East Millstone 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, suc ...

(CDP) located in Franklin Township in Somerset County,

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 Delawa ...

.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 th ...

. 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 CDP's population was 579.DP-1 - Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data for East Millstone CDP, New Jersey
,

. Accessed August 23, 2012. It is a small rural community that grew and prospered with a small industrial base in the 19th Century, centered on 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 Philadelp ...

at Amwell Road and the long-abandoned

Millstone and New Brunswick Railroad The Millstone and New Brunswick Railroad (M&NB) was chartered in the mid-19th century as a seven-mile long branch line from New Brunswick, New Jersey to East Millstone, New Jersey. Construction was completed and the line began operation on December ...

that terminated in East Millstone. East Millstone was an independent municipality from 1873–1949. The East Millstone Historic District was listed on 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 ...

in 1983.

History

East Millstone existed as an independent municipality for more than 75 years. It was incorporated as a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an o ...

by an act of the

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 ...

on February 18, 1873, from portions of Franklin Township, and existed on its own until December 31, 1949, when it was returned to Franklin Township.Snyder, John P
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968''
John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 223. Accessed August 23, 2012. The residents voted 119–28 in favor of dissolution on March 9, 1949. The independent municipality of Millstone, New Jersey, a

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle Ag ...

which is not part of Franklin Township, is located across the Millstone River, which is directly west of the

. East Millstone maintains its rural character into the 21st Century, with a firehouse, a post office and just a handful of local businesses. The housing stock is also quite old, with no new development in the East Millstone section of Franklin Township in recent years. Brahms, William B., ''Franklin Township, Somerset County, NJ: A History'', FTPL;

Historic district

The East Millstone 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 cer ...

encompassing the village. It was added to the

on March 17, 1983 for its significance in architecture, commerce, industry, and transportation. It includes 109

contributing buildings In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing property or contributing resource is any building, object, or structure which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic distric ...

. The Franklin Inn, historically known as the Van Liew Farmhouse, is among the oldest houses in the village. With

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 ...

, East Millstone had a total area of 2.296 square miles (5.946 km²), including 2.234 square miles (5.785 km²) of land and 0.062 square miles (0.161 km²) of water (2.70%).

Demographics

Census 2010

Gallery

File:East Millstone, NJ - historic district sign.jpg, Historic district File:Calvary Community Church, East Millstone, NJ.jpg, Calvary Community Church File:Bridge Tender's House, East Millstone, NJ.jpg, Bridge Tender's House for the

File:Franklin Inn, East Millstone, NJ.jpg, Franklin Inn

References

External links

* {{Authority control Census-designated places in Somerset County, New Jersey Former municipalities in Somerset County, New Jersey Former towns in New Jersey Franklin Township, Somerset County, New Jersey National Register of Historic Places in Somerset County, New Jersey Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in New Jersey New Jersey Register of Historic Places