Frenchtown is a

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English language, 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 ...

Hunterdon County Hunterdon County is a County (United States), county located in the western section of the U.S. state of New Jersey. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the county was the state's List of counties in New Jersey, 4th-least populous ...

, 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 so ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

. Frenchtown is located along the banks of the

Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and is the longest free-flowing (undammed) river in the Eastern United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock, New York, the river flows for a ...

on the

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 ...

, northwest of the state capital of Trenton. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 1,370, a decrease of three people (−0.2%) from the 2010 census count of 1,373, which in turn reflected a decline of 115 (−7.7%) from the 1,488 counted in the 2000 census.

History

Naming Frenchtown

Various names have been applied to this settlement after the many ferry operators residing on both sides of the river. The community had variously been known as Alexandriaville, Sunbeam and Frenchtown over the years. The borough was formed by an Incorporation 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 ...

on April 4, 1867, from portions of Alexandria Township. Additional territory was acquired from Kingwood Township in 1876.Snyder, John P
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968''
Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 155. Accessed August 21, 2013.

Bridges

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, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

. The present day steel truss Uhlerstown-Frenchtown Bridge is a free

Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission (DRJTBC) is a bistate, public agency that maintains and operates river crossings connecting the U.S. states of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The agency's jurisdiction stretches roughly along the D ...

bridge over the

connecting Frenchtown to Uhlerstown,

Bucks County Bucks County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 646,538, making it the fourth-most populous county in Pennsylvania. Its county seat is Doylestown. The county is named after the English ...

, Pennsylvania.

Lenape and early European settlers

The

Lenape The Lenape (, , ; ), also called the Lenni Lenape and Delaware people, are an Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands, who live in the United States and Canada. The Lenape's historica ...

Native Americans had populated the area until they were fully supplanted by European settlement around 1750.History
Frenchtown Borough. Accessed November 18, 2019. About 1725, a group of French

Huguenot The Huguenots ( , ; ) are a Religious denomination, religious group of French people, French Protestants who held to the Reformed (Calvinist) tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, ...

refugees settled in Hunterdon County. Originally from the

Picardy Picardy (; Picard language, Picard and , , ) is a historical and cultural territory and a former regions of France, administrative region located in northern France. The first mentions of this province date back to the Middle Ages: it gained it ...

region of

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, they had fled after the revocation of the

Edict of Nantes The Edict of Nantes () was an edict signed in April 1598 by Henry IV of France, King Henry IV and granted the minority Calvinism, Calvinist Protestants of France, also known as Huguenots, substantial rights in the nation, which was predominantl ...

in 1685 when the King began persecution of non Catholics in France. One notable settler was Luther Calvin, a landowner and ferry operator who also bought a Hotel on Everittstown Road. Calvin also served as a 1st Lieutenant of the Associated Companies in 1756 during the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War, 1754 to 1763, was a colonial conflict in North America between Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of France, France, along with their respective Native Americans in the United States, Native American ...

. In 1757, three joint owners of a tract purchased from the West Jersey Land Society began laying out streets and building lots at what was then known as Calvin's Ferry. The developing town was to be called "Alexandria" in honor of

William Alexander, Lord Stirling William Alexander, also known as Lord Stirling (December 27, 1725 – January 15, 1783), was a Scottish-American major general during the American Revolutionary War. He held a claim to be the male heir to the Scottish title of Earl of Stirl ...

, 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 settlement "Frenchtown."

The canal, railroad, and industry

Lambertville grew substantially in the next four decades. A trade in grain and other farm products brought into town 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 and 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, water powered 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. The railroad eventually became a branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad. It no longer operates but its tracks are still evident. The Delaware and Raritan Canal had been constructed adjacent to the Delaware River in the 1800s. It was quickly abandoned upon the arrival of the paralleling railroad. Its extant towpaths are now a popular biking and hiking trail from Trenton through Lambertville to Frenchtown and beyond. It is maintained by the State of New Jersey as the Delaware and Raritan State Park Trail. 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.

