Somerset County, New Jersey

Alward Farmhouse Baker-Dauderstadt Farm Basking Ridge Classical School Bedens Brook Bridge Bedens Brook Road Bridge Bernardsville Station Blawenburg Historic District Boudinot-Southard Farmstead Bound Brook Station Bridgepoint Historic District Brook Theater, The Cat Tail Brook Bridge Coffee House Craig, Moses, Limekilns East Millstone Historic District Elmendorf House Far Hills Station Franklin Corners Historic District Frelinghuysen, Gen. John, House Gladstone Station Griggstown Historic District Gulick, Dirck, House Higginsville Road Bridges Huff House and Farmstead Kennedy-Martin-Stelle Farmstead Kingston Village Historic District Kirch-Ford House Lamington Historic District Liberty Corner Historic District Linn, Alexander and James, Homestead Lyons Station Lyons Veterans Administration Hospital Historic District Maplewood Meadows, The Middlebush Village Historic District Millstone Historic District Millstone Valley Agricultural District Mount Bethel Baptist Meetinghouse Mount Zion African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church Neshanic Historic District Neshanic Mills Neshanic Station Historic District North Branch Historic District Olcott Avenue Histrict District Old Dutch Parsonage Old Stone Arch Bridge Parker, John, Tavern Pluckemin Village Historic District Presbyterian Church at Bound Brook Presbyterian Church in Basking Ridge Raritan Bridge Raritan Station Reformed Dutch Church of Blawenburg Relief Home Company No. 2 Engine House Reynolds-Scherman House River Road Historic Rural District Robert, Daniel, House Rock Brook Bridge Rockingham Rocky Hill Historic District Six Mile Run Historic District Six Mile Run Reformed Church Smalley-Wormser House Smith, J. Harper, Mansion Somerset Courthouse Green South Branch Historic District South Branch Schoolhouse St. Bernard's Church and Parish House St. John's Church Complex Staats House Stirling, Lord, Manor Site Ten Eyck, Andrew, House Tulipwood Vail-Trust House Van Der Veer-Harris House Van Horne House Van Veghten House Vanderveer, Jacobus, House VanDerventer-Brunson House Vermeule, Dr. John, House Vosseller's-Castner's-Allen's Tavern Wallace House Washington Park Historic District West End Hose Company Number 3

