Township
. Frenchtown also borders the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
and is south of Milford
borough.
of 2000, there were 1,488 people, 613 households, and 375 families residing in the borough. The population density
was 1,160.7 people per square mile (448.8/km2). There were 630 housing units at an average density of 491.4 per square mile (190.0/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 95.97% White, 0.40% African American, 0.20% Native American, 1.21% Asian, 1.34% from other races
, and 0.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.62% of the population.
There were 613 households out of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.9% were married couples
living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.7% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the borough the population was spread out with 22.5% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 35.2% from 25 to 44, 25.9% from 45 to 64, and 9.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.4 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $52,109, and the median income for a family was $62,132. Males had a median income of $42,321 versus $30,952 for females. The per capita income
for the borough was $27,765. About 2.4% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.0% of those under age 18 and 1.4% of those age 65 or over.
According to the NJSP Website there are no registered sex offender
s located in Frenchtown in 2007.
form of New Jersey municipal government. The government consists of a Mayor and a Borough Council comprising six council members, with all positions elected at large. A Mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The Mayor presides at council meetings, but has no vote except to break ties. The Borough Council consists of six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year. The NJ Borough Act of 1987 allowed for the delegation of executive responsibility to an appointed administrator.
The Mayor
of Frenchtown Borough is Ronald M. Sworen, whose term of office December 31, 2011. Members of the Frenchtown Borough Council are Brad Myhre, Seth A. Grossman, Gerry St. Onge, Robb Arent, Bryan Davison, and William Sullivan. In elections held on November 8, 2011, 16-year incumbent Ronald Sworen was defeated by Democrat Warren Cooper, who will take office in January 2012.
Frenchtown is in the
serves public school students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. Edith Ort Thomas Elementary School had an enrollment of 156 students in the 2009-10 school year.
Public school students in grade 9 - 12 attend the Delaware Valley Regional High School
in Frenchtown, which serves almost 1,000 students in western Hunterdon County. Students from Alexandria
, Holland
and Kingwood
Townships along with the boroughs of Frenchtown and Milford
attend the high school. The school is part of the Delaware Valley Regional High School District.
.
Borough (New Jersey)
A borough in the context of New Jersey local government refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government....
in Hunterdon County
Hunterdon County, New Jersey
Hunterdon County is a county located in the western section of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 128,349. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Flemington....
, 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. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 1,373.
Frenchtown Borough is located along the banks of the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
on the Hunterdon Plateau
Hunterdon Plateau
Hunterdon Plateau is a plateau in western Hunterdon County, New Jersey. It borders the higher Musconetcong Mountain to the northwest, the Delaware River to the west, Amwell Valley to the south and the lower lying areas of the Newark Basin to the east. The plateau's edge follows a line from Raven...
. Various names have been applied to this settlement, after the many ferry operators residing on both sides of the river. Alexandria Ville, Sunbeam, and Frenchtown were the official names by which this community was known over the years. The Borough was formed by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature
New Jersey Legislature
The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and the Senate...
on April 4, 1867, from portions of Alexandria Township
Alexandria Township, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 4,698 people, 1,535 households, and 1,290 families residing in the township. The population density was 170.6 people per square mile . There were 1,598 housing units at an average density of 58.0 per square mile...
. Additional territory was gained from Kingwood Township
Kingwood Township, New Jersey
- History :Kingwood Township is famous for the local captain who rounded up the boats for George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River during the American Revolutionary War.-Demographics:...
in 1865.
The first bridge across the Delaware at Frenchtown was a six-span covered wooden bridge built in 1841 on the five piers that still stand today, and the community became a gateway to Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. The Uhlerstown-Frenchtown Bridge, a free Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission
Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission
The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission is a bistate, public agency charged with providing safe, dependable and efficient river crossings between Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The DRJTBC was established under legislation enacted in the two states in 1934. The federal Compact for the...
bridge over the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
connects Frenchtown to Uhlerstown
Uhlerstown, Pennsylvania
Uhlerstown, Pennsylvania is an unincorporated community in Tinicum Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, along Pennsylvania Route 32 . It is served by the 18920 Zip code.Uhlerstown is one of the many Delaware River communities in the county...
, Bucks County
Bucks County, Pennsylvania
- Industry and commerce :The boroughs of Bristol and Morrisville were prominent industrial centers along the Northeast Corridor during World War II. Suburban development accelerated in Lower Bucks in the 1950s with the opening of Levittown, Pennsylvania, the second such "Levittown" designed by...
, Pennsylvania.
History
In 1757, three joint owners of a tract purchased from the West Jersey Land Society began laying out streets and building lots at Calvin's Ferry. The developing town was to be called "Alexandria" in honor of William AlexanderWilliam Alexander
William Alexander , who claimed the disputed title of Earl of Stirling, was an American major-general during the American Revolutionary War.-Life:...
, one of the three owners. In 1776, the three sold the settlement to Thomas Lowrey, a Flemington
Flemington, New Jersey
Flemington is a borough in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 4,581. It is the county seat of Hunterdon County....
speculator.