Floods

Hurricane Diane Hurricane Diane was the first Atlantic hurricane to cause more than an estimated $1 billion in damage (in 1955 dollars, which would be $11,764,962,686 today), including direct costs and the loss of business and personal revenue. It tropical ...

in 1955 raised the level of the Delaware River dramatically and flooded the streets of Frenchtown as well as other riverbank towns and caused serious damage to buildings and residences. Frenchtown streets have flooded on occasion due to other hurricanes since 1955.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the borough had a total area of 1.23 square miles (3.18 km²), including 1.13 square miles (2.92 km²) of land and 0.10 square miles (0.26 km²) of water (8.05%). Frenchtown borders the municipalities of Alexandria Township and Kingwood Township in Hunterdon County; and Tinicum Township in

, across the

in the

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, Maryland to its south, West ...

. Frenchtown Solar is a group of three

photovoltaic arrays A photovoltaic system, also called a PV system or solar power system, is an electric power system designed to supply usable solar power by means of photovoltaics. It consists of an arrangement of several components, including solar panels to abso ...

forming one of the largest

solar farm A photovoltaic power station, also known as a solar park, solar farm, or solar power plant, is a large-scale grid-connected photovoltaic power system (PV system) designed for the supply of merchant power. They are different from most building ...

s in the state covering with 68,500 solar panels and 20.1 megawatt capacity.

Demographics

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 1,373 people, 596 households, and 366 families in the borough. The population density was . There were 656 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup was 96.65% (1,327)

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.80% (11) Black or African American, 0.36% (5) Native American, 0.95% (13) Asian, 0.00% (0)

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, 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 th ...

, 0.07% (1) from other races, and 1.17% (16) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.10% (70) of the population. Of the 596 households, 26.7% had children under the age of 18; 46.0% were married couples living together; 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present and 38.6% were non-families. Of all households, 31.4% were made up of individuals and 8.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.88. 20.9% of the population were under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 34.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.6 years. For every 100 females, the population had 95.6 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 95.3 males. The Census Bureau's 2006–2010

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...

showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars)

median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of und ...

was $62,574 (with a margin of error of +/− $9,339) and the median family income was $76,250 (+/− $12,807). Males had a median income of $62,500 (+/− $7,602) versus $34,886 (+/− $5,656) for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the borough was $33,966 (+/− $5,364). About 4.9% of families and 8.0% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 11.1% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census there were 1,488 people, 613 households, and 375 families residing in the borough. The population density was . There were 630 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the borough was 95.97%

, 0.40%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.20% Native American, 1.21% Asian, 1.34% from other races, and 0.87% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 2.62% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Frenchtown borough, New Jersey
,

. Accessed November 14, 2012.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Frenchtown borough, Hunterdon County, New Jersey
,

. Accessed November 14, 2012. 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, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

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

for the borough was $27,765. About 2.4% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the

, including 4.0% of those under age 18 and 1.4% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

Frenchtown is governed under the

form of New Jersey municipal government, the state's most common form, which is used by 218 of the state's 564 municipalities. The governing body is comprised of a mayor and a borough council, with all positions elected

at-large At large (''before a noun'': at-large) is a description for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association), rather tha ...

on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. A mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The borough council includes six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle.''2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'',

Rutgers University Rutgers University ( ), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of three campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's C ...

Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, March 2013, p. 103. The borough form of government used by Frenchtown is a " weak mayor / strong council" government in which council members act as the legislative body with the mayor presiding at meetings and voting only in the event of a tie. The mayor can

veto A veto is a legal power to unilaterally stop an official action. In the most typical case, a president (government title), president or monarch vetoes a bill (law), bill to stop it from becoming statutory law, law. In many countries, veto powe ...

ordinances subject to an override by a two-thirds majority vote of the council. The mayor makes committee and liaison assignments for council members, and most appointments are made by the mayor with the advice and consent of the council. , the

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

of Frenchtown is Republican Brad Myhre, whose term of office ends on December 31, 2023. Members of the Borough Council are Council President Michele Liebtag ( D, 2023), Stacy Becker (D, 2023), Kandy Ferree (D, 2025), Hannah Opdyke ( I, 2025), William O'Brien (D, 2024) and Elaine Warner (D, 2024).Council Members
Frenchtown, NJ. Accessed May 3, 2023.Borough of Frenchtown

Hunterdon County, New Jersey Hunterdon County is a county located in the western section of the U.S. state of New Jersey. At the 2020 census, the county was the state's 4th-least populous county,''2022 County and Municipal Directory''

New Jersey Redistricting Commission The New Jersey Redistricting Commission is a constitutional body of the government of New Jersey tasked with redrawing the state's Congressional election districts after each decade's census. Like Arizona, Idaho, Hawaii, Montana, and Washington ...

