USA > New Jersey > Somerset County > Centennial history of Somerset County [New Jersey] > Part 14
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Sheriff Hardenburgh. This house remained until 1834 or 1835 when it was removed by Rev. Charles Whitehead and the present mansion erected in its place. This is about what there was of Somerville when the Revolution opened. After the destruction of the Court House at Millstone by Col. Simcoe, Oct. 18. 1779 the seat of justice was removed to Somerville. In 1789 affidavits in the Orphau's Court were taken by Frederick Frelinghuysen as Surrogate at Millstone. In June, 1794 there was a Court of Common Pleas setting in Bridgewater, the Judges being, Robert Stockton, Robert Blair, Nicholas Duboise, John Stryker and Archibald Mercer. The removal must have taken place between these two dates.
At first, the courts were held in a small building, which had stood on Mount Pleasant and had been known as the court 'martial house,' and after its revoval stood on the corner at present occupied by the store belonging to Mrs. Reed. It was removed and fitted up at the joint expense of the Freeholders and the Consistory of the Church, at Raritan. After being abandoned by both the County and the Church it was removed across the street and fitted up as a store house. In it for many years Mr. Latourette and subsequently Willi um J. Hedges transacted mercantile business. It was finally taken away and the present build- ing owned by William C. Veghte erected in its place.
The road through Somerville crossed the brook near the R. R. Bridge and entered the present street nearly where Leonard Bunn's shop was located, thence it passed near the front of the Brick Church, and onwards where S. S. Hartwell's office stood, back of all the houses in the main street and coming into it again where John White- nack's carriage shop stands at present. The laying of the Turnpike in 1807 or 1808 was the occasion of its being changed to its present course.
Precisely where the road from Pluckamin united with the Raritan road, we are not able to say, probably where it is now, between Mrs. Reed's store and the Hotel of Jacob A. Fritts.
Precisely when the village received its present name is not known. The oldest documentary evidence dates July,
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18. 1801. After the Revolution the extreme admiration for everything French, excited by the aid extended to our struggling colonies in their efforts for independence, made it almost a necessity to have a "ville," attached to the name of of every town however insignificant, and so the county seat of Somerset, came naturally to be called Som- ville.
There was early a Post Office opened in the village kept by a Mr Meldrum, and a semi-weekly mail from New York Probably this had a final effect in bringing the name into general use. In the time of William Mann it was kept in his bar, the whole business amounting to some dozen letters a week. The first thing which really ensured its prosperity and growth, was the fact that in 1778 the Raritan Congregation determined to build their Church here. They had been without a suitable place to hold religious services in ever since November 18, 1779. Perhaps it was procrastinated by the circumstance that for some time their services had been held in the small frame building called the Court House. It had been so long deferred because the Revolutionary war left every one poor in money at least ; but now they were encouraged and determined to build a respectable house 40 feet by 60, of brick, surmounted by a cupcla with a bell, It was the first church in the county pretending to anything like the same elegance and expensiveness.
Ten years more elapsed and the Freeholders of the County determined to erect a respectable Court House. The motion created great division of sentiment on the part of the inhabitants of the North and South side of the river. Meetings were held, discussions had, advice asked, but decisions could not be reached. The Board of Free- holders was equally divided. At length one of the mem- bers of Hillsborough decided the question by voting in fa- vor of Somerville, and the work was undertaken and finish- ed. The walls of this house still stand. and although many alterations have been made internally, and some ad- ditions externally, the building remains essentially the same as it was in the beginning. It has become one the old land marks of the old village.
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Before the Court House there had been erected a build . ing at the lower end of the village, connected with a tan yard. It was occupied once by Samuel Hall, and directly opposite to it, in early days there was a small house in which Josiah Bryan resided.
Nearly cotemporary with the building of the Court House, was the erection of the house opposite to it, by Mr. Isaac Davis, and afterwards occupied by Jacob R. Harden- burgh, Esq., as a store. Daniel LaTourette lived in it, and then for many years William J Hedges. The lot ex- tended from the west line of Ju Ige Van Derveer's proper- ty, to the road leading fron. the covered bridge, The barn which was large, was finally converted into a house and now forms a part of the County Hotel. This change was the work of Mr. LaTourette, and was effected about 1805 or 1806.