1777 Encampment 1777 Reboubt A Place To Remember A Revolutionary Winter A Warm Fire Abraham Staats House Abraham Staats House African Burying Ground American Revolution Army Encampent Armed Forces Memorial Artillery Park Basking Ridge Basking Ridge Basking Ridge Presbyterian Church Graveyard Battle of Bound Brook Battle of Bound Brook Battle of Boundbrook Bedminster War Memorials Bernards Township 9-11 Memorial Bernards Township Veterans Monument Bernards Township War Memorial Bernards Township War Memorial Bernards Township WWI & WWII Memorial Bernardsville Fire Company Bernardsville Train Station Bernardsville War Memorials Blackwells Mills Canal House Blawenburg Bodine - Carkhuff House Bolmer Farm House - 1754 Bound Brook Library World War I Memorial Bound Brook World War I Memorial Branchburg Veterans Memorial Bridgewater Township Historic Monument Bridgewater Train Station Chief Philip Koechlein Continental Army Encampment Daniel Robert House Delaware & Raritan Canal State Park Derrick Van Veghten House Early Church Far Hills Station Far Hills War Monument Fireman's Museum Fisher House Former Public Library Former Second National Bank Fourth New Jersey Infantry Appreciation to Somerville Frederick W. Schmidt French Army Encampment Furman Frederick Kugler General Frederick Frelinghuysen Memorial General Highway Administration 1893-1993 Great War Heroes Griggstown Bridge Tender’s Station Harlingen Road Bridge Hibernia Mine Railroad Bridge Hillsborough Will Never Forget Historic River Road and River Crossing Indian Mill Stone Jacob Vosseller House Jersey Central Lines John Basilone Kate McFarlane and Josephine Swann Kennedy-Martin-Stelle Farmstead Kennedy-Martin-Stelle Farmstead Kennedy-Martin-Stelle Farmstead Kingston Cemetery Kingston Presbyterian Church Kingston Revolutionary War Soldiers Lamington Black Cemetery Lock No. 10 Locks on the D&R Canal Lord Stirling Estate Lord Stirling Manor Lyons Station Madisonville Melick Home Memorial to the Naraticong Indians Middlebrook Millstone Millstone School House Moggy Hollow Moses Craig Lime Kilns Mt. Bethel Meeting House National Guard Armory Neshanic Reformed Church Nevius Street Bridge New Jersey 7th Brigade Old Stone Bridge Opie-Vanderveer Cemetery Opie/River Road Bridge Peapack - Gladstone 9-11 Memorial Peapack Brook Rural Industrial Historic District Peapack- Gladstone Liberty Park Peapack-Gladstone Lime Kiln Park Persian Gulf War Philip Van Horne House Pluckemin School House Presbyterian Church of Lamington Purvis James Boatwright Jr. Queen’s Bridge Raritan Veterans Memorial Raritan Veterans Monument Raritan Water Power Canal Revolutionary War Reboubt 1777 and 1778/79 Rockingham Ruth St. Denis Saint Olha Second Court House of Somerset County Site of St. Thomas A.M.E. Zion Parsonage Site of Widow White’s Tavern Somerset County 9/11 Memorial and Clock Tower Somerset County Court House Green Somerset County Veterans Monument Somerset Hills Airport Somerset Hotel Somerville Borough Hall South Branch School Southard Park The Brick Academy The Council Oak The Frelinghuysen Tavern The Honorable Millicent Fenwick The Jacobus Vanderveer House The North Branch Bridge The Official End Of World War I The Presbyterian Church at Bound Brook The Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route Thirteen Star Flag Thomas P. Huff Farmstead Ukrainian American Veterans Memorial Ukrainian Famine Memorial Vail Family Van Horn Plaza Voorhees Home War Memorial War Memorial Washington Camp Ground Washington Rock Washington Rock Washington’s Route from Princeton Washington’s Route from Princeton Washington’s Route from Princeton to Morristown Washington’s Route from Princeton to Morristown Washington’s Route from Princeton to Morristown Washington’s Route from Princeton to Morristown Washington’s Route from Princeton to Morristown Washington’s Route from Princeton to Morristown Washington’s Route from Princeton to Morristown Washington’s Route from Princeton to Morristown William Childs William L. Hutcheson Memorial Forest World War I Memorial World War II 50th Anniversary Commemorative Memorial World War II Memorial World War II Memorial "Natirar" "We're Coming Up Behind You" “George” 2001
Somerset County, located in the central part of New Jersey, has a rich history dating back hundreds of years. It was originally inhabited by various Native American tribes, including the Lenape and Raritan peoples. European settlers began to arrive in the region in the 17th century, with the area being formally settled in 1681.

During the American Revolutionary War, Somerset County played a significant role. It was the site of several important battles, including the Battle of Bound Brook in 1777. The county was also home to key figures in the war, such as General William Alexander, known as Lord Stirling, who had a large estate in Basking Ridge.

In the 19th century, Somerset County saw the growth of agriculture, manufacturing, and transportation. The construction of the Delaware and Raritan Canal in the 1830s brought economic development to the region, providing a vital transportation route for goods. The county's fertile land also made it an important agricultural center, with farms producing crops such as wheat, corn, and potatoes.

In the 20th century, Somerset County experienced rapid suburbanization and population growth. The development of transportation infrastructure, including highways and railways, made it increasingly accessible to neighboring urban areas like New York City. This, along with the county's attractive rural scenery and proximity to jobs, led to a surge in residential development. Today, Somerset County remains a thriving suburban community with a strong economy, diverse population, and a mix of urban and rural areas.
Brief timeline of the history of Somerset County, New Jersey:

  • 1645 - Somerset County, NJ is originally settled by the Dutch.
  • 1686 - Somerset becomes one of four original counties in East Jersey.
  • 1722 - The county is divided into two townships, Piscataway and Hillsborough.
  • 1742 - Somerset County is officially established by an act of the Provincial Congress.
  • 1759 - The county seat is established in Millstone (now known as Somerville).
  • 1801 - Somerset County is divided into four townships: Bridgewater, Bernardston, Franklin, and Hillsborough.
  • 1838 - The county seat is moved from Millstone to Somerville.
  • 1868 - The Delaware and Raritan Canal is completed, bringing economic growth to Somerset County.
  • 1899 - Somerset County's first public high school, Somerville High School, opens.
  • 1931 - The Somerset County Park Commission is established, preserving and maintaining parks and recreational facilities.
  • 1950s-1970s - Population in Somerset County rapidly increases due to suburbanization.
  • 2000 - Somerset County celebrates its 250th anniversary.

This timeline provides a glimpse into the major events and milestones that have shaped the history of Somerset County, New Jersey.

Audiobooks about the history of New Jersey.