In 1794, Lowrey sold the tract to Paul Henri Mallet-Prevost, a Swiss fugitive from the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
. He and other early settlers were French speaking, leading some to begin calling the place "Frenchtown."
The town grew substantially in the next four decades. A trade in grain and other farm products developed. Boatmen and river men helped fuel Frenchtown's growth through their buying of cargo and food, and hiring of pilots. In the years after Henri Mallet-Prevost's death, his sons sold off portions of their property; no longer was the town privately owned.
The arrival of the Belvidere Delaware Railroad
Belvidere Delaware Railroad
The Belvidere Delaware Railroad, frequently shortened to the "Bel Del", was a railroad running along the eastern shore of the Delaware River from Trenton, New Jersey north via Phillipsburg, New Jersey to Belvidere, New Jersey...
in 1853 sparked continued growth in Frenchtown. Steam-powered industry became widely developed, and by the 1860s, mills were being converted into larger factories. Around the same time, the town had three major hotels, The Lower Hotel (Present day Frenchtown Inn), The Middle Hotel (no longer existing), and the Upper Hotel (The National Hotel). In 1889, Britton Brothers Big Brick Store, which sold a variety of goods, opened on Bridge Street.
In the early 20th century, growth was spurred by the arrival of Frenchtown Porcelain Works, the establishment of the Milford plant of the Warren Paper Company, and the rise of the poultry industry.
Geography
Frenchtown is located at 40.527820°N 75.060953°W (40.527820, -75.060953).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The 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...
, the borough has a total area of 1.3 square miles (3.4 km²), of which, 1.3 square miles (3.4 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (4.48%) is water.
Frenchtown borders Kingwood Township
Kingwood Township, New Jersey
- History :Kingwood Township is famous for the local captain who rounded up the boats for George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River during the American Revolutionary War.-Demographics:...
and Alexandria Township
Alexandria Township, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 4,698 people, 1,535 households, and 1,290 families residing in the township. The population density was 170.6 people per square mile . There were 1,598 housing units at an average density of 58.0 per square mile...
. Frenchtown also borders the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
and is south of Milford
Milford, New Jersey
Milford is a Borough located in western Hunterdon County, New Jersey. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 1,233....
borough.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 1,488 people, 613 households, and 375 families residing in the borough. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,160.7 people per square mile (448.8/km2). There were 630 housing units at an average density of 491.4 per square mile (190.0/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 95.97% White, 0.40% African American, 0.20% Native American, 1.21% Asian, 1.34% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.62% of the population.
There were 613 households out of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.9% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.7% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the borough the population was spread out with 22.5% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 35.2% from 25 to 44, 25.9% from 45 to 64, and 9.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.4 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $52,109, and the median income for a family was $62,132. Males had a median income of $42,321 versus $30,952 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the borough was $27,765. About 2.4% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.0% of those under age 18 and 1.4% of those age 65 or over.
According to the NJSP Website there are no registered sex offender
Sex offender
A sex offender is a person who has committed a sex crime. What constitutes a sex crime differs by culture and by legal jurisdiction. Most jurisdictions compile their laws into sections such as traffic, assault, sexual, etc. The majority of convicted sex offenders have convictions for crimes of a...
s located in Frenchtown in 2007.
Local government
Frenchtown is governed under the BoroughBorough (New Jersey)
A borough in the context of New Jersey local government refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government....
form of New Jersey municipal government. The government consists of a Mayor and a Borough Council comprising six council members, with all positions elected at large. A Mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The Mayor presides at council meetings, but has no vote except to break ties. The Borough Council consists of six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year. The NJ Borough Act of 1987 allowed for the delegation of executive responsibility to an appointed administrator.
The Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Frenchtown Borough is Ronald M. Sworen, whose term of office December 31, 2011. Members of the Frenchtown Borough Council are Brad Myhre, Seth A. Grossman, Gerry St. Onge, Robb Arent, Bryan Davison, and William Sullivan. In elections held on November 8, 2011, 16-year incumbent Ronald Sworen was defeated by Democrat Warren Cooper, who will take office in January 2012.
Federal, state and county representation
Frenchtown is in the 12th Congressional district.Frenchtown is in the
Education
The Frenchtown School DistrictFrenchtown School District
The Frenchtown School Districtis a community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade from Frenchtown, in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States....
serves public school students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. Edith Ort Thomas Elementary School had an enrollment of 156 students in the 2009-10 school year.
Public school students in grade 9 - 12 attend the Delaware Valley Regional High School
Delaware Valley Regional High School
Delaware Valley Regional High School is a regional, four-year public high school and school district, that serves students in western Hunterdon County. The high school is located in Alexandria Township...
in Frenchtown, which serves almost 1,000 students in western Hunterdon County. Students from Alexandria
Alexandria Township, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 4,698 people, 1,535 households, and 1,290 families residing in the township. The population density was 170.6 people per square mile . There were 1,598 housing units at an average density of 58.0 per square mile...
, Holland
Holland Township, New Jersey
Holland Township is a township in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the township population was 5,291....
and Kingwood
Kingwood Township, New Jersey
- History :Kingwood Township is famous for the local captain who rounded up the boats for George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River during the American Revolutionary War.-Demographics:...