In the meantime Job Van Arsdale bought a lot and erected a small two story house, on the corner where S. S. Hartwell's residence stood. He was a blacksmith, and had his shop a little further west, and next to it Abel Stu art built a house. This house was subsequently enlarged and converted into a hotel, first kept by Meldrum, and af- terwards by Daniel Sergeant. In this house the first meet- ing in reference to the formation of the Somerset County Bible Society convened October 1, 1816. The meeting was organized by appointing Peter B. Dumont chairman, and John Frelinghuysen secretary, and then formed a com- mittee consisting of Rev. Peter Studdiford. Rev. John S. Vredenburgh, Rev. Robert Finley, Rev. Peter Labangh, with Messrs. John M. Bayard, John Frelinghuysen and Peter Elmendorf to draft a constitution and report at a subsequent time ! The final meeting for adopting the constitution was held in the church December 10th, 1816, a Board of Managers was then appointed for the year, viz : Bridgewater, Rev. Peter Studdiford and J. Frelinghuysen ; Hillsborough, Rev. J. Zabriskie and Nicholas Dubois, Esq. ; Franklin, Rov. Mr. Huntington, and J. M. Bayard, Esq. ; Bernards, Rev. Charles Hardenburgh and Joseph Annin ; Bedminster. Rev. Horace Galpin and Nicholas Arrowsmith ; Warren, Alexander Kirkpatrick and Fred-
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erick Vermeule. The Board were to serve until the third Tuesday of August, which had been fixed upon as the day for the first annual meeting of the society. In this unpretending way an organization was set in motion, which has been as a fountain of lite in Somerset County ever since. The little hotel perished in the flames some- time afterwards, but the action will give its memory so much interest as to keep it bright in many coming years.
The academy was built in the summer of 1802 ; and about the same time Isaac Vactor, a tailor, built a small house nearly opposite to it, in which he resided for many
years. Perhaps a year or two anterior to this a house in which Philip Tunison lived, in the lower part of the village was built. He was sexton of the church, and his widow lived there for a long time. It was removed for the pur- pose of opening a street only very recently. The Davon- port house, in which Dr. Vredenburgh resided was cotem- porary or nearly so with the last mentioned. Then, next in point of time, came the Rulofsen house, once the Upper Tavern, the Van Natta house, the George Van Neste house, forming a part of the large house second below Fritt's Hotel. There was also at the same time, a small honse converted into a store, and belonging since to Henry Cook, in which Richard Compton and his wife lived. She was known as "Annt Yauney," and kept ginger cake and spruce beer. Here the young gentlemen of that day es- corted their lady loves on Sunday, during "intermission," to regale them with her savory stores It was a noted place, and "Aunt Yauney" was a noted woman. In all the surrounding community none were more so in her day.
Cotemporary with the days of which we are now writing the Stewart house was built on South street, in which his widow and family resided until a very recent period. It is now owned by Mr. Onderdonk. Samuel Brant built a shop about the same time next below George Van Neste's house, and manufactured chairs. He was a brother of Mrs: Stewart, and a long time resident of Somerville. In 1809 Peter B. Dumont built a house opposite the hotel of Mr. Fritts ; and George McDonald erected the house next
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above it, in which Goy. Vroom resided many years ; and subsequently John M. Mann lived and died there.
Then next in point of time came the store and dwelling of C. G. Tunison ; and Somerville began really to be woor- thy of its name. Those who are living can write the re- maining history of its growth.
The charter for an Aqueduct Company was obtained in the fall of 1807, and an enterprise soon completed which in that day was a grand effort for the few who composed the inhabitants of our village. Water was brought in per- forated pine logs from the mountain north of the town, and a fine stream could be seen constantly gushing out from a peo stock near Fritt's Hotel, then ke; t by William Mann, sparkling as bright and as pere as its mountain source ! Unfortunately the weight of the colunm intro- duced through the logs, was too much for their adhesive properties ; and a break was the consequence. These breaks soon became so frequent that the logs were aband- oned and clay pipes tried without success. Then an effort was made to procure pure water by boring down deep through the red shale. The well of Ferdinand Vander- veer was selected for the purpose, and a bore of many feet made, but finally abandoned. Since this time no effort has been made to supply our village with pure water. It is one of its most important enterprises waiting completion. Half the effort made in that early day by a few enterpris- ing men, would now be enough to remedy the deficiency. It is wonderful how content men can become, under a nuisance, when they are once accustomed to it. Water and gas are now the pressing demands of the +own ; and they ought to be both introduced before another year ends. It is a reproach to our enterprise that they are not ; and the want of them depresses the value of our property in amount more than their cost.
