USA > New Jersey > Burlington County > Burlington > History of Burlington and Mercer counties, New Jersey : with biographical sketches of many of their pioneers and prominent men > Part 97
USA > New Jersey > Mercer County > History of Burlington and Mercer counties, New Jersey : with biographical sketches of many of their pioneers and prominent men > Part 97
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drew up a eall for the citizens of the township to arouse. It was posted in handbills, and after three days' notiee there resulted in the assembling of a large and enthusiastie gathering of the yeomanry of Lawrenee at Princessville. Dr. Hamill made one of the addressess, and strongly appealed to the young meu to enlist for the defense of their country. At the close of the meeting twenty-five young men entered their names as ready to go, and in a few days as many more were enrolled. In the evening it was ascer- tained that two of them were valuable teachers of the High School. The doetor inquired of them, " How eame you to enlist?" The prompt reply was, "You stirred us np with burning words and told us to go !" He cheerfully gave them up and performed addi- tional duty till their places were filled.
One of these teachers, a theologieal student, was chosen ehaplain of his regiment, and the other sum- moned to Washington to fill an important elerkship in the War Department. But the work of Dr. Hamill's life has been that of au instructor. Of his sixty-nine years, forty-eight have been devoted to the training of youth who have come to his eare from all parts of the country for instruction and to find an attractive home.
The graduates of the High School are found everywhere, doing honor to themselves and eredit to been called upon to accept other inviting positions, but has uniformly deelined every offer to go else- where.
" His enthusiasm for youth, equable temperament, ripe seholarship, excellence as a teacher, and earnest Christian character, together with an unusual execu- tive ability, form a remarkable combination of qual- ities that peculiarly adapted him for this position."
Few have been so successful and industrious in training youth to be patriotie, useful, and good men. and hundreds throughout this and other lands are living witnesses of his power as a teacher and his ex- cellence as a Christian.
He has often been ealled to deliver public ad- dresses, aud has written many articles on education and other subjects for publication, the result of his experience and observation at home and abroad. The doctor received the degree of Doetor of Divinity from Rutgers College, New Jersey, in 1862, and from Hanover College, Indiana, the same year.
He has been for many years a member of the board of trustees of the Theological Seminary of Princeton, and is also a member of the board of managers of the State Lunatic Asylum at Trenton, of which he is How president.
Dr. Hamill was one of the original members of the New Jersey Historical Society, in which he has been especially active, and has for several years been pres ident of the society.
In 1838 he was married to Matilda, only daughter of Richard M. Green, of Lawrenceville, a lady of cul-
S56
HISTORY OF MERCER COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.
ture, admired and beloved by all who know her. They have four children living, viz., two sons, Hugh H. Hamill, Esq., a lawyer in Trenton, N. J., and Sam- uel MI. Hamill, Jr., a teacher in the High School; two , in getting a minister for them."
daughters, Mary, the wife of Edward P. Wood, of Princeton, and Matilda, residing with her parents.
THE LAWRENCEVILLE YOUNG LADIES' SEM- INARY was founded by Mr. James Harvey Porter, who died on the very day which he had advertised for the opening of the school. The buildings were orig- inally crected for school purposes. It was opened in May, 1885, under the supervision of the Rev. Alex- ander Hamilton Phillips, principal of the High . presented to the Presbytery by Philip Ringo, a resi- School, Mrs. J. H. Porter, widow of the founder, being lady principal. It was continued two years under the supervision of Mr. Phillips, when Mrs. Porter took it in her own name, and remained in It is said Rev. Mr. Orr lived on the farm occupied by William A. Green, now in Ewing. He remained charge until October, 1839. It was then carried on successively by the Misses Craig. the Rev. John a little less than four years. Peebles, and the Rev. Charles W. Nassau, D.D. Dr. There was a vacancy in the pastorate from 1719 to 1722, when Mr. Moses Dickinson was settled over the united churches. He continued his pastoral relation with the churches until about August, 1727, when he was released from the charge and removed to Nor- walk, Conn. Nassau came from the presidency of Lafayette Col- lege to Lawrenceville in 1850. He was succeeded in 1875 by the Rev. R. Hamill Davis, Ph.D., its present principal. Dr. Davis was for several years conueeted with Dr. Hamill's High School ; then, after a pas- torate of fifteen years in the old historic chureh at
Rev. Joseph Morgan succeeded Mr. Dickinson in Deerfield, N. J., he returned to Lawrenceville to take | 1729. He had been received by the Presbytery in charge of Dr. Nassau's seminary.