Townships along with the boroughs of Frenchtown and Milford
Milford, New Jersey
Milford is a Borough located in western Hunterdon County, New Jersey. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 1,233....
attend the high school. The school is part of the Delaware Valley Regional High School District.
Transportation
Frenchtown is the northern terminus of Route 29, the western terminus of Route 12, and the southern terminus of Route 513County Route 513 (New Jersey)
County Route 513 is a county highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The highway extends from Kingwood Avenue in Frenchtown to Lakeside Road in West Milford...
.
Notable residents
Notable current and former residents of Frenchtown include:- James AgeeJames AgeeJames Rufus Agee was an American author, journalist, poet, screenwriter and film critic. In the 1940s, he was one of the most influential film critics in the U.S...
(1909–55), author, editor, poet; lived in Frenchtown with second wife Alma from 1938–1939; wrote Let Us Now Praise Famous MenLet Us Now Praise Famous MenLet Us Now Praise Famous Men is a book with text by American writer James Agee and photographs by American photographer Walker Evans first published in 1941 in the United States...
while in Frenchtown. - Nathanael WestNathanael WestNathanael West was a US author, screenwriter and satirist.- Early life :...
(1903–40), novelist, screenwriter and satirist, author of Miss LonelyheartsMiss LonelyheartsMiss Lonelyhearts, published in 1933, is Nathanael West's second novel. It is an Expressionist black comedy set in New York City during the Great Depression.-Plot summary:...
and The Day of the LocustThe Day of the LocustThe Day of the Locust is a 1939 novel by American author Nathanael West, set in Hollywood, California during the Great Depression, its overarching themes deal with the alienation and desperation of a broad group of odd individuals who exist at the fringes of the Hollywood movie industry.In 1998,...
, boarded at the Frenchtown Inn during the 1930s. - Lois HuntLois HuntLois Hunt was an American lyric soprano who had spent some of her earlier career performing at New York City's Metropolitan Opera and later spent four decades performing and recording classical music and musical theater numbers nationwide together with baritone Earl Wrightson.-Early life and...
(1925–2009), soprano opera singer who toured for decades with baritone Earl WrightsonEarl WrightsonEarl Wrightson was an American singer and actor best known for musical theatre, concerts and television performances. His regular singing partner was the soprano Lois Hunt.-Early life and career:...
. - Anne KursinskiAnne KursinskiAnne Kindig Kursinski is an international rider from the United States, who competes in the sport of show jumping. She is one of the leading woman riders in the sport today. Kursinski currently resides in Frenchtown, New Jersey at Market Street Farm.She is also the younger sister of Rob...
(born 1959), top show jumpingShow jumpingShow jumping, also known as "stadium jumping," "open jumping," or "jumpers," is a member of a family of English riding equestrian events that also includes dressage, eventing, hunters, and equitation. Jumping classes commonly are seen at horse shows throughout the world, including the Olympics...
competitor. - Harvey Spencer LewisHarvey Spencer LewisHarvey Spencer Lewis F.R.C., S.·.I.·., 33°66°95°, Ph.D. , a noted Rosicrucian author, occultist, and mystic, was the founder in USA and the first Imperator of Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis , from 1915 until 1939....
(1883–1939), RosicrucianRosicrucianRosicrucianism is a philosophical secret society, said to have been founded in late medieval Germany by Christian Rosenkreuz. It holds a doctrine or theology "built on esoteric truths of the ancient past", which, "concealed from the average man, provide insight into nature, the physical universe...
author, occultist and mystic. - J. Linus McAteeJ. Linus McAteeJohn Linus McAtee was an American Hall of Fame jockey in Thoroughbred horse racing. He went by his middle name, Linus, but was nicknamed "Pony" by friends and would be called that by some in the press. While still an apprentice, he rode for Commander J. K. L...
(1897–1963), thoroughbred horse racing jockey. - Billy PauchBilly PauchBilly Pauch is an American racecar driver. He currently resides in Frenchtown, New Jersey where he runs the Bill Pauch Driving School....
(born 1957), race car driver. - Elizabeth GilbertElizabeth GilbertElizabeth M. Gilbert is an American author, essayist, short story writer, biographer, novelist and memoirist. She is best known for her 2006 memoirs, Eat, Pray, Love, which as of December 2010, has spent 199 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list, and was also made into a film by the same...
(born 1969), author of Eat, Pray, Love
External links
- Frenchtown.com
- Hunterdon County web page for Frenchtown Borough
- Frenchtown Elementary School
- Data for the Frenchtown School District, National Center for Education StatisticsNational Center for Education StatisticsThe National Center for Education Statistics is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance information in the United States...
- Delaware Valley Regional High School District
- Uhlerstown-Frenchtown bridge, Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge CommissionDelaware River Joint Toll Bridge CommissionThe Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission is a bistate, public agency charged with providing safe, dependable and efficient river crossings between Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The DRJTBC was established under legislation enacted in the two states in 1934. The federal Compact for the...
- Frenchtown NJ
- Hunterdon Land Trust Alliance