The Water Power at Raritan was incorporated by an act of the Legislature, Feb. 28, 1840, by appointing John Gaston, Garret D. Wall, Samuel L. Lyman, Luther Loom- is, Robert Van Rensalaer. Abraham Suydam, Bynier Veghte, Thomas A. Hartwell and William Thompson in- cor prators, with a cipitd of $200,00). This company
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formed the canal from head of Raritan and commenced active operations in carrying out the plan of making, what is now the village of Raritan, a manufacturing centre; but failed. Auditors were appointed and finally the new act was obtained in which Joshua Doughty, John M. Mann, Hezekiah B. Loomis, John M. Martin, Steven B. Ransom, Edward F. Loomis, and Hugh M. Gaston are named as incorporators, and the title is changed to the Raritan Water Power Company, and is dated March 24th, 1863.
Under this act the original design has been carried out with some success and a village has grown up, which promises to be a flourishing place of business and mann- factories.
In 1809, John Davenport, who owned one hundred acres of land fronting on the main street in Somerville, had it divided off in lots and streets in the form of a village, and disposed of the whole in the form of a lottery Every ticket costing thirty dollars was assured to draw a prize, and fortunate ones might become entitled to the house in Somerville, or to one of the lots fronting on the main street. Most of the tickets were sold in New York ; and the land itself was thrown out and become a village com- mon, and is known as the "Lottery Field." It has in late years been appropriated principally by the colored popula - tion. It was a fine speculation in its day, but the effect of it has by no means tended to increase the prosperity of Somerville.
About 1807 the need of books being much felt, and ef- fort was made to establish a public library in the village. Quite liberal contributions were made for that day, and a respectable number of books were purchased, a book case was procured, and they were kept in Mr. LaTourette's store. I would give a great deal for a catalogue of those books, just to see how they would contrast with books of the present day used in libraries. There was some of the best historical works, ancient and modern, Shakespear and the best of the English Poets, and the Essayists such as Johnson, Addison, Steele, &e., an aportionment of good sermons, besides other rural and religious works, books of travel, and others of a lighter kind. It was an important
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acquisition to the neighborhood, and was kept for a num- ber of years, but after the generation that had gotten it up, had passed away, it began to decline, and there being no one to take care of it, there was a kind of distribution of the books made that had been preserved, and that was the end of it.
At an early day the importance of a newspaper was felt. The Somerset Messenger was not the first paper printed in Somerville. The first one was commenced abo it 1814 or 1815. It was called the Intelligencer or Somerset In- telligencer. James E. Gore commenced the publication of the Messenger as a continuation of it, as early as 1822, and it is still published .
There is a history about the old Hotel. When I first recollect it, which was about 1800, it was kept by John Meldrum, and well kept. He was a jolly old soul and his family respectable, everybody liked them. The prop- erty was owned by an association of gentlemen, called the Somerset Hotel Company, consisting chiefly of the public men in the county, and some of the lawyers who attended the Courts. About 1800 Judge Van Derveer removed from Cooperstown, N. Y., and purchased a property which comprised quite a little farm, running back some distance North, beyond the brook. He some time after-
wards traded the tavern house with Gilbert A. Line of the North Branch, for his farm, afterwards owned by Ar- thur Schenck. Lane removed to Somerville and kept the Hotel. Meldrum's friends were unwilling to lose him and his family, and procurred for him the house that Job Van Arsdale, a blacksmith, had built, where T. A. Hart- well lived, and some additions having been made to it, he moved there and kept it until he died, some years after. Lane was not calculated to keep a public house, and the old Hotel passed from him to William Mann, who occupied it until about 1823 or 1824, when it passed into the hands of John Torbet, and since Jacob Fritts has occupied it. The County House was of a later date, and was built and owned by a company called the Hotel Company. It has had many owners in its time.
