Blackwells Mills is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

and

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...

(CDP) located in Franklin Township in Somerset County, in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

.GCT-PH1 - Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County -- County Subdivision and Place from the 2010 Census Summary File 1 for Somerset County, New Jersey
,

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

. Accessed February 11, 2013.2006-2010 American Community Survey Geography for New Jersey

. Accessed February 11, 2013.New Jersey: 2010 - Population and Housing Unit Counts - 2010 Census of Population and Housing (CPH-2-32)

, August 2012. Accessed February 11, 2013. As of the

2010 U.S. census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servin ...

, the CDP's population was 803.DP-1 - Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data for Blackwells Mills CDP, New Jersey
,

. Accessed August 23, 2012.

History

Blackwells Mills is on the east side of the

Millstone River The Millstone River is a tributary of the Raritan River in central New Jersey in the United States.Gertler, Edward. ''Garden State Canoeing'', Seneca Press, 2002. The Millstone River begins in western Monmouth County and flows westward throu ...

Franklin Township, Somerset County, New Jersey Franklin Township is a township in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. It is centrally located in the Raritan Valley region, within the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 62, ...

. A

mill Mill may refer to: Science and technology * * Mill (grinding) * Milling (machining) * Millwork * Textile mill * Steel mill, a factory for the manufacture of steel * List of types of mill * Mill, the arithmetic unit of the Analytical Engine early ...

was built in 1746 by Peter Schenk. His daughter married a Mercer and the mill passed to her family. The mill was purchased by William Blackwell in 1804 with his uncle Capt. Jacob Blackwell. These men were from nearby Hopewell Township. William Blackwell built a fine Federal period house on the land across the road on the Hillsborough side. Following Hurricane Floyd, the house was moved westward to higher ground. It is still standing. Following the death of William Blackwell in the 1850s, his son John came into possession of the mill. John Blackwell died early in life, and his widow sold the mill to Augustus VanZant in 1872. On May 31, 1771 the west bank of the

became Hillsborough Township. The mill burned down in 1885 and was rebuilt. A major restoration was done in 1943.

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, Blackwells Mills had a total area of 1.296 square miles (3.356 km²), including 1.222 square miles (3.165 km²) of land and 0.074 square miles (0.191 km²) of water (5.70%).

Demographics

2010 census

The

2010 United States census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servin ...

counted 803 people, 238 households, and 218 families in the CDP. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was . There were 241 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup was 69.12% (555)

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 10.96% (88) Black or African American, 0.12% (1) Native American, 17.93% (144)

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.37% (3)

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 0.00% (0) from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.49% (12) from two or more races.

Hispanic or Latino ''Hispanic'' and '' Latino'' are ethnonyms used to refer collectively to the inhabitants of the United States who are of Spanish or Latin American ancestry (). While the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, for example, by the United States ...

of any race were 4.48% (36) of the population. Of the 238 households, 61.3% had children under the age of 18; 85.7% were married couples living together; 4.6% had a female householder with no husband present and 8.4% were non-families. Of all households, 3.8% were made up of individuals and 0.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.34 and the average family size was 3.43. 32.6% of the population were under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 23.0% from 25 to 44, 34.4% from 45 to 64, and 4.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.9 years. For every 100 females, the population had 94.9 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 96.0 males.

Blackwells Mills Canal House

The

Blackwells Mills Canal House The Blackwells Mills Canal House is located at Blackwells Mills Road and Canal Road in Franklin Township, Somerset County, New Jersey, United States, on the Delaware and Raritan Canal. Across the canal is Blackwells Mills, New Jersey. History ...

, located at Blackwells Mills Road and Canal Road along the

Delaware and Raritan Canal The Delaware and Raritan Canal (D&R Canal) is a canal in central New Jersey, built in the 1830s, that served to connect the Delaware River to the Raritan River. It was an efficient and reliable means of transportation of freight between Philadel ...

, was built , 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. It is a contributing property of the Delaware and Raritan Canal historic district, added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

on May 11, 1973.

References

{{Somerset County, New Jersey Census-designated places in New Jersey Census-designated places in Somerset County, New Jersey Franklin Township, Somerset County, New Jersey