The Clinton Historic District is a
historic district encompassing much of the town of
Clinton in
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 2020 U.S. census, the county's population was 128,947, making it the state's 18th-most populous county,[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 ...]
on September 28, 1995, for its significance in architecture, commerce, engineering, industry and exploration/settlement. The district includes 270
contributing buildings, one contributing structure, and three contributing sites. Five were previously listed on the NRHP individually:
Dunham's Mill,
M. C. Mulligan & Sons Quarry,
Music Hall,
Old Grandin Library, and
Red Mill.
[ With ]
History
The oldest buildings in the district are the two mills on opposite sides of the Clinton Dam on the
South Branch Raritan River
The South Branch Raritan River is a tributary of the Raritan River in New Jersey.Gertler, Edward. ''Garden State Canoeing'', Seneca Press, 2002.
Description
The source of the South Branch is the outflow from Budd Lake, a glacial remnant locate ...
. The
Red Mill, on the west, was built and
Dunham's Mill, on the east, was built in 1837.
The Clinton House is likely located at the site of an earlier 18th-century tavern.
The district has three churches. The
Presbyterian
Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...
congregation formed in 1829 and built the current church in 1864. The
Methodist
Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's ...
congregation formed in 1832 and built the current church in 1863.
Baptists built a church in 1872, but it was sold after membership declined and is now owned by Evangel Chapel.
The
Main Street Bridge, a
Pratt truss
A truss bridge is a bridge whose load-bearing superstructure is composed of a truss, a structure of connected elements, usually forming triangular units. The connected elements (typically straight) may be stressed from tension, compression, or ...
bridge crossing the South Branch Raritan River, was designed by Francis C. Lowthorp and built in 1870 by William Cowin of
Lambertville replacing an earlier bridge. On October 30, 1891, a major fire destroyed 23 buildings and 17 businesses on Main Street. This is known in Clinton as the Great Fire of 1891. The Duckworth Building and the Odd Fellows Hall on Main Street were built using brick after this fire.
South Branch Raritan River
The South Branch Raritan River is a tributary of the Raritan River in New Jersey.Gertler, Edward. ''Garden State Canoeing'', Seneca Press, 2002.
Description
The source of the South Branch is the outflow from Budd Lake, a glacial remnant locate ...
Description
The house at 42-46 West Main Street features ornate gables. The house at 68 West Main Street shows
Italianate style
The Italianate style was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. Like Palladianism and Neoclassicism, the Italianate style drew its inspiration from the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian R ...
and features a spoke-filled circular window in the attic. The John Taylor Leigh Mansion, now the town municipal building, was built in 1861 with bricks made on the property. It features a full porch with Italianate columns. The Duckworth Building and the Odd Fellows Hall show
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of medieval Europe characterized by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque style, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 11th century, this lat ...
features.
Gallery
File:42-46 West Main Street, Clinton, NJ.jpg, 42-46 West Main Street
File:68 West Main Street, Clinton, NJ.jpg, 68 West Main Street
File:43 Leigh Street, Clinton, NJ.jpg, John Taylor Leigh Mansion, now the Municipal Building
File:42-46 Main Street, Clinton, NJ.jpg, Duckworth Building and Odd Fellows Hall on Main Street
File:27-37 Center Street, Clinton, NJ.jpg, Center Street buildings
See also
*
References
External links
*
{{NRHP in Hunterdon County, New Jersey
Clinton, New Jersey
National Register of Historic Places in Hunterdon County, New Jersey
Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in New Jersey
New Jersey Register of Historic Places
Italianate architecture in New Jersey