With these notes of some of "The First Things," in
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our beautiful village, wo dismiss the subject and hand it over for completion to those who may come after'us. Our purpose is only to put on record such things as are in dan- ger of being lost, for the information of some one who may undertake to write the history of our county as it ought to be written.
THE ACADEMY.
Any account of Somerville would be incomplete that did not embrace a notice of its Academy. In the early history of the village it was a prominent feature. The idea of erecting such a building and attempting to main- toin a classical school, in which young men could be fitted for college, at such an early day was an honor to the in- habitants of the village.
It came in this wise : A number of gentlemen from Somerville and its vicinity met together to celebrate the Fourth of July, 1801. Some suitable preparations had been made to give interest to the occasion. The public exercises of the day were held in the church. Two young boys, one a son of J. R. Hardenburgh, Esq,, and the other a son of Col. Peter D. Vroom, made each an oration ; one upon the discovery of America, the other on the death of George Washington. These juvenile orators afterwards became conspicuous citizens of the county of Somerset. One was Cornelius L. Hardenburgh of New Brunswick ; the other Peter D. Vroom, Esq,, Governor of the State, and Envoy Extraordinary and Ambassador to the King- dom of Prussia.
After the exercises in the church the gentlemen repaired to the hotel, where a dinner had been prepared. Among them were several who had sons to be educated, After a free conversation on the subject of education, it was re- solved to make an effort to establish a classical school where young men might be instructed in Latin and Greek, and prepared to enter college. Immediate action was ta- ken, and on the eighteenth of July, at another meeting, a constitution was adopted, which provided for the erec- tion of a building and the organization of an association
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aiding in its support and patronage. The preamble re- cites that "whereas an attempt had been made by the in - habitants of Somerville and vicinity, to raise by subscrip - tion in shares of ten dollars each, a sum sufficient to erect a suitable building for a classical school, and had succeed- ed so far as to warrant the commencement of such build- ing ; that, therefore, it becomes necessary to form a con- stitution for the government of the said association. The first article fixes as its name "The Proprietors of the Academy of Somerville," and defines it as an institution expressly set apart for the instruction of youth in the learned languages, the English, the arts and sciences, and public speaking ;" each proprietor to be entitled to one vote for each share of ten dollars. After the usual officers for such an association had been provided for, the annual meeting was fixed for the first day of April. The instru- ment was signed by Peter Studdiford, John Bryan, John Frelinghuysen, Andrew Howell, Jonathan Ford Morris, Thomas Talmage, John Elmendorf, Jacob R. Harden- burgh, John Simonson, John W. Hall, Joseph Doty, Dickenson Miller, Cornelius Van Deventer, Brogun Bro- kaw, Edmund Elmondorf, John Brokaw, John Cox, Gar- ret Tunison, Philip Herder, Roelnf Nevius, Peter B. Du- mont and Matthew A. Lane. The subscription amounted to $1,701. Besides the persons who subscribed the Con- stitution, there were present at this meeting John Wort- man, James Van Derveer, John Meldrum, Israel Harris, Richard McDonald, John Whitenack, Joseph Annin, William McEowen, Andrew Coejeman, and Johannes Van Neste.
The officers of the association who were first elected were Peter Studdiford, President ; John Bryan, Vice President ; John Frelinghuysen, Treasurer, and Andrew Howell, See'y. The Board of Regents consisted of Jona- than F. Morris, John Wortman, Thomas Talmage, John S. Vredenburgh, John Elmendorf, Jacob R. Hardenburgh, Diekinson Miller, John Simonson, Garret Tunison and the President.
At an adjourned meeting on the fourteenth of Decem- ber ensuing, Messrs. Studdiford, Vredenburgh, and Har-
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denburgh were appointed a committee to contract for the erection of a suitable building for the contemplated school. The price of tuition in the Latin and Greek languages was fixed at four dollars per quarter, and the committee were authorized to offer fifty dollars in addition to the tui- tion fees, to procure a suitable teacher to open the school.
On the first of March, 1802. at a meeting of the associa- tion the accounts were referred to a committee consisting of Andrew Howell, Thomas Talmage and John Elmendorf. and an order made to have the house lathed and plastered and the wood work painted ; also to erect a suitable form and benches. The accounts were to be submitted to an- other meeting on the second Monday in April. This meet- ing was convened, officers appointed and the exercises in the school commenced almost in.mediately ; The teacher employed, we learn, was Lucas George, an Irishman, who proved himself to be a fine scholar and an efficient in- structor, The school went into operation in May or June of 1802.