Upon the principles on which the seminary was founded, and has been conducted through its history of nearly fifty years, it is still carried on. It is a Christian home school, in which all the interests of each pupil are carefully regarded; mind, heart, and manners are all educated. The time-honored insti- tutions of Lawrenceville are in a beautiful village, remarkable for its healthfulness, agrecable rural sur- roundings, and general adaptedness for educational purposes.
Lawrenceville Presbyterian Church.1-The early history of this church cannot be fully traced. There are no session or church records before 1807, a hun- dred years after the church was organized.
There was, however, in 1709 a church established here, and one so firmly rooted and of such a growthi that, in connection with the neighboring church of Hopewell (now Ewing), it was looking for a settled pastor. The conference of Rev. Mr. Smith with the two churches resulted in nothing, however, probably for the reason that the congregations felt themselves too feeble to sustain a pastor. Still these churches longed for a stated means of grace, and they were represented before the Presbytery in 1711 by Mr. Wil- liam Yard, of Trenton (then Hopewell), a justice of the peace, who expressed their desire for assistance in getting a minister. In reply they received the fol- lowing recommendation :
"In ease they were not already engaged with Mr. Sackett, to use all opportunities for a speedy supply, and apply to the neighboring ministers for assistance
They do not appear to have made any permanent en- gagement with Mr. Sackett," for in 1713, Rev. Jedediah Andrews, the pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, made four visits to the Maidenhead and Hopewell Churches, and administered the sacraments of the church. The visits of the Rev. Mr. Andrews were continued till May, 1725, when the congrega- tions united in a call to Robert Orr. The case was dent of Maidenhead, and being approved by the Pres- bytery, was accepted by Mr. Orr, who was ordained at Maidenhead, October 20th following.
1710, and had been settled at Freehold until he was called to the pastorate of the churches of Maiden- head and Hopewell. He remained here until his death. During his pastorate he lived on the Rue farm, half a mile south of the church.
Mr. John Guild, whom the Presbytery subsequently licensed, preached to the acceptance of the people at Maidenhead and at Hopewell. At a meeting of the Presbytery, March 14, 1737-38, to clear the way for the settlement of the gospel ministry with these churches, it appeared that a portion of the people desired another pastor besides Mr. Guild,-the Rev. James Davenport, whose fame as a revival preacher had reached them,-and the Presbytery gave them leave to have Mr. Davenport upon certain eon- ditions.
In 1739 the people adhering to the "Old Side" appear to have still desired to secure the pastoral services of Mr. Guild, and after delays and difficulties protracted through two years he was ordained and installed at Hopewell, Nov. 11, 1741, to serve thrce- fourths of his time at Hopewell and one-fourth at Maidenhead. He continued to preach at Maiden- head till about 1766, and at Hopewell till 1785, -- a ministry of forty-four years, marked by great wisdom, kindness, and love.
From 1766 to 1769, when Rev. Elihu Spencer took charge of the church, it was supplied by Presbytery. In 1769 a petition was brought into the Presbytery
1 Fromi a serinon by Rev. A. Gostnan, the pastor, and other data fur- nished by hite and others connected with the church.
2 Rev. Richard Sackett, who graduated at Yale College in 1700, and died in 1727.
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LAWRENCE TOWNSHIP.
from the congregation of Trenton and Maidenhead, by Congress chaplain to the Second Brigade of the Maryland forces. In the experiences of this cam- paign he contracted a rheumatic discase which con- tinued during his life, late in which it caused him acute suffering. In 1782 he preached at Elizabeth- town as the successor of the murdered Rev. James Caldwell, and in 1785 was called to Trenton as the signed by the respective elders, requesting them to invite Rev. Mr. Spencer, a member of the Presbytery of Newcastle, to settle among them, which the Pres- bytery unanimously complied with. Mr. Spencer was to receive one hundred and fifty pounds (fifty pounds from each congregation), and preach one- third of his time at each house. There is no record . successor of Dr. Spencer, and then to the joint of his installation, which probably took place in 1771, charge of this and the Trenton Church. He died in 1816, and was deeply mourned by all who had known him. as he was not dismissed from the Presbytery of New- castle until that year. He continued to labor here until his death, in 1784, and was eminently respected and useful, and the church prospered under his min- istrations. He was a man of no common order, either as to his intellect or piety. He was born at East Haddam, Conn., in 1724; graduated at Yale in 1746; was designated by such men as Brainerd and Jona- than Edwards as Brainerd's successor in his work among the Indians; was ordained at Boston in 1748, and went immediately to his mission work. Provi- dence, however, had called him to other fields of labor. While at Princeton he was selected by Gov- ernor Belcher as chaplain of the New Jersey regi-
After a brief interval Rev. Isaac V. Brown was ! installed pastor of the church, June 10, 1807, and re- mained until April, 1829. Caleb Smith Green, Jolin Mount, Jasper Smith, Israel Stevens, Henry Mershon, and Waters Smith were the elders in the church, which in 1808 had fifty-four members, of whom not one was living eight years ago. Rev. Isaac V. Brown was born at Pluckamin, N. J., was of Huguenot de- scent, and graduated at Princeton, where he became a tutor in the college. He studied theology with Dr. Woodhull, of Monmouthi. He afterward removed to Mount Holly, and, with a short interval, spent the ments in the French and Indian war, and elected a . balance of his life there. He was ordained and in- trustee of the first College of New Jersey, an office , stalled Jnne 9, 1807. His trial sermon was preached he held until his death, Dec. 27, 1784.1
from Gal. ii. 19. Dr. Woodhull preached the ordina- tion sermon from Rev. ii. 10. Rev. Mr. Armstrong. gave the charges to the pastor and the people. Dr. S. S. Smith presided.