, December 23, 2011. Accessed February 1, 2020. and is part of New Jersey's 15th state legislative district.

Politics

As of March 2011, there were a total of 931 registered voters in Frenchtown, of which 289 (31.0%) were registered as Democrats, 270 (29.0%) were registered as

Republicans Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

and 370 (39.7%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 2 voters registered as either

Libertarians Libertarianism (from ; or from ) is a political philosophy that holds freedom, personal sovereignty, and liberty as primary values. Many libertarians believe that the concept of freedom is in accord with the Non-Aggression Principle, according ...

or Greens. In the

2012 presidential election This national electoral calendar for 2012 lists the national/ federal elections held in 2012 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included. January *3–4 January: ...

, Democrat

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

received 61.6% of the vote (431 cast), ahead of Republican

Mitt Romney Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American businessman and retired politician. He served as a United States Senate, United States senator from Utah from 2019 to 2025 and as the 70th governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 ...

with 35.7% (250 votes), and other candidates with 2.7% (19 votes), among the 705 ballots cast by the borough's 982 registered voters (5 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 71.8%. In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 59.6% of the vote (439 cast), ahead of Republican

John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American statesman and United States Navy, naval officer who represented the Arizona, state of Arizona in United States Congress, Congress for over 35 years, first as ...

with 38.3% (282 votes) and other candidates with 1.2% (9 votes), among the 737 ballots cast by the borough's 953 registered voters, for a turnout of 77.3%. In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat

John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician, and diplomat who served as the 68th United States secretary of state from 2013 to 2017 in the Presidency of Barack Obama#Administration, administration of Barac ...

received 57.1% of the vote (392 ballots cast), outpolling Republican

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...

with 42.4% (291 votes) and other candidates with 1.4% (13 votes), among the 686 ballots cast by the borough's 914 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 75.1. In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican

Chris Christie Christopher James Christie (born September 6, 1962) is an American politician and former United States Attorney, federal prosecutor who served as the 55th governor of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018. A member of the Republican Party (United States) ...

received 54.9% of the vote (284 cast), ahead of Democrat

Barbara Buono Barbara A. Buono (born July 28, 1953) is an American politician who served in the New Jersey Senate from 2002 to 2014, where she represented the 18th Legislative District. She served from 2010 to 2012 as the Majority Leader in the Senate, succ ...

with 42.7% (221 votes), and other candidates with 2.3% (12 votes), among the 533 ballots cast by the borough's 976 registered voters (16 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 54.6%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 48.3% of the vote (247 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat

Jon Corzine Jon Stevens Corzine ( ; born January 1, 1947) is an American financial executive and retired politician who served as a United States Senator from New Jersey from 2001 to 2006, and the 54th governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. Corzine ran f ...

with 40.9% (209 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 8.2% (42 votes) and other candidates with 1.4% (7 votes), among the 511 ballots cast by the borough's 943 registered voters, yielding a 54.2% turnout.

Historic district

The Frenchtown Historic District is a

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

encompassing the community. It was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

on May 19, 1994, for its significance in architecture, commerce, community planning and development, and transportation from 1795 to 1931. The district includes 401

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 dist ...

, one contributing structure, and one contributing site. It includes the

Uhlerstown–Frenchtown Bridge The Uhlerstown–Frenchtown Bridge is a free bridge over the Delaware River, owned and operated by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission. The bridge connects New Jersey Route 12 in Frenchtown, New Jersey, Frenchtown of Hunterdon C ...

, which crosses the

. With File:Delaware River Bridge, Frenchtown, NJ - looking north.jpg, Uhlerstown–Frenchtown Bridge crossing the Delaware River The Frenchtown Inn was built in 1832 and features

Greek Revival architecture Greek Revival architecture is a architectural style, style that began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe, the United States, and Canada, ...

. The Frenchtown Station for the Belvidere Delaware Railroad was built and is now the Bridge Cafe. The Nathaniel Shurtz house was built with

Italianate style The Italianate style was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. Like Palladianism and Neoclassicism, the Italianate style combined its inspiration from the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Ita ...