Lucas George remained at its head for some four years, and the Regents then raised the price of tuition to five dol- lars per quarter instead of four. In 1804 the incorpora- tion of the association was effected under the laws of the State, and a general satisfactory progress was made in all the affairs of the school. Mr. George resigned at the close of 1804, and in March, 1805, Jacob Kirkpatrick was engaged as principal, at the rate of $182 per half year.
Then W. C. Morris, a son of Dr. J. F. Morris, taught for a time. Then on November 26th, 1808, Stephen Boyer, was engaged as Principal. He was still principal in 1810. Afterwards Isaac N. Wyckoff and Rev. John Cornell taught, and the school had flourished extensively.
It had no rival except Baskingridge, and enjoyed an ex- tensive patronage for some time. Somerville, in that day, was a point to which many eyes were directed ; and it was a power in the State. It had in it, and around it, a num- ber of citizens of large influence and commanding force of character.
After the days when Rev. John Cornell had charge of the school, Rev. Peter Studdiford taught in it, then Mr.
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Nevil, then John Walsh, then William Thompson, then Charles Hageman, then William D. Waterman and John L. See. But ultimately other views began to be entertain- ed by many of the citizens of the village ; other wants grew up ! Young men began to look more to business than a college diploma, and the importance of the Eng- lish department over-topped the classical in public esti- mation. The building itself grew to be too contracted for the number of pupils desiring instruction ; and the en- larged views of education prevalent in the community pointed to another school. The following minute records the mode in which it was abolished.
Whereas, on the 16th day of April 1804 the original Constitution of said association was by the Stockholder s thereof altered and amended as follows, to wit :
"If it should so happen that a sufficient sum arising from the tuition of students in the said institution, and from voluntary subscription, shall not be procurred suc- cessively so as to enable the trustees to procure a teacher of competent abilities for instruction in the dead languages, it shall in such case be the duty of the trustees for the time being, to dispose of the property belonging to the associa- tion, by way of public vendue to the highest bidder and for the best price that can be procurred for the same, and the net proceeds arising from such sale shall be divided by the number of shares subscribed. The product thence arising shall be the same each subscriber shall be entitled to receive for each and every share by him or her subscribed. And it shall also be the duty of the said trustees to give public notice in a newspaper printed at New Brunswick, in one of the newspapers printed at Trenton, and also in one of the newspaper printed in the city of New York, for the space of one month, what may be the dividend each share is entitled to receive, and requesting the proprietors to call for the same in six months from the date, or it will be considered a donation and appropriated to the founding" of an English school in the neighborhood of Somerville."
And Whereas, the Trustees of said association have been unable to obtain and procure a sufficient sum from the tuition of students in the said institution, and from volun-
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tary subscriptions, so as to enable them to procure a teach- er of competent abilities for instruction in the dead lan- guages, for any part or portion of the period of four full years next before this tune, therefor,
Resolved, That the said property belonging to the said association be sold and the proceeds be disposed of pursu- ant to the power and direction contained in the said arti- cle of association.
At a meeting of the Trustees, at the office of S. S. Hart- well, December 4th, 1855, it was on motion resolved that the resolution of the board of trustees on the 5th day of September, 1855, be confirmed and carried out in all things, and that the real estate of the Academy lot be disposed of at Public sale, at the house of Jacob A. Fritts, Inn keeper, in Somerville, on Tuesday, the 19th day of Feb- ruary next, between the hours of two and five P. M., and that the same be advertised according to law.
In conformity with these resolution, a decree in Chancery was obtained directing the sale of the property and the di- vision of the money among the original stockholders and their heirs, and after due notice, the house and lot was sold to S. S. Hartwell.
CHAPTER XVI.
BOUND BROOK.
The earliest settlements in the county of Somerset, were made in the village of Bound Brook and its vicinity. The oldest land title, dated May 4, 1681, in this portion of the State, secured at once all the land on which the village now stands, extending from Bound Brook to Middle- brook and from the North side of the River to the Moun- tain. We have given in another place the names of the Indian grantors and the purchasers.
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