Between this date, 1784, and the call to Rev. J. F. Armstrong, in 1790, the pulpit was provided for by the Presbytery, Mr. Ashbel Green frequently acting as a supply. March 20, 1790, at a congregational Dr. Brown was succeeded by Rev. Henry Axtell, who was ordained and installed over this church June 15, 1830, and whose ministry from the outset was a successful one. In 1835, Mr. Axtell accepted a call to the Second Presbyterian Church of Orange, N. J. meeting held at the meeting-house, a call was voted to be handed by Stephen Jones to the Presbytery to be held at Sussex in April, " for one-half of Rev. Mr. Armstrong's time as pastor, agreeing to give one hun- dred pounds yearly and every year, payable in gold or Upon Mr. Axtell's removal the congregation after some delay united in a call to Rev. Joseph Mahon to become their pastor. Mr. Mahon accepted, and was installed in the summer of 1836. The great revival of 1841 and 1842, in which there were gathered into the church about sixty persons, was the prominent thing to be remembered in Mr. Mahon's labors. In . May, 1848, Mr. Mahon applied to the Presbytery for the dissolution of the pastoral relation, which was granted. silver, while the said Mr. Armstrong continued their pastor." The Trenton Church, of which Mr. Arm- strong was pastor, consenting to this arrangement, the Presbytery approved the call, and Mr. Armstrong accepted it upon its presentation to him. This ar- rangement continued till Oct. 7, 1806, when this church found itself able to support a pastor by itself, and the church at Trenton required the whole of Mr. Armstrong's time and services. Mr. Armstrong was born at West Nottingham, Md., April 3, 1780, grad- uated at Princeton in-1773, was taken under the care of the Presbytery of New Brunswick, June 6, 1776, as a candidate for the ministry, and having sustained the trials assigned him, was to have been licensed at . Shrewsbury, but the invasion of the State by the . one years have elapsed since then, embracing a long
British troops prevented. He was informally trans- ferred to the Presbytery of New Castle, and by then licensed in January, 1777. His patriotism prompted him to join the army; and to prepare the way for this act he was ordained by the New Castle Presby- tery in 1778, and in the following July was appointed
After an interval of nearly three years, during which Rev. M. B. Hope, D.D., then Professor of Rhetoric at Princeton, was called, the present pastor, Rev. A. Gosman, was called, and May 22, 1851, was ordained and installed pastor of this church. Thirty-
pastorate, which cannot be regarded as having been otherwise than successful. The progress of the church has been steady and substantial, and there have been some special awakenings, which have added con- siderably to its numbers from time to time. "From present indications Mr. Gosman's ministry here, which began with his ordination to preach the gospel," writes a member of the church, " bids fair to end only with his death or disability, and here will
1 It is said the church was occupied as a barrack for British soldiers while their army lay at Trenton and Princeton.
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858
HISTORY OF MERCER COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.
doubtless be one of those rare instances in which a ' churchyard. About 1867 it was removed to Baker'- preacher spends the years of his manhood in the service of one congregation."
The church building, as stated above, was enlarged in 1853, and although now holding all who meet at Lawrenceville for worship, is yet inadequate to meet the demands of the time. It is among the necessities of the near future, if the church and community are prospered, that the accommodations shall be en- larged.
In 1789 the church received from David Jones, ex- ecutor of Stephen Jones, deceased, the sum of £118 38. 6d., and in 1852 the further sumi of $500 from James Brearly, who, although living beyond its bounds, thus generously remembered the church of his native town. But the greatest pecuniary gift to the church was that made by Jasper Smith in his will, by which he conveyed the farm known as the parson- age to the trustees of this congregation for the better support of the gospel ministry.1 The probable aid of Ralph Hunt in securing to the church a valid title to the church lot has been previously referred to.
The Presbytery of New Brunswick met at Maiden- head Sept. 11, 1744, May 21, 1746, Oct. 18, 1746, May 19, 1747, Oct. 14, 1747, May 19, 1748, Oct. 12, 1748, May 16, 1749, May 16, 1750, and Oct. 1, 1750. The . space in the lot not given over to the dead is directly
Synod of New York met there in 1747, and the Synod of New Jersey at a later date. From these facts it will be seen that this was early one of the most im- portant churches in the State within the boundaries of which it was the fourth organized.
The name by which the old congregation was known in its earliest history was "The People of Maidenhead and Hopewell." In 1787 this congrega- tion availed itself of the general act of the Legisla- ture, passed 1786, relating to religious bodies, and incorporated itself under the style, description, and name, "Trustces of the Presbyterian Church in.the Township of Maidenhead, in the County of Hunter- don and State of New Jersey," signed and sealed by the following persons as trustees :
Edward Bainbridge, Nathaniel Hunt, Benjamin Vancleve, Stephen Jones, Waters Smith, Aaron Van- cleve, and Henry Mershon.
The present (1882) ruling elders are Peter Davis and Frank Dye. The trustees are N. Higgins Fur- man, J. M. Hendrickson, Caleb Mershon, John Phil- lips, and Sammel M. Hamill.
The Methodist Episcopal Church of Baker's Basin .- About 1840 a Methodist Episcopal Church was built at Princessville, in the lot containing the Methodist burying-ground, which was formerly the
Basin, on a lot purchased of Isaac B. Baker. The church and ground is valued at eight hundred dol- lars.
Among those instrumental in erecting this house of worship originally were Samuel S. Cox, Ira Ben- nett, and Mrs. Samuel Hunt. Services are held weekly by Rev. A. P. Lasher, of Pennington.
The Methodist Chapel .- The chapel in the Rosc- dale school district was built by subscription in 1842 on land given by Foster Vankirk. Services have not been held there uninterruptedly, and there has uever been a duly organized church in the neighborhood. Rev. A. Gosman, pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Lawrenceville, holds occasional services, and theo- logical students from Princeton have from time to time filled the pulpit.
Burial-Places .- One of the oldest burial-places in this section is that in the churchyard at Lawrence- ville. There lie the bones of the pioneers and their children and children's children. One head-stone bears date 1713. Many of the inscriptions are illegi- ble, many are almost hieroglyphical, some are so quaint as to invite perusal a second time. The graves are thick on three sides of the old church. The only
!in front, where a little patch of greensward lies be- tween the gate of the churchyard and the door of the church. When this yard was filled, and there was little room for opening new graves without break- ing into old ones, a second burial-ground was opened by the church, about a quarter of a mile away, on the northwest side of the king's road.
At Princessville is a small graveyard. which for- merly was the churchyard of the Methodist house of worship which stood there until about fifteen years ago. There were no interments there until within ! the past forty years.
CHAPTER LXX.
MILLHAM TOWNSHIP.
Geographical and Descriptive. - Millham, the youngest and smallest township of Mercer County, i., properly speaking, a suburb of Trenton.
The territory embraced in Millham is necessarily treated to some extent in connection with the history of the parent township, for it was not until a com- paratively recent date that Millham attained to any prominence as a distinctive portion of Lawrence.
The juxtaposition of the city of Trenton, from which Millham is separated only by that invisible line which often renders one town two municipalities, led to the planting of numerous industries within Millham's borders, which rapidly enhanced its popu- lation and importance, and led to its recent scpara-
! The trustees' book has the following record : " April 28, 1803. Sold and delivered a negro woman named Susan, and her child, to the Rev. James F. Armstrong by Mr. Edward Bainbridge, for $45, with interest, till the money can be collected from the congregation of Maidenhead." Referring to this in connection with the bequest of Mr. Smith, Rev. Mr. Gorman says, "Perhaps Mr. Smith had seen this record, or was cog- nizant of like facts."
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859
MILLHAM TOWNSHIP.
tion from Lawrence and the erection of its own town- ship government.
Millham is connected with Trenton by street rail- way, enjoys the advantages of mail delivery from the Trenton post-office, and in all practical respects not strictly municipal is part and parcel of the thriving city, to which not a few of its citizens predict it will ultimately be annexed.
The population consists largely of operatives in the various factories and their families.
Organization .- An act, entitled " An Act to set off' from the township of Lawrence, in the county of Mercer, a new township, to be called the township of Millham," was passed in January, 1882. For boundary lines, see Pamphlet Laws of 1882.
The First Township Election .- The first town- ship election of the township of Millham was held on the second Monday of March, 1882, at the house of James D. McManus.
The following appropriations were made: For roads, twelve hundred dollars; for the poor, five hun- dred dollars.
The following officers were elected : Charles Schmidt, chosen freeholder; P. H. Clinton, town- ship clerk; William C. Cox, assessor; Thomas H. . crease to five hundred thousand dollars, divided into Barrett, collector ; George Rein, James Clinton, and James Casey, township committee; Edward F. Bar- rett, Aaron Cloward, and John Corbitt, commis- sioners of appeals ; Thomas Irvine, judge of election ; William Irvine and John J. Clancy, inspectors of eleetion ; Lewis Diehl, William Higgins, and A. M. Covert, coustables; Patrick McNamara and David Claney, surveyors of highways ; Thomas Abbott, jns- tice of the peace ; Thomas II. Barrett, overseer of the poor; Michael Carr and Thomas MI. Craft, pound- keepers.
Early History and Business Beginnings .- Much of the early history of the territory now forming Mill- ham is necessarily included in the history of the township of Lawrence, of which Millham until re- cently was a portion.
Philemon Dickinson was the owner of a large tract of land in what is now Millham, and was one of the earliest residents there. He was twice married, and has numerous descendants in Trenton and vicinity.
Mrs. Margaret Clark kept store in Millham in 1834, in a little house on what is now Clinton Avenue, and in 1852 built her present store at 215 Clinton Avenue.
James Sullivan kept a store on the corner now oc- cupied by the Homestead Honse in 1849, and for abont six years thereafter.
The store of Samuel Firth, at the corner of Clinton Avenne and East Street, was opened in 1865.
About 1867, C. E. Thorne opened a store on Clin- ton Avenne near the Homestead House. He was sue- : trolling about two hundred desirable lots.
ceeded three years later by a Mr. Leek, and he in two years by C. Rice, who discontinued business three years afterwards.
The first wheelwright-shop was opened by Samuel
Ford, in 1870. It was leased by Theophilus Scudder, who removed from Millham about two years later. He had numerous successors until he again took pos- session of the establishment in 1878.
The first blacksmith was Samuel Scott. A shop was opened by William Ford abont 1868, which was afterwards closed. About three years ago Matthew Holsneek erected a shop, which he has since occupied.
The first to keep publie-house in Millham was Wil- liam Smedley, who built the Homestead House in 1860, and owned and occupied it until he sold out to the present proprietor, John Barlow, in 1876.
The Clinton Hotel. on Clinton Avenne near the State Rubber-Works, was erected by the present .owner and occupant. William Page, in 1872.
Land Associations .- The first well-directed effort to induce the purchase of lots in Millham, and the settlement thereon of such persons as it was deemed would exert an influence toward developing the vari- ous interests which have since made the locality con- spicuous; was put forth by the East Trenton Land and Building Company, which was incorporated April 6, 1866, with a capital stock of one hundred thousand dollars, which they were privileged to in-
shares valned at one linndred dollars each. The cor- porators were Imlah Moore, Jonathan Fisk, Charles Moore, A. W. Cheeseman, and Augustns G. Richey. The company was empowered " to let, rent, lease, mortgage, and sell such lands and real estate as they may have and hold from time to time, in whole or in parcels, and to improve the same by erecting, or cansing to be erected thereon, buildings of every name, kind, and description, and for all proper and legitimate purposes, or by laying off said lands and real estate into lots ; and to use the same for agrienl- tural purposes, or in any other lawful way that the said corporation may deem necessary or advisable ; and to purchase, make up, manufacture, sell, and dis- pose of all materials pertaining to the erection of such buildings."
The Enterprise Land Company of New Jersey was organized in 1873. The incorporators were Imlah Moore, John H. Stewart, Clarkson Fish, and Augus- tus G. Richey. The present (1882) officers of the company are Jonathan Steward, president, and Sam- nel D. Bailey, secretary and treasurer. The directors are Jonathan Steward, Augustus G. Richey, Imlah Moore, Clarkson Fish, and Philip P. Dunn.
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