Quakertown 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 ...

located within Franklin Township in

Hunterdon County 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,Quakers Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belief in each human's abil ...

from Burlington County, who organized a meeting house here in 1733. The Quakertown Historic District was listed on the state and national registers of historic places in 1990.

History

In 1828, local

wheelwright A wheelwright is a craftsman who builds or repairs wooden wheels. The word is the combination of "wheel" and the word "wright", (which comes from the Old English word "''wryhta''", meaning a worker or shaper of wood) as in shipwright and arkw ...

, John Deats (1769–1841), invented an iron plow, the Deats plow. In 1831, his son, Hiram Deats (1810–1887), started to make these plows. In 1836, Hiram built a foundry here for plow and stove castings. He later expanded his manufacturing business at Pittstown and Stockton and became the first millionaire in Hunterdon County. In 1836, a commercial

tannery Tanning may refer to: *Tanning (leather), treating animal skins to produce leather *Sun tanning, using the sun to darken pale skin **Indoor tanning, the use of artificial light in place of the sun **Sunless tanning, application of a stain or dye t ...

was built here by John Allen. The millstone used for crushing tree bark and extracting

tannin Tannins (or tannoids) are a class of astringent, polyphenolic biomolecules that bind to and precipitate proteins and various other organic compounds including amino acids and alkaloids. The term ''tannin'' (from Anglo-Norman ''tanner'', ...

is now in front of the Potter/Allen house.

Historic district

The Quakertown Historic District is a

historic district A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal protection from c ...

along Quakertown Road, encompassing the village. It was 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 August 23, 1990 for its significance in architecture and community development. It includes 74 contributing buildings. With The district includes the

Quaker Meeting House A Friends meeting house is a meeting house of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), where meeting for worship is usually held. Typically, Friends meeting houses are simple and resemble local residential buildings. Steeples, spires, and ...

, a

Friends meeting house A Friends meeting house is a meeting house of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), where meeting for worship is usually held. Typically, Friends meeting houses are simple and resemble local residential buildings. Steeples, spires, and ...

, that was reconstructed in 1862 using the stones from the original 1754 building. The Potter/Allen House is a stone house built in 1765. The Federal style William Probasco House was built . The Henry Cliffton House is one of the earliest erected buildings in the community. The William Cronce House has an oculus and decorative shingles. The Quakertown Methodist Episcopal Church, built in 1878, features an ornate 3-stage steeple. It is the tenth oldest Methodist Church in the county.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Quakertown include: * Hiram Deats (1810–1887), businessman, agricultural manufacturing *

Toshiko Takaezu Toshiko Takaezu (June 17, 1922 – March 9, 2011) was an American ceramic artist, painter, sculptor, and educator who was known for her rounded, closed forms that viewed ceramics as a fine art and more than a functional vessel. She is of Japan ...

(1922–2011), ceramic artist and painter

Gallery

File:Quaker Meeting House, Quakertown, NJ.jpg,

File:4 Locust Grove Road, Quakertown, NJ.jpg, Potter/Allen House File:301 Quakertown Road, Quakertown, NJ.jpg, Henry Cliffton House File:240 Quakertown Road, Quakertown, NJ.jpg, William Cronce House

References

External links

* * * {{Authority control Franklin Township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey Unincorporated communities in Hunterdon County, New Jersey Unincorporated communities in 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