. The Oddfellows Building was built in 1879 with

Romanesque Revival architecture Romanesque Revival (or Neo-Romanesque) is a style of building employed beginning in the mid-19th century inspired by the 11th- and 12th-century Romanesque architecture. Unlike the historic Romanesque style, Romanesque Revival buildings tended t ...

. File:6 Bridge Street, Frenchtown, NJ.jpg, Former Frenchtown Station on the Belvidere Delaware Railroad File:3 Third Street, Frenchtown, NJ.jpg, Nathaniel Shurtz house File:17 Bridge Street, Frenchtown, NJ.jpg, Oddfellows Building

Education

The Frenchtown School District serves public school students in

pre-kindergarten Pre-kindergarten (also called pre-K or PK) is a voluntary classroom-based preschool program for children below the age of five in the United States, Canada, Turkey and Greece (when kindergarten starts). It may be delivered through a preschool ...

through eighth grade at Edith Ort Thomas Elementary School.''2024-2025 Public School Directory''

Department of Education. Accessed March 1, 2025. As of the 2023–24 school year, the district, comprised of one school, had an enrollment of 104 students and 15.6 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a

student–teacher ratio The student–teacher ratio or student–faculty ratio refers to the number of students who attend a school or university divided by the number of teachers or staff in the institution. For example, a student–teacher ratio of 10:1 indicates that ...

of 6.7:1.District information for Frenchtown Borough School District

National Center for Education Statistics The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the principal federal agency responsible for collecting, analyzing, and reporting data on education in the United States. Established under , it operates within the Institute of Education S ...

. Accessed December 15, 2024. In the 2016–2017 school year, Frenchtown was tied for the 18th-smallest enrollment of any school district in the state, with 129 students. Public school students in

ninth In music, a ninth is a compound interval consisting of an octave plus a second. Like the second, the interval of a ninth is classified as a dissonance in common practice tonality. Since a ninth is an octave larger than a second, its ...

through

twelfth grade Twelfth Grade (also known as Grade 12, Senior Year, Standard 12, 12th Standard, 12th Class, or Class 12th or Class 12) is the twelfth and final Educational stage, year of Formal education, formal or compulsory education. It is typically the final ...

s attend the Delaware Valley Regional High School in Frenchtown, which serves students in western Hunterdon County from

Alexandria Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...

Holland Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former provinces of the Netherlands, province on the western coast of the Netherland ...

and Kingwood Townships along with the boroughs of Frenchtown and Milford. As of the 2023–24 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 692 students and 61.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a

of 11.3:1. The seats on the high school district's nine-member board of education are allocated based on population, with one seat allocated to Frenchtown. Eighth grade students from all of Hunterdon County are eligible to apply to attend the high school programs offered by the Hunterdon County Vocational School District, a county-wide vocational school district that offers career and technical education at its campuses in Raritan Township and at programs sited at local high schools, with no tuition charged to students for attendance.

Transportation

, the borough had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Hunterdon County and by the

New Jersey Department of Transportation The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) is the agency responsible for transportation issues and policy in New Jersey, including maintaining and operating the state's highway and public road system, planning and developing transport ...

and by the

. The borough is traversed by several roadways. Frenchtown is the northern terminus of Route 29, the western terminus of Route 12 and the southern terminus of Route 513. The

is a toll-free bridge over the Delaware River, owned and operated by the

, connecting New Jersey Route 12 in Frenchtown with Pennsylvania Route 32 in Uhlerstown, located in

Tinicum Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania Tinicum Township is a township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,995 at the 2010 census. The Uhlerstown-Frenchtown Bridge, a free Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission bridge over the Delaware River, co ...

. Reconstructed in 1931, the bridge is a six-span

Warren truss In structural engineering, a Warren truss or equilateral truss is a type of truss employing a weight-saving design based upon Triangle, equilateral triangles. It is named after the British engineer James Warren (engineer), James Warren, who pat ...

that extends .

Civic events

Frenchtown holds La Fete Nationale on Bastille Day in July with a different theme each year related to borough's "French heritage and flavor".

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Frenchtown include: *

James Agee James Rufus Agee ( ; November 27, 1909 – May 16, 1955) was an American novelist, journalist, poet, screenwriter and film critic. In the 1940s, writing for ''Time'', he was one of the most influential film critics in the United States. His autob ...

(1909–1955), author, editor and poet who lived in Frenchtown (on Second Street in what is now the police station) with second wife Alma from 1938 to 1939 and wrote ''

Let Us Now Praise Famous Men ''Let 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. The work documents the lives of impoverished tenant farmers ...

'' during that time *

Elizabeth Gilbert Elizabeth Gilbert (born July 18, 1969) is an American journalist and author. She is best known for her 2006 memoir '' Eat, Pray, Love'', which has sold over 30 million copies and has been translated into over 30 languages. The book was also mad ...

(born 1969), author of '' Eat, Pray, Love'' * Shea Hembrey (born 1974), conceptual artist * Lois Hunt (1925–2009), soprano opera singer who toured for decades with baritone Earl Wrightson *

Anne Kursinski Anne Kindig Kursinski (born April 16, 1959) is an American showjumper and two-time Olympic silver medalist in team jumping, at Seoul 1988 and Atlanta 1996. Representing the United States, she was a member of five Olympic teams, forty-seven Na ...

(born 1959), top

show jumping Show jumping is a part of a group of English riding equestrian events that also includes eventing, hunters, and equitation. Jumping classes are commonly seen at horse shows throughout the world, including the Olympics. Sometimes shows ar ...

competitor *

Harvey Spencer Lewis Harvey Spencer Lewis (November 25, 1883 – August 2, 1939) was an American Rosicrucianism, Rosicrucian writer, mysticism, mystic and the founder of AMORC. He led AMORC as its first leader (imperator) from its creation in 1915 until his death. ...

(1883–1939),

Rosicrucian Rosicrucianism () is a spirituality, spiritual and cultural movement that arose in early modern Europe in the early 17th century after the publication of several texts announcing to the world a new Western esotericism, esoteric order. Rosicruc ...

author, occultist and mystic * J. Linus McAtee (1897–1963), thoroughbred horse racing jockey * Barb Morrison (born 1967), songwriter and record producer * Billy Pauch (born 1957), race car driver * Anna Pump (1934–2015),

chef A chef is a professional Cook (profession), cook and tradesperson who is proficient in all aspects of outline of food preparation, food preparation, often focusing on a particular cuisine. The word "chef" is derived from the term (), the di ...

cookbook A cookbook or cookery book is a kitchen reference containing recipes. Cookbooks may be general, or may specialize in a particular cuisine or category of food. Recipes in cookbooks are organized in various ways: by course (food), course (appetize ...

author,

baker A baker is a tradesperson who baking, bakes and sometimes Sales, sells breads and other products made of flour by using an oven or other concentrated heat source. The place where a baker works is called a bakery. History Ancient histo ...

, and innkeeper famous for her bakery in

The Hamptons The Hamptons, part of the East End (Long Island), East End of Long Island, consist of the town (New York), towns of Southampton (town), New York, Southampton and East Hampton (town), New York, East Hampton, which together compose the South Fork ...

, Loaves & Fishes *

Nathanael West Nathanael West (born Nathan Weinstein; October 17, 1903 – December 22, 1940) was an American writer and screenwriter. He is remembered for two darkly satirical novels: '' Miss Lonelyhearts'' (1933) and '' The Day of the Locust'' (1939), set ...

(1903–1940), novelist, screenwriter and satirist, author of ''

Miss Lonelyhearts ''Miss Lonelyhearts'' is a novella by Nathanael West. He began writing it early in 1930 and completed the manuscript in November 1932. Published in 1933, it is an Expressionist Expressionism is a modernist movement, initially in poetry and ...

'' and '' The Day of the Locust'', boarded at the Frenchtown Inn during the 1930sBucks County and the Delaware Valley Alive, Hunter Publishing, 2010.

References

External links

Municipal website

Hunterdon County web page for Frenchtown Borough

Frenchtown School District
*
School Data for the Frenchtown School District

Delaware Valley Regional High School District

Frenchtown NJ

Hunterdon Land Trust Alliance

Frenchtown Business & Professional Association
{{Authority control 1867 establishments in New Jersey Borough form of New Jersey government Boroughs in New Jersey Boroughs in Hunterdon County, New Jersey Populated places established in 1867 New Jersey populated places on the